Front Porch Cafe franchise
2026 filing · April 20, 2026GrowingShares sales figures
Front Porch Cafe at a glance
A coffee shop serving coffee it roasts itself. At the end of 2025 there were 5 Front Porch Cafe locations in the US, 1 franchised and 4 company-owned, so most are run by the company itself.
The business
- Franchisor
- Front Porch Cafe Franchise, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $224K–$368K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $25,000
- Plus about $5,000 of coffee beans bought from the franchisor before opening
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross revenue, paid monthly, plus local advertising of 1% of revenue
- Renewal fee
- $5,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 5
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 1
- Company-owned
- 4
- Change in 3 years
- +1
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 1
- Most in North Carolina
From Front Porch Cafe Franchise, LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Front Porch Cafe among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Front Porch Cafe | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $295,900 | Costs less than 57% 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 | 5 | Fewer than 71% of franchises |
How much a Front Porch Cafe franchise costs
Opening one Front Porch Cafe costs an estimated $224,100 to $367,700. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are equipment, furniture, fixtures, and Décor ($75,000 to $100,000) and leasehold improvements ($40,000 to $90,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $25,000 | ||
| Traveling and Living Expenses while Training | $3,000 | $4,200 | |
| Real Property Rent and Security Deposits (3 mos.) | $4,000 | $22,500 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $40,000 | $90,000 | |
| Equipment, Furniture, Fixtures, and Décor | $75,000 | $100,000 | |
| Initial Inventory | $20,000 | $30,000 | |
| Signage | $1,000 | $8,000 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $1,000 | $3,000 | |
| Licenses, Permits, and Certifications | $100 | $1,000 | |
| Insurance (3 Months) | $1,000 | $2,000 | |
| TV, Cameras, and other Supplies | $1,000 | $2,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $3,000 | $5,000 | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $50,000 | $75,000 | |
| Total | $224,100 | $367,700 | |
Source: Front Porch Cafe Franchise, LLC, 2026 filing, page 16
Front Porch Cafe franchise fee
The franchise fee is $25,000, plus about $5,000 of coffee beans bought from the franchisor before opening. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Front Porch Cafe Franchise, LLC, 2026 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross revenue, paid monthly, plus local advertising of 1% of revenue. |
|---|---|
| Transfer Fee | $10,000 |
| Renewal Fee | $5,000 |
| Local Advertising | 1% of Gross Revenues |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Front Porch Cafe Franchise, LLC, 2026 filing, page 12
Other fees as filed, from pages 12–14. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Front Porch Cafe publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Front Porch Cafe Franchise, LLC, 2026 filing, page 40
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $470K–$830K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
SBA loans to Front Porch Cafe franchisees
Lenders approved one SBA 7(a) loan for a Front Porch Cafe franchisee in 2024, for $188K. It hasn’t been paid off or charged off 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 Front Porch Cafe compares
Of the 117 coffee franchises on this site, Front Porch Cafe is the 24th cheapest to open and the 68th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Front Porch Cafe | Typical coffee brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $224K | $350K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $368K | $741K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $25K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| US locations | 5 | 8 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 69 of 117 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 117 brands in coffee franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 (0) | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 (+1) | 4 | +1 | 0 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating. Company-owned cafes are run by the franchisor's affiliates.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: coffee franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: Front Porch Cafe Franchise, LLC, 2026 filing, page 42
Where Front Porch Cafe locations are
At the end of 2025, Front Porch Cafe had locations in 1 state. The most are in North Carolina.
- North Carolina5
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 1 | 4 | 5 |
Source: Front Porch Cafe Franchise, LLC, 2026 filing, page 43
Who owns Front Porch Cafe?
Front Porch Cafe franchises are sold by Front Porch Cafe Franchise, LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From Front Porch Cafe Franchise, LLC’s 2026 filing, page 9.
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: Front Porch Cafe Franchise, LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 10
Front Porch Cafe filings
The figures on this page come from Front Porch Cafe Franchise, LLC’s 2026 filing, issued April 20, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 20, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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