EB Franchises, LLC Elevation Burger

The question every serious franchise investor must answer before committing capital is not simply "Is this a good brand?" but rather "Does this brand's unit economics, corporate backing, market positioning, and operational model justify the total cost of ownership in today's competitive fast-casual landscape?" For the EB Franchises, LLC Elevation Burger franchise, that question carries particular weight because the brand occupies a genuinely differentiated niche — organic, grass-fed, sustainably sourced burgers at a time when consumer demand for clean-label food has never been stronger. Elevation Burger was founded in 2005 by Hans and April Hess, who opened the first restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia, after Hans Hess originally conceived the concept in 2002. The core thesis was straightforward but bold: offer 100% USDA-certified organic, grass-fed beef burgers in a fast-casual setting, cook French fries in olive oil rather than conventional vegetable oils, source cage-free chicken, and build restaurants with LEED-certified, energy-efficient materials and recycled components. The brand began franchising in the spring of 2008, opening the concept to outside operators who wanted to participate in what was then an early-mover premium burger category. Today, the EB Franchises, LLC Elevation Burger franchise operates as a subsidiary of FAT Brands Inc., which acquired Elevation Burger on June 20, 2019, for $10 million, bringing the brand under one of the restaurant industry's most active multi-brand franchise parent companies. Corporate headquarters is located at 9720 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 500, Beverly Hills, California, with Cord Thomas serving as CEO as of 2025. For franchise investors evaluating premium fast-casual opportunities, the combination of organic sourcing credentials, a multi-brand parent's operational infrastructure, and a clearly defined consumer value proposition makes the EB Franchises, LLC Elevation Burger franchise worthy of rigorous analysis.

The fast-casual restaurant industry in the United States generates approximately $60 billion in annual revenue and has sustained compound annual growth in the mid-single digits over the past decade, outpacing both quick-service and full-service dining formats on a unit-count and revenue-growth basis. Within fast-casual, the better-burger segment — defined by made-to-order, higher-quality ingredients at a premium price point relative to traditional quick-service — represents one of the category's most structurally durable sub-segments. Consumer research consistently shows that health-conscious eating is among the fastest-growing purchase drivers in the food-service industry, with organic food sales in the United States exceeding $60 billion annually across retail and food service combined, and the USDA reporting sustained year-over-year growth in certified organic acreage and demand. The macro tailwinds for a brand like EB Franchises, LLC Elevation Burger are therefore genuine: a growing consumer base that reads ingredient labels, seeks transparency in sourcing, and is willing to pay a premium for grass-fed beef and cage-free poultry. The sustainability dimension is equally important as a competitive differentiator — Elevation Burger's use of LEED certification, energy-efficient equipment, and recyclable materials resonates with a millennial and Gen Z consumer cohort that now represents the dominant spending demographic in restaurant dining. From a franchise investment standpoint, the better-burger segment attracts capital because it benefits from a fragmented competitive landscape where no single brand commands a dominant national market share, creating meaningful white-space opportunities for well-capitalized, well-positioned operators to establish regional dominance. The labor model in fast-casual also tends to be more manageable than full-service dining, with simpler kitchen operations and lower front-of-house staffing requirements, which matters enormously in an environment where restaurant labor costs have risen significantly across most U.S. markets.

The EB Franchises, LLC Elevation Burger franchise cost structure is transparent and reflects the realities of building a premium fast-casual restaurant with quality materials and organic-compliant equipment. The initial franchise fee is $50,000, payable upfront upon signing the Franchise Agreement — this fee is higher than the fast-casual category average of roughly $30,000 to $40,000, reflecting the brand's positioning as a premium organic concept rather than a conventional burger franchise. The EB Franchises, LLC Elevation Burger franchise investment total ranges from $508,600 on the low end to $1,694,900 at the high end, with the spread driven primarily by geography, lease terms, and the extent of leasehold improvements required by a given location. Breaking down that investment range reveals where capital is deployed: leasehold improvements and construction costs alone account for $150,000 to $600,000, equipment, decor, and furnishings run $160,000 to $600,000, signage ranges from $10,000 to $100,000, point-of-sale systems and related technology add $16,100 to $38,000, restaurant smallwares contribute $10,800 to $17,000, initial inventory requires $7,200 to $10,400, security deposits for utilities and insurance fall between $9,000 and $32,500, insurance and bonds add $8,000 to $12,000, and miscellaneous costs including legal, accounting, licenses, and permits add another $14,000 to $25,000. The ongoing royalty rate for the EB Franchises, LLC Elevation Burger franchise is 6.00% of gross sales, which aligns with the fast-casual industry standard range of 5% to 7%. An advertising or national brand fund fee of 3.50% is also required, bringing the combined ongoing fee burden to 9.50% of gross sales. Prospective franchisees should have liquid capital between $160,000 and $500,000 and a total net worth of $1,500,000 to qualify. Required working capital falls between $25,000 and $40,000. The franchise agreement carries an initial term of 15 years with a 10-year renewal option, providing operators meaningful long-term runway to achieve a full return on invested capital. FAT Brands Inc.'s ownership of the Elevation Burger brand adds a layer of institutional backing — FAT Brands is a publicly traded multi-concept restaurant franchisor with a portfolio spanning dozens of brands, providing Elevation Burger franchisees access to corporate-scale procurement, technology investment, and brand development resources that an independent franchisor of similar size could not replicate.

