Hoodz

Every restaurant, hospital cafeteria, hotel kitchen, and school food service operation in North America faces the same unavoidable compliance reality: commercial kitchen exhaust systems must be professionally cleaned on a mandated schedule, or the facility risks fire code violations, insurance penalties, and forced closure. This non-negotiable regulatory requirement, codified under NFPA 96 standards and enforced by fire marshals and health inspectors across every jurisdiction, is the foundation upon which Hoodz has built a dominant, recurring-revenue franchise business. Founded in 1972 as a small kitchen exhaust cleaning operation in Northern Michigan, Hoodz expanded nationally in 2008 when BELFOR Franchise Group acquired the business, and began offering franchise opportunities in 2009. Today, Hoodz operates between 131 and 137 locations across the United States and Canada, with recent international expansion into Ireland and the United Kingdom beginning in 2021, and new franchise locations opening in Riverton, Utah in December 2025 and Aiea, Hawaii in November 2025. Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and backed by BELFOR Franchise Group — a division of BELFOR Property Restoration and recognized as the world's largest residential and commercial services franchisor based on geographic footprint — Hoodz has established itself as the largest provider of commercial kitchen exhaust system maintenance in North America. For franchise investors evaluating this opportunity, the core thesis rests on a single compelling fact: this is a legally mandated service that restaurants, casinos, airports, military bases, prisons, health care facilities, and government kitchens cannot legally avoid purchasing, creating predictable, contracted, recurring revenue that does not disappear during economic downturns. This independent analysis draws on publicly available franchise disclosure data, market research, and franchisee reporting to give prospective investors an unvarnished, data-driven evaluation of the Hoodz franchise opportunity.

The commercial kitchen cleaning services industry represents one of the more durable segments within the broader commercial services sector, precisely because its demand is driven by regulatory mandate rather than discretionary consumer spending. The global commercial kitchen cleaning services market was valued at approximately USD 384.15 million in 2024 and is projected to reach around USD 675 million by 2034, representing a compound annual growth rate of approximately 7.30% between 2025 and 2034. The more specialized hood cleaning subsector tells a similar story: the global range hood cleaning service market is anticipated to be worth USD 1.25 billion in 2026 and is expected to reach USD 2.25 billion by 2035 at a CAGR of 7.5% during that same forecast window. A narrower industry estimate from the Hood Cleaners Market specifically forecasts growth to USD 437.1 million by 2027 at a CAGR of 3.7%, with the commercial sector growing at an even faster 4.2% CAGR during the 2022 to 2027 period. Several secular tailwinds are accelerating demand beyond the baseline regulatory requirement: the post-pandemic heightening of hygiene and indoor air quality standards in commercial food service environments, the rapid expansion of food delivery platforms that has increased the total number of commercial kitchens operating at high volumes, and an outsourcing trend among food service operators who increasingly prefer to contract specialized maintenance rather than manage it in-house. The competitive landscape is notably fragmented, with most operators in the restaurant cleaning industry working independently as small, unbranded local operators — a structural dynamic that creates a durable competitive opening for a nationally branded, professionally managed franchise system that can offer long-term service contracts, standardized reporting, and insurance-grade documentation that independent operators cannot match. For franchise investors, a fragmented, mandate-driven, growing market served primarily by unorganized independents represents one of the most favorable competitive entry conditions available in the franchise universe.

The Hoodz franchise investment is structured around two primary format options that give prospective franchisees flexibility based on their capital position and market ambitions. The Standard Hoodz Territory requires a total initial investment ranging from $199,038 to $244,307, while the Express Hoodz Territory carries a lower investment range of $169,038 to $214,307. The initial franchise fee is $59,900, which is a meaningful but not outsized commitment for a B2B services franchise operating in a compliance-driven niche with recurring revenue dynamics. For military veterans, Hoodz offers a reduced franchise fee ranging from $23,920 to $47,920, representing a discount that can meaningfully lower total entry costs for eligible candidates. The investment covers the franchise fee, an initial package fee of $23,500, food and lodging during training estimated at $1,800 to $2,500, vehicle acquisition and upfitting estimated at $94,000 to $99,000 for a standard territory, a full-time service technician for the first three months estimated at $7,010 to $13,219, and working capital between $10,000 and $30,000. The vehicle and upfitting cost is the single largest variable in the investment range, which explains the roughly $45,000 spread between the low and high estimates. Ideal candidates must meet minimum financial qualifications that include a net worth of at least $300,000, liquid capital of at least $100,000, and a credit score of 700 or higher. The royalty fee structure is tiered based on gross annual sales: 10% on revenues up to $999,999, dropping to 9% on revenues between $1 million and $1.99 million, 8% on revenues between $2 million and $2.99 million, and 7% on revenues exceeding $3 million annually — a descending royalty schedule that rewards scale and growth in a way that is increasingly uncommon in franchise agreements. Franchisees may also be required to contribute up to 1% of gross sales to a brand marketing fund if implemented. For international markets including Ireland and the United Kingdom, the total investment is structured differently, with a minimum working capital requirement of approximately £43,000 and a total investment range of £120,000 to £141,500. Given its service-based, mobile operating model with no retail build-out requirement, no inventory carrying costs, and minimal staffing during the startup phase, the Hoodz franchise investment compares favorably to most commercial services franchise concepts requiring comparable territory sizes.

