Caribou Coffee franchise
A Caribou Coffee franchisee runs a Caribou Coffee coffeehouse. At the end of 2025 there were 494 Caribou Coffee locations in the US, 144 franchised and 350 company-owned, so most are run by the company itself.
- Cost to open
- $898K–$1.51M
- Franchise fee
- $30,000
- Royalty
- 5%
- Locations, 2025
- 494−1 in 3 yrs
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Company snapshot
- SBA loans
- On the SBA Franchise Directory
From Caribou Coffee Development Company, Inc’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
How much a Caribou Coffee franchise costs
Opening a Caribou Chalet coffeehouse, excluding the lease (a drive-thru Cabin is $606,100 to $979,000 and a Kiosk $281,100 to $712,000) costs an estimated $898,100 to $1,515,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: Caribou Coffee Development Company, Inc, 2026 filing, page 21
Caribou Coffee franchise fee
The franchise fee is $30,000, for a Chalet or a Cabin; $7,000 to $15,000 for a Kiosk. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Caribou Coffee Development Company, Inc, 2026 filing, page 13
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of gross sales for a Cabin or Chalet (6% for a Kiosk, 4% in airports, universities and hospitals), with a minimum of $6,000 a year after the first 12 months. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | A marketing contribution of up to 3% of gross sales, currently 2% to the Brand Fund and 1% spent on local marketing. |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Caribou Coffee Development Company, Inc, 2026 filing, page 14
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Caribou Coffee publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations: it reports 2025 gross sales for franchised kiosks and traditional coffeehouses open the full year, and sales and some costs for company-owned drive-thru Chalets and Cabins. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Caribou Coffee Development Company, Inc, 2026 filing, page 53
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 147 (+2) | 333 | 10 |
| 2024 | 152 (+5) | 335 | 9 |
| 2025 | 144 (−8) | 350 | 10 |
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.
Caribou Coffee passes four of the five tests on our list of the best franchises to own; more of its franchised locations closed or left than is typical.
Source: Caribou Coffee Development Company, Inc, 2026 filing, page 62
How Caribou Coffee compares
Of the 25 coffee franchises on this site, Caribou Coffee is the 22nd cheapest to open and the 5th largest by number of locations.
| Measure | Caribou Coffee | Typical coffee |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $898K | $459K |
| Royalty | 5% | 6% |
| Closed or left per year | 6.5% | 3.3% |
| Change in franchised locations, 3 yrs | −0.7% | +50.2% |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 18 of 25 |
Typical is the median across the 25 brands in coffee franchises.