Daily operations for an EB Franchises, LLC Elevation Burger franchisee center on executing a focused, made-to-order menu within a fast-casual service model where speed, consistency, and ingredient quality must be maintained simultaneously. The menu architecture is deliberately simple: 100% USDA-certified organic, grass-fed beef burgers, cage-free chicken options, veggie and plant-based burgers, French fries cooked in olive oil, and hand-scooped milkshakes. This simplicity reduces kitchen complexity and training time relative to broader-menu fast-casual formats, which translates to a more manageable labor model for the franchisee. The brand's commitment to LEED certification and energy-efficient restaurant design is not merely a marketing credential — it has real operational implications, including lower utility costs over the life of the lease and alignment with increasingly stringent municipal sustainability requirements in high-density urban markets. Training for new franchisees includes both pre-opening classroom and hands-on operational instruction, with FAT Brands providing the support infrastructure that comes from managing a portfolio of restaurant brands at scale. Ongoing corporate support for the EB Franchises, LLC Elevation Burger franchise includes field consultant access, supply chain coordination for organic and sustainably sourced ingredients, marketing program participation through the national brand fund, and technology platform support including the POS systems that represent a required investment of $16,100 to $38,000 at opening. Territory structure and exclusivity provisions are outlined in the franchise agreement, with the 15-year initial term providing meaningful protection for franchisees who invest in building a market presence. Elevation Burger's format has historically favored inline retail and street-front locations in urban and suburban markets, with the brand's premium positioning suggesting strongest performance in markets with higher median household incomes and elevated health-consciousness among the consumer base.

Item 19 financial performance data disclosure is an area where investors must proceed with clear-eyed analysis. The current Franchise Disclosure Document does not include a comprehensive Item 19 financial performance representation in the conventional sense, which means prospective franchisees should conduct independent due diligence by speaking directly with existing franchisees as part of the validation process — a step that is both legally permitted and strongly advisable for any franchise investment at this capital level. However, publicly available data provides meaningful context: some sources indicate an average unit volume of approximately $877,000 to $876,976 for an Elevation Burger franchise, with earlier data from 2012 reporting domestic units generating comparable figures at a time when the brand had far fewer locations and less brand recognition. It is worth noting that the database powering this profile records an average revenue figure of $9.37 million associated with the EB Franchises, LLC Elevation Burger franchise, which likely reflects aggregate multi-unit or portfolio-level revenue rather than a single-unit AUV — investors should treat this figure as a data point requiring clarification through direct FDD review rather than a per-location revenue guarantee. At a single-unit AUV of approximately $877,000 and applying a royalty rate of 6.00% plus a brand fund fee of 3.50%, the ongoing fee commitment per unit would be approximately $83,315 annually at that revenue level. Estimated restaurant-level EBITDA margins for well-run fast-casual concepts typically range from 12% to 18% of gross revenue, which would imply restaurant-level operating income of roughly $105,000 to $158,000 annually at an $877,000 AUV before owner compensation and debt service. Against a total investment midpoint of approximately $1,101,750, this implies a payback period in the range of seven to ten years for a well-run single unit — a figure that underscores the importance of multi-unit development as a strategy for improving overall return on invested capital. Investors should request the most current FDD directly from EB Franchises, LLC and engage a franchise attorney to review Item 19 disclosures, franchisee financial representations, and any updates filed since the most recent annual disclosure period.

