San Chen franchise
2026 filing · August 31, 2026Growing
San Chen at a glance
A tea shop serving teas, milk teas, juice drinks and tapioca from a focused menu. At the end of 2025 there were 12 San Chen locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- Chicha San Chen Corporation
- The company that sells the franchises
- Typical size
- 400–1,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $187K–$284K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $60,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross revenues, paid monthly
- Brand fund
- None now
- No brand fund
- Renewal fee
- $10,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 12
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 12
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 3 years
- +12
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 5
- Most in California, Colorado and Illinois
Support and records
From Chicha San Chen Corporation’s 2026 filing; revenue and net income from its audited financial statements, page 116; 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
San Chen among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | San Chen | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $235,480 | Costs less than 64% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $60,000 | Higher than 88% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 12 | Fewer than 58% of franchises |
How much a San Chen franchise costs
Opening one San Chen costs an estimated $186,500 to $284,460. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are initial franchise fee ($60,000) and leasehold improvements ($10,000 to $50,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $60,000 | ||
| Design Fee | $0 | $3,360 | |
| Security Deposit | $30,000 | ||
| Training Fee | $2,800 | $5,600 | |
| Training expenses | $5,000 | $10,000 | |
| Lease of Outlet premises and lease security deposit | $10,000 | $20,000 | |
| Leasehold improvements | $10,000 | $50,000 | |
| Equipment, furniture and fixtures | $20,000 | $30,000 | |
| Point of sale system | $700 | $2,500 | |
| Interior/exterior signs and graphics | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Professional fees | $5,000 | $10,000 | |
| Business licenses and permits | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Inventory and administrative supplies to begin operating | $10,000 | ||
| Business insurance | $1,000 | $3,000 | |
| Additional funds – 3 months | $30,000 | $40,000 | |
| Total | $186,500 | $284,460 | |
Source: Chicha San Chen Corporation, 2026 filing, page 15
San Chen franchise fee
The franchise fee is $60,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Chicha San Chen Corporation, 2026 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross revenues, paid monthly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | No brand fund |
| Point of sale system | $700 to $2,500 |
| Renewal Fee | $10,000 |
| Training Fee | $2800 to $5,600 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Chicha San Chen Corporation, 2026 filing, pages 14 and 26
Other fees as filed, from pages 14–15. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures San Chen 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: Chicha San Chen Corporation, 2026 filing, page 44
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $370K–$660K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How San Chen compares
Of the 56 bubble tea franchises on this site, San Chen is the 18th cheapest to open and the 18th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | San Chen | Typical bubble tea brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $187K | $264K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $284K | $502K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $60K | $40K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 5% | 6% |
| US locations | 12 | 8 | 21 |
| Closed or left per year | 0% | 0% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 19 of 56 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 56 brands in bubble tea franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 6 (+6) | 0 | +6 | 0 |
| 2025 | 12 (+6) | 0 | +6 | 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: franchise failure rates.
Source: Chicha San Chen Corporation, 2026 filing, page 45
Where San Chen locations are
At the end of 2025, San Chen had franchised locations in 5 states. The most are in California, Colorado and Illinois.
- California8
- Colorado1
- Illinois1
- Maryland1
- Washington1
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| California | 8 |
| Colorado | 1 |
| Illinois | 1 |
| Maryland | 1 |
| Washington | 1 |
Source: Chicha San Chen Corporation, 2026 filing, page 46
Who owns San Chen?
San Chen franchises are sold by Chicha San Chen Corporation.
From Chicha San Chen Corporation’s 2026 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on pages 9–10. |
|---|---|
| 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: Chicha San Chen Corporation, 2026 filing, litigation on pages 9–10, bankruptcy on page 10
San Chen filings
The figures on this page come from Chicha San Chen Corporation’s 2026 filing, issued August 31, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | August 31, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other bubble tea franchises
All bubble tea franchises
San Chen is also on these lists: food franchises.