Lee's Gimbap franchise
2026 filing · April 9, 2026Growing
Lee's Gimbap at a glance
A Korean gimbap restaurant offering dine-in and carry-out service. At the end of 2025 there were 2 Lee's Gimbap locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- Lee&K International, Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Houston, Texas
- Typical size
- 1,500–2,500 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $332K–$588K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $40,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 4%
- 4% of gross sales, paid monthly, plus a marketing fee of up to 1%
- Brand fund
- 1%
- 1% of gross sales, paid with the royalty
- Agreement length
- 5 years
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 2
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 2
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 3 years
- +2
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 2
- Most in Texas and Virginia
From Lee&K International, Inc’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Lee's Gimbap among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Lee's Gimbap | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $459,650 | Costs more than 60% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $40,000 | Lower than 46% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 4% | Lower than 93% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 2 | Fewer than 82% of franchises |
How much a Lee's Gimbap franchise costs
Opening one Lee's Gimbap costs an estimated $331,500 to $587,800. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are construction and leasehold improvements ($170,000 to $250,000) and additional funds – 3 months ($50,000 to $90,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $40,000 | ||
| Real Estate Security Deposits and Initial Rent | $5,000 | $37,800 | |
| Construction and leasehold improvements | $170,000 | $250,000 | |
| Design and architecture | $12,000 | $20,000 | |
| Equipment, Furniture and Fixtures | $35,000 | $75,000 | |
| Opening Inventory | $5,000 | $15,000 | |
| Insurance | $5,000 | $15,000 | |
| Opening Promotion and Grand Opening | $5,000 | $15,000 | |
| Cash Registers/Other Office Equipment | $3,000 | $15,000 | |
| Initial Training Expenses | $0 | $5,000 | |
| Business Licenses, Utility Deposits, Prepaid Fees | $1,500 | $10,000 | |
| Additional Funds – 3 months | $50,000 | $90,000 | |
| Total | $331,500 | $587,800 | |
Source: Lee&K International, Inc, 2026 filing, page 16
Lee's Gimbap franchise fee
The franchise fee is $40,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Lee&K International, Inc, 2026 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 4% of gross sales, paid monthly, plus a marketing fee of up to 1%. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of gross sales, paid with the royalty. |
| POS, Computer or Information Systems Fee | Up to $250 per month (currently not assessed) |
| Transfer Review Fee (subject to state law) | $2,500 |
| Local Advertising | Up to 1% of Gross Sales (currently not assessed) |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Lee&K International, Inc, 2026 filing, page 11
Other fees as filed, from pages 12–15. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Lee's Gimbap 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: Lee&K International, Inc, 2026 filing, page 44
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $670K–$1.2M
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How Lee's Gimbap compares
Of the 309 fast food franchises on this site, Lee's Gimbap is the 140th cheapest to open and the 254th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Lee's Gimbap | Typical fast food brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $332K | $353K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $588K | $786K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $40K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 4% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 2 | 23 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 189 of 309 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 309 brands in fast food franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 (+2) | 0 | +2 | 0 |
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: fast food franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: Lee&K International, Inc, 2026 filing, page 44
Where Lee's Gimbap locations are
At the end of 2025, Lee's Gimbap had franchised locations in 2 states. The most are in Texas and Virginia.
- Texas1
- Virginia1
Source: Lee&K International, Inc, 2026 filing, page 45
Who owns Lee's Gimbap?
Lee's Gimbap franchises are sold by Lee&K International, Inc.
From Lee&K International, 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: Lee&K International, Inc, 2026 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 10
Lee's Gimbap filings
The figures on this page come from Lee&K International, Inc’s 2026 filing, issued April 9, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 9, 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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