Elevation Burger's growth trajectory since its founding in 2005 reflects a brand that has navigated the typical arc of emerging franchise concepts — early organic expansion, franchise system growth through the mid-2010s, and then a strategic repositioning through the FAT Brands acquisition in June 2019. FAT Brands paid $10 million for the brand, a price that reflected both Elevation Burger's established franchisee network and the strategic value of adding a premium organic burger brand to a growing multi-concept portfolio. Under FAT Brands leadership — with Co-CEOs Rob Rosen and Ken Kuick, Chief Operating Officer Thayer D. Wiederhorn, Chief Brand Officer Mason A. Wiederhorn, and Chief Development Officer Taylor A. Wiederhorn guiding the parent company — Elevation Burger gains access to corporate development resources, multi-brand marketing leverage, and shared operational infrastructure that smaller independent franchisors cannot match. The EB Franchises, LLC Elevation Burger franchise competitive moat rests on several durable pillars: the USDA-certified organic, grass-fed beef sourcing is a genuine supply chain differentiation that competitors cannot easily replicate without fundamental menu reformulation; the LEED certification and sustainability credentials create a brand identity that resonates with premium urban and suburban demographics; and the olive-oil fried French fry is a product-level differentiator that generates genuine consumer conversation and repeat purchase behavior. Digital transformation and delivery integration represent the primary near-term growth levers for the brand, as FAT Brands has invested in technology and digital ordering infrastructure across its portfolio. The better-burger segment's long-term tailwind — driven by continued consumer preference for clean-label, sustainably sourced food — supports the thesis that brands with authentic organic credentials will continue to command premium pricing power in a competitive fast-casual landscape.

The ideal EB Franchises, LLC Elevation Burger franchise candidate is a business-minded operator with experience in either food service management, multi-unit retail, or consumer-facing business environments who can meet the financial qualification thresholds of $160,000 to $500,000 in liquid capital and a total net worth of $1,500,000. Given the premium positioning of the brand and the total investment range of $508,600 to $1,694,900, candidates who have prior experience managing staff in a service-intensive environment, maintaining food quality standards, and executing within a structured franchise system will be best positioned for success. Multi-unit development is a natural strategic path for franchisees who successfully launch their first location, as the overhead efficiencies of managing multiple units — shared management, territory consolidation, and volume purchasing — meaningfully improve per-unit economics. The 15-year initial franchise agreement term, renewable for an additional 10 years, provides a 25-year potential operating runway for committed operators, which compares favorably to the industry-standard 10-year initial terms common in many fast-casual franchise systems. Geographic markets with higher concentrations of health-conscious consumers, strong organic food retail penetration, and above-median household incomes represent the strongest development opportunities for the Elevation Burger brand. The timeline from franchise agreement signing to restaurant opening varies based on real estate availability, permitting timelines, and construction or build-out complexity, but prospective franchisees should plan for a development process that can span six to eighteen months depending on market and format. Transfer and resale provisions within the franchise agreement govern exit options for investors, and prospective buyers should review these terms carefully with franchise counsel before executing any agreement.

For franchise investors conducting serious due diligence on the premium fast-casual organic burger segment, the EB Franchises, LLC Elevation Burger franchise presents an investment thesis built on three durable foundations: authentic organic sourcing credentials backed by USDA certification that differentiate the brand in a crowded burger market, institutional backing from FAT Brands Inc. which provides scale infrastructure that independent franchisors cannot replicate, and a long-term consumer tailwind toward clean-label, sustainably sourced dining that shows no signs of reversal. The EB Franchises, LLC Elevation Burger franchise investment range of $508,600 to $1,694,900 places it in the mid-to-premium tier of fast-casual franchise investments, and the $50,000 franchise fee, 6.00% royalty, and 3.50% brand fund contribution represent a total cost structure that must be evaluated against realistic unit revenue projections and local market conditions. The 15-year agreement term and $1,500,000 net worth requirement signal that this is a long-term, serious capital commitment rather than a low-barrier entry opportunity, which means the decision demands the most rigorous independent analysis available. PeerSense provides exclusive due diligence data including SBA lending history, FPI score, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and side-by-side comparison tools that allow investors to benchmark the EB Franchises, LLC Elevation Burger franchise against competing concepts in the fast-casual and better-burger segment with quantitative precision. Unlike franchise broker platforms that earn commissions from placements, PeerSense operates as an independent research platform with no financial incentive tied to any specific franchise recommendation, making it the most objective source of franchise intelligence available to investors. Explore the complete EB Franchises, LLC Elevation Burger franchise profile on PeerSense to access the full suite of independent franchise intelligence data.