illy Caffè franchise
2026 filing · April 15, 2026GrowingShares sales figures
illy Caffè at a glance
An Italian-style coffee bar serving espresso, cappuccino, light food and, where licensed, alcohol. At the end of 2025 there were 17 illy Caffè locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- illy caffè North America, Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $426K–$2.1M
- A stand-alone (traditional) location
- Franchise fee
- $40,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of net sales, paid monthly (4.5% possible for developers of five or more)
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- The greater of: 50% of the then current initial fee; or $10,000.
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 17
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 17
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 1 years
- +1
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 9
- Most in Florida, California and Georgia
From illy caffè North America, Inc’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
illy Caffè among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | illy Caffè | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $1,264,860 | Costs more than 87% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $40,000 | Lower than 46% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 17 | Fewer than 53% of franchises |
| Sales per locationYearly, as the brand reports it | $1,500,614 | Higher than 79% of brands that share sales figures |
| Sales against cost to openYearly sales over the cost midpoint | 1.2× | Lower than 68% of brands that share sales figures |
How much a illy Caffè franchise costs
Opening a stand-alone (traditional) location costs an estimated $426,000 to $2,103,720. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are equipment ($125,000 to $584,220) and leasehold improvements ($35,100 to $582,500). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per Square Foot Cost | $300 | $600 | |
| Initial Fee | $40,000 | ||
| Site Visit | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Rent/Real Estate | $13,400 | $120,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $35,100 | $582,500 | |
| Equipment | $125,000 | $584,220 | |
| Computer System | $1,000 | $40,000 | |
| Inventory | $20,000 | $40,000 | |
| Uniforms | $3,000 | $10,000 | |
| Utility Deposits | $2,000 | $5,000 | |
| Travel and Accommodations for Training | $4,000 | $12,000 | |
| Insurance | $6,000 | $20,000 | |
| Opening Marketing | $10,000 | $20,000 | |
| Business Licenses and Professional Services | $10,000 | $20,000 | |
| Liquor Licenses | $2,500 | $200,000 | |
| Pre-opening training/food costs | $3,000 | $5,000 | |
| Additional Funds (6 months) | $150,000 | $400,000 | |
| Total | $426,000 | $2,103,720 | |
Source: illy caffè North America, Inc, 2026 filing, page 18
illy Caffè franchise fee
The franchise fee is $40,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: illy caffè North America, Inc, 2026 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of net sales, paid monthly (4.5% possible for developers of five or more). |
|---|---|
| Computer System | $1,000 |
| Transfer Fee | $15,000.. |
| Renewal Fee | The greater of: 50% of the then current initial fee; or $10,000. |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: illy caffè North America, Inc, 2026 filing, page 11
Other fees as filed, from pages 12–17. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures illy Caffè publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
- Average net sales
- $1,500,614
- Median net sales
- $649,391
Yearly figures for 2025, covering franchised illy locations open during 2025 (19 locations). The average is about 1.2 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: illy caffè North America, Inc, 2026 filing, page 57
How illy Caffè compares
Of the 117 coffee franchises on this site, illy Caffè is the 73rd cheapest to open and the 43rd largest by number of locations.
| Figure | illy Caffè | Typical coffee brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $426K | $350K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $2.1M | $741K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $40K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| Sales per location | $1.5M | $913K | $794K |
| US locations | 17 | 8 | 21 |
| Closed or left per year | 6.3% | 2.6% | – |
| Change in franchised locations, 1 yrs | +6.3% | +32.8% | – |
| 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 | 17 (+1) | 0 | +2 | −1 |
| 2024 | 17 (0) | 0 | – | – |
| 2025 | 17 (0) | 0 | – | – |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating. U.S. locations only.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: coffee franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: illy caffè North America, Inc, 2026 filing, page 58
Where illy Caffè locations are
At the end of 2025, illy Caffè had franchised locations in 9 states. The most are in Florida, California and Georgia.
- Florida4
- California2
- Georgia2
- Nevada2
- New Jersey2
- Virginia2
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| Florida | 4 |
| California | 2 |
| Georgia | 2 |
| Nevada | 2 |
| New Jersey | 2 |
| Virginia | 2 |
| Colorado | 1 |
| Maryland | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | 1 |
Source: illy caffè North America, Inc, 2026 filing, page 59
Who owns illy Caffè?
illy Caffè franchises are sold by illy caffè North America, Inc.
From illy caffè North America, Inc’s 2026 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: illy caffè North America, Inc, 2026 filing, litigation on page 9, bankruptcy on page 10
illy Caffè filings
The figures on this page come from illy caffè North America, Inc’s 2026 filing, issued April 15, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 15, 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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illy Caffè is also on these lists: restaurant franchises, food franchises.