Boba Nation franchise
2024 filing · April 16, 2024GrowingShares sales figures
Boba Nation at a glance
A bubble tea shop serving boba drinks and selling retail items. At the end of 2023 there were 3 Boba Nation locations in the US, 1 franchised and 2 company-owned, so most are run by the company itself.
The business
- Franchisor
- Boba Nation Franchise LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2022
- 2 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- San Jose, California
- Typical size
- 800–1,500 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $350K–$495K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $30,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 5%
- 5% of gross revenue, paid weekly, plus 1% to the brand development fund
- Brand fund
- 1%
- 1% of gross revenue, paid weekly; it can rise to 2%
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 3
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 1
- Company-owned
- 2
- Change in 3 years
- +1
- Franchised locations, 2021–2023
- States
- 1
- Most in California
From Boba Nation Franchise LLC’s 2024 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Boba Nation among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Boba Nation | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $422,500 | Costs more than 57% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $30,000 | Lower than 72% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 3 | Fewer than 78% of franchises |
How much a Boba Nation franchise costs
Opening one Boba Nation costs an estimated $350,000 to $495,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements, construction and/or remodeling ($150,000 to $250,000) and furniture, fixtures, equipment and supplies ($110,000 to $130,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $30,000 | ||
| Premises Lease/Utility Deposit | $7,000 | $10,000 | |
| Designer/Architect Fee | $13,000 | $15,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements, Construction and/or Remodeling | $150,000 | $250,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment and Supplies | $110,000 | $130,000 | |
| Exterior Signage, Menu Board, Low Voltage | $5,000 | $8,000 | |
| POS System, Computer Hardware, and Software | $2,000 | $3,000 | |
| Security and Music System | $5,000 | $6,000 | |
| Initial Inventory to Begin Operating | $7,000 | $10,000 | |
| Business Permits and Licenses | $500 | $1,000 | |
| Insurance | $1,000 | $2,500 | |
| Professional Fees | $2,000 | $4,000 | |
| Your Training Expenses | $1,000 | $2,000 | |
| Uniforms | $500 | ||
| Grand Opening Advertising | $6,000 | $8,000 | |
| Operating Expenses/Additional funds-Three Months | $10,000 | $15,000 | |
| Total | $350,000 | $495,000 | |
Source: Boba Nation Franchise LLC, 2024 filing, page 15
Boba Nation franchise fee
The franchise fee is $30,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Boba Nation Franchise LLC, 2024 filing, page 8
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of gross revenue, paid weekly, plus 1% to the brand development fund. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of gross revenue, paid weekly; it can rise to 2%. |
| Technology Fee | Currently $0. Costs as incurred. |
| Additional Training at Franchisor’s Location | Currently $150 per person per day plus expenses incurred. |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Boba Nation Franchise LLC, 2024 filing, page 9
Other fees as filed, from pages 9–11. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Boba Nation publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Boba Nation Franchise LLC, 2024 filing, page 35
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $460K–$800K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How Boba Nation compares
Of the 56 bubble tea franchises on this site, Boba Nation is the 46th cheapest to open and the 39th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Boba Nation | Typical bubble tea brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $350K | $264K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $495K | $502K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $30K | $40K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1% | 1% | 2% |
| US locations | 3 | 8 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 19 of 56 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 56 brands in bubble tea franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 (0) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 (+1) | 2 | +1 | 0 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: Boba Nation Franchise LLC, 2024 filing, page 37
Where Boba Nation locations are
At the end of 2023, Boba Nation had locations in 1 state. The most are in California.
- California3
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Source: Boba Nation Franchise LLC, 2024 filing, page 38
Who owns Boba Nation?
Boba Nation franchises are sold by Boba Nation Franchise LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From Boba Nation Franchise LLC’s 2024 filing, page 6.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Boba Nation Franchise LLC, 2024 filing, litigation on page 8, bankruptcy on page 8
Boba Nation filings
The figures on this page come from Boba Nation Franchise LLC’s 2024 filing, issued April 16, 2024, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | April 16, 2024 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2021–2023 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other bubble tea franchises
All bubble tea franchises
Boba Nation is also on these lists: food franchises.