Farm Stores franchise
2023 filing · August 7, 2023GrowingShares sales figures
Farm Stores at a glance
A drive-thru grocery store selling milk, bread, eggs, coffee and everyday items, under the Farm Stores or Swiss Farms name. At the end of 2022 there were 44 Farm Stores locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- Farm Stores Franchising, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Current franchisor selling since
- 2015
- 8 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Coconut Grove, Florida
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $145K–$249K
- A new Design Build store
- Franchise fee
- $25,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6% + minimum
- The greater of 6% of gross sales or $360 a week, paid weekly
- Brand fund
- Yes
- 1% of weekly gross sales or $60, whichever is more, paid weekly
- Renewal fee
- $10,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2022
- 44
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 44
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 3 years
- +4
- Franchised locations, 2020–2022
- States
- 5
- Most in Florida, Pennsylvania and Alabama
Support and records
From Farm Stores Franchising, LLC’s 2023 filing; revenue and net loss from its audited financial statements, page 214; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Franchisor revenue is the company that sells the franchises (royalties, fees and anything else it earns), not what a location makes.
Where it ranks
Farm Stores among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Farm Stores | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $197,300 | Costs less than 70% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $25,000 | Lower than 82% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 44 | More than 62% of franchises |
| Sales per locationYearly, as the brand reports it | $823,732 | Higher than 52% of brands that share sales figures |
| Sales against cost to openYearly sales over the cost midpoint | 4.2× | Higher than 87% of brands that share sales figures |
How much a Farm Stores franchise costs
Opening a new Design Build store costs an estimated $145,400 to $249,200. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are additional funds (3 to 6 months) ($75,000 to $100,000) and furniture, fixtures and equipment ($10,000 to $30,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $15,000 | $25,000 | |
| Real Estate Services Fee | $2,500 | $5,000 | |
| Opening Deadline Extension Fee | $0 | $2,500 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $10,000 | $30,000 | |
| Licenses and Permits | $2,500 | $5,000 | |
| Point of Sale System (hardware and software) | $2,500 | $5,000 | |
| Lease Initiation Fee | $5,000 | $15,000 | |
| Prepaid Rent and Security Deposit and Escrow for Real Estate Taxes, (where applicable) | $8,000 | $18,000 | |
| Utility Deposits | $500 | $1,500 | |
| Office and Store Supplies, and Small Wares | $200 | $500 | |
| Opening Inventory | $12,000 | $15,000 | |
| Insurance | $3,000 | $5,000 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising & Promotions Expenditures | $5,000 | $12,000 | |
| Attorney’s Fees | $1,500 | $3,000 | |
| On-Site Accountant’s Fee | $1,000 | $3,000 | |
| Initial Training | $400 | $600 | |
| Travel, Lodging, Meals, etc. for Initial Training | $1,000 | $2,500 | |
| Uniforms | $300 | $600 | |
| Additional Funds (3 to 6 months) | $75,000 | $100,000 | |
| Total | $145,400 | $249,200 |
Source: Farm Stores Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, page 17
Farm Stores franchise fee
The franchise fee is $25,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Farm Stores Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | The greater of 6% of gross sales or $360 a week, paid weekly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of weekly gross sales or $60, whichever is more, paid weekly. |
| Point of Sale System (hardware and software) | $2,500 |
| Renewal Fee | $10,000 |
| On-Site Initial Training or Additional Assistance | $200 per day |
| Local Advertising | 2% of monthly Gross Sales |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Farm Stores Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, page 13
Other fees as filed, from pages 13–17. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Farm Stores publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
- Average sales
- $823,732
- Median sales
- $698,425
Yearly figures for 2022, covering franchised Farm Stores and Swiss Farms businesses open at least a year at the end of 2022 (38 locations). The average is about 4.2 times the midpoint of the cost to open.
Sales are what a location takes in before rent, payroll, royalties and other costs, not what its owner keeps.
Source: Farm Stores Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, pages 65–66
SBA loans to Farm Stores franchisees
Lenders approved one SBA 7(a) loan for a Farm Stores franchisee in 2018, for $312K. It was paid in full.
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
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2022 / 2020–2022. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Farm Stores | Typical retail brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | −4.3% / +10% | −0.4% / 0% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 22% / 43% | 5.4% / 18% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical retail brand is the median of the 114 brands in retail franchises with three years of counts.
How Farm Stores compares
Of the 302 retail franchises on this site, Farm Stores is the 96th cheapest to open and the 133rd largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Farm Stores | Typical retail brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $145K | $198K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $249K | $425K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $25K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 5.7% | 6% |
| Sales per location | $824K | $724K | $794K |
| US locations | 44 | 38 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 187 of 302 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 302 brands in retail franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 41 (+1) | 0 | +4 | −3 |
| 2021 | 46 (+5) | 0 | +9 | −4 |
| 2022 | 44 (−2) | 0 | +8 | −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.
More in the guides: gas station franchises and franchise failure rates.
Source: Farm Stores Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, page 67
Where Farm Stores locations are
At the end of 2022, Farm Stores had franchised locations in 5 states. The most are in Florida, Pennsylvania and Alabama.
- Florida31
- Pennsylvania10
- Alabama1
- Georgia1
- New York1
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| Florida | 31 |
| Pennsylvania | 10 |
| Alabama | 1 |
| Georgia | 1 |
| New York | 1 |
Source: Farm Stores Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, page 68
Who owns Farm Stores?
Farm Stores franchises are sold by Farm Stores Franchising, LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From Farm Stores Franchising, LLC’s 2023 filing, page 8.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on page 11. |
|---|---|
| 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: Farm Stores Franchising, LLC, 2023 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 11
Farm Stores filings
The figures on this page come from Farm Stores Franchising, LLC’s 2023 filing, issued August 7, 2023, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 filing | August 7, 2023 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2020–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other retail franchises
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Farm Stores is also on these lists: food franchises.