CoreLife Eatery franchise
2024 filing · April 19, 2024Fewer locations
CoreLife Eatery at a glance
A fast-casual restaurant serving build-your-own green, grain and bone broth bowls. At the end of 2023 there were 49 CoreLife Eatery locations in the US, 24 franchised and 25 company-owned, so most are run by the company itself.
The business
- Franchisor
- CoreLife Eatery Franchisor, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Current franchisor selling since
- 2016
- 8 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Vestal, New York
- Typical size
- 2,700–3,200 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $790K–$1.04M
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $35,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 5%
- 5% of weekly net sales
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of net sales
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- 50% of our then-current initial franchise fee
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 49
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 24
- Company-owned
- 25
- Change in 2 years
- −11
- Franchised locations, 2021–2023
- States
- 11
- Most in New York, Indiana and Michigan
From CoreLife Eatery Franchisor, LLC’s 2024 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
CoreLife Eatery among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | CoreLife Eatery | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $916,750 | Costs more than 81% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $35,000 | Lower than 61% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 49 | More than 64% of franchises |
How much a CoreLife Eatery franchise costs
Opening one CoreLife Eatery costs an estimated $789,500 to $1,044,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($310,000 to $390,000) and equipment ($195,000 to $205,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $35,000 | ||
| Architect/Engineer and Architectural Design Review Fee | $12,500 | $16,000 | |
| Project Coordinator | $0 | $2,000 | |
| Permits and Licensing | $1,000 | $6,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $310,000 | $390,000 | |
| Equipment | $195,000 | $205,000 | |
| Furniture and Fixtures | $90,000 | $115,000 | |
| Small wares | $20,000 | $23,000 | |
| Signage and Graphics | $23,000 | $43,000 | |
| Computer Equipment & Information/POS Systems | $14,000 | $19,000 | |
| Uniforms | $3,000 | $4,000 | |
| Initial Inventory and Supplies | $12,000 | $18,000 | |
| Pre-Opening Advertising | $28,000 | ||
| Grand Opening Food Giveaway | $3,000 | $5,000 | |
| Insurance Deposits | $1,500 | $5,000 | |
| First Month’s Rent/Security Deposit | $0 | $30,000 | |
| Initial Training | $15,000 | $25,000 | |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs | $500 | $10,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Additional Funds(11) – 3 Months | $25,000 | $60,000 | |
| Total | $789,500 | $1,044,000 | |
Source: CoreLife Eatery Franchisor, LLC, 2024 filing, page 18
CoreLife Eatery franchise fee
The franchise fee is $35,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: CoreLife Eatery Franchisor, LLC, 2024 filing, page 12
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of weekly net sales. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of net sales. |
| Technology Fee | Not currently charged. We may charge up to $62.50 per week |
| Transfer Fee | 50% of our then-current initial franchise fee per CoreLife Eatery |
| Renewal Fee | 50% of our then-current initial franchise fee |
| Additional Training or Assistance Fees | Then-current fee (currently approximately $600 per day plus expenses) |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: CoreLife Eatery Franchisor, LLC, 2024 filing, pages 13 and 14
Other fees as filed, from pages 14–15. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures CoreLife Eatery does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: CoreLife Eatery Franchisor, LLC, 2024 filing, page 51
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $1.1M–$2M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to CoreLife Eatery franchisees
Lenders approved 15 SBA 7(a) loans for CoreLife Eatery franchisees from 2017 to 2024, $11.8M in all. All 8 that have ended were paid in full; none was charged off. The other 7 haven’t ended yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
How CoreLife Eatery compares
Of the 813 restaurant franchises on this site, CoreLife Eatery is the 632nd cheapest to open and the 215th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | CoreLife Eatery | Typical restaurant brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $790K | $408K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $1.04M | $866K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $35K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 49 | 14 | 21 |
| Closed or left per year | 17.9% | 4.9% | – |
| Change in franchised locations, 2 yrs | −31.4% | +1.8% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 474 of 813 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 813 brands in restaurant franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 32 (−3) | 28 | +3 | −6 |
| 2022 | 26 (−6) | 26 | 0 | −6 |
| 2023 | 24 (−2) | 25 | – | – |
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: CoreLife Eatery Franchisor, LLC, 2024 filing, page 52
Where CoreLife Eatery locations are
At the end of 2023, CoreLife Eatery had locations in 11 states. The most are in New York, Indiana and Michigan.
- New York20
- Indiana5
- Michigan5
- Ohio4
- Pennsylvania4
- Illinois3
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 4 | 16 | 20 |
| Indiana | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Michigan | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Ohio | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Pennsylvania | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Illinois | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Kentucky | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| North Carolina | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Tennessee | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| South Carolina | 1 | 0 | 1 |
All 11 states
| Virginia | 1 |
|---|
Source: CoreLife Eatery Franchisor, LLC, 2024 filing, page 53
Who owns CoreLife Eatery?
CoreLife Eatery franchises are sold by CoreLife Eatery Franchisor, LLC.
From CoreLife Eatery Franchisor, LLC’s 2024 filing.
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: CoreLife Eatery Franchisor, LLC, 2024 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 12
CoreLife Eatery filings
The figures on this page come from CoreLife Eatery Franchisor, LLC’s 2024 filing, issued April 19, 2024, on record with the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | April 19, 2024 | Minnesota | Costs, fees and locations, 2021–2023 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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