TEATOP franchise
2026 filing · March 30, 2026Growing
TEATOP at a glance
A tea shop serving milk teas, fruit teas and juice drinks with tapioca pearls. At the end of 2025 there were 11 TEATOP locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- TeaStar USA LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2017
- 9 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Irvine, California
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $141K–$298K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $40,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 5% + minimum
- The greater of 5% of monthly gross revenues or $400, paid monthly
- Brand fund
- None now
- No contribution required
- Agreement length
- 3 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 11
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 11
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 3 years
- +11
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 4
- Most in California, Maryland and Texas
From TeaStar USA LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
TEATOP among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | TEATOP | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $219,000 | Costs less than 67% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $40,000 | Lower than 46% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 11 | Fewer than 60% of franchises |
How much a TEATOP franchise costs
Opening one TEATOP costs an estimated $140,500 to $297,500. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($25,000 to $100,000) and initial franchise fee ($40,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $40,000 | ||
| Performance Bond | $10,000 | $20,000 | |
| Training expenses | $10,000 | $15,000 | |
| Lease of Outlet premises and security deposit | $5,000 | $9,000 | |
| Leasehold improvements | $25,000 | $100,000 | |
| Equipment, furniture and fixtures | $20,000 | $40,000 | |
| Point of sale system | $3,000 | $5,000 | |
| Interior/exterior signs and graphics | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Professional fees | $1,500 | $3,000 | |
| Business licenses and permits | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Inventory to begin operating | $6,500 | $19,500 | |
| Grand opening advertising and promotion | $1,000 | $2,000 | |
| Business insurance | $1,000 | $3,000 | |
| Miscellaneous opening costs | $500 | $1,000 | |
| Additional funds – 3 months | $15,000 | $30,000 | |
| Total | $140,500 | $297,500 | |
Source: TeaStar USA LLC, 2026 filing, page 12
TEATOP franchise fee
The franchise fee is $40,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: TeaStar USA LLC, 2026 filing, page 9
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | The greater of 5% of monthly gross revenues or $400, paid monthly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | No contribution required. |
| Point of sale system | $3,000 to $5,000 |
| Transfer Fee | $25,000 3 |
| Additional Training Fee | Up to $7503 (per day) |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: TeaStar USA LLC, 2026 filing, pages 10 and 11
Other fees as filed, from pages 11–12. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures TEATOP 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: TeaStar USA LLC, 2026 filing, page 32
- Estimate Estimated yearly sales per location
- $330K–$580K
Estimated from the sales that 292 comparable franchises file, matched on industry, format, cost to open, fees and size.
How TEATOP compares
Of the 56 bubble tea franchises on this site, TEATOP is the 5th cheapest to open and the 19th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | TEATOP | Typical bubble tea brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $141K | $264K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $298K | $502K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $40K | $40K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| US locations | 11 | 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 | 9 (+9) | 0 | +9 | 0 |
| 2025 | 11 (+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: franchise failure rates.
Source: TeaStar USA LLC, 2026 filing, page 32
Where TEATOP locations are
At the end of 2025, TEATOP had franchised locations in 4 states. The most are in California, Maryland and Texas.
- California3
- Maryland3
- Texas3
- Georgia2
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| California | 3 |
| Maryland | 3 |
| Texas | 3 |
| Georgia | 2 |
Source: TeaStar USA LLC, 2026 filing, page 33
Who owns TEATOP?
TEATOP franchises are sold by TeaStar USA LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From TeaStar USA LLC’s 2026 filing, page 6.
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: TeaStar USA LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 9, bankruptcy on page 9
TEATOP filings
The figures on this page come from TeaStar USA LLC’s 2026 filing, issued March 30, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | March 30, 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
TEATOP is also on these lists: food franchises.