The daily operating model of a Hoodz franchise is built around a fundamental rhythm that separates administrative and relationship-building activities from technical service delivery. Because commercial kitchen exhaust cleaning must occur when restaurants are closed, technicians typically perform jobs in the evening and overnight hours, while franchisees manage administrative tasks including payroll, scheduling, and client relationship management during standard business hours. The service portfolio extends beyond basic hood cleaning to include exhaust fan maintenance, grease containment systems, pressure washing, hood filter cleaning and replacement, conveyor oven cleaning, appliance deep cleaning, grease trap cleaning, concrete cleaning, dumpster pad cleaning, exhaust fan belt replacement, and soak tank service programs — a diversified set of recurring maintenance services that increases average contract value per client. The staffing model is intentionally lean: the initial investment includes funding for one full-time service technician for the first three months, and successful franchisees describe minimal staffing requirements as a structural advantage of the business model. Hoodz territories are defined using ZIP code boundaries and designed to contain between 1,600 and 2,000 potential restaurant sites per territory, with natural boundaries such as expressways and major highways used to create logical service areas and protected exclusivity zones that prohibit other Hoodz franchisees from selling or servicing within a designated area. The training program totals approximately 92 hours, with approximately 7 to 8 hours spent in field operations, and is led by Nathan Wojtasinski, National Director of Technical Operations, who previously owned and operated a family hood cleaning business before selling it to BELFOR Franchise Group in 2008. Jason Thomas, an IKECA certified member with over a decade of experience, leads training and development and manages Hoodz certifications nationwide, while Dylan Price serves as Training and Franchise Success Specialist, working with business coaches to support franchisees from onboarding through ongoing technical operations. The ongoing support infrastructure includes a 24/7 call center, a home office staff dedicated to franchisee support, a proprietary proactive scheduling platform, standardized before and after photo reporting, Safety Talk sessions, enhanced Standard Operating Procedures developed by Brand President Nathan Willard, closed franchisee communication forums, and access to the broader BELFOR Franchise Group network of industry experts and resources. The business model functions best as an owner-operator engagement, particularly in the early stages, with franchisees expected to be actively involved in business development, technician management, and client relationship cultivation — it is not a passive absentee investment.

Item 19 financial performance data is not disclosed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document for the international operations profile; however, publicly available data from the U.S. FDD and corporate reporting provides meaningful benchmarks for evaluating unit-level economics. The average unit volume for a Hoodz franchised location is reported at approximately $546,000 to $550,535 per year based on 2024 data, with one source citing an average gross revenue figure of $577,400. These figures position Hoodz at a revenue level that reflects the specialized and niche nature of the hood cleaning category compared to broader commercial cleaning businesses, which carry a subsector average closer to $797,983. Using the average unit revenue of approximately $550,000 and the base royalty rate of 10% on revenues under $1 million, a franchisee at average performance would pay approximately $55,000 annually in royalties, with the tiered structure rewarding franchisees who scale beyond the $1 million threshold by reducing the royalty burden as a percentage of revenue. The multi-territory operator data disclosed in the Hoodz FDD's Item 19 provides additional context on how franchisees performing above the system average are scaling through territory expansion and team growth, though specific multi-unit performance figures require direct FDD review. The business model carries structural cost advantages relative to most franchise categories: no retail lease obligation, no perishable inventory, no significant seasonal fluctuation due to the mandated nature of the service, and a recurring contract revenue model that allows franchisees to build predictable forward revenue pipelines. Given a total investment range of $199,038 to $244,307 for a standard territory and average unit revenues approaching $550,000, franchisees operating with disciplined cost management are positioned for payback periods that compare reasonably well to other mobile B2B service franchise concepts in the $200,000 to $250,000 investment range. Prospective investors should conduct direct FDD review and engage with existing franchisees during the validation process to develop accurate unit economics models specific to their target territory and market conditions.

Hoodz has demonstrated consistent system growth since beginning franchising in 2009, expanding from a single regional operation to 131 to 137 locations across 31 U.S. states and Canada, with the South representing the largest regional concentration at 60 franchise locations, the Eastern Seaboard from Florida to New York representing a strong established base, and the Midwest and Western United States representing the primary near-term expansion opportunity. The system added 4 net new units in 2024 and opened new territories in markets as geographically diverse as Riverton, Utah and Aiea, Hawaii in late 2025, signaling active recruitment and territory development activity. The competitive moat for Hoodz rests on several reinforcing structural advantages: the brand's position as the largest commercial kitchen exhaust maintenance provider in North America creates name recognition and bidding credibility when competing for contracts with large multi-location restaurant chains, hotel groups, and institutional food service operators that prefer national vendors capable of standardized service delivery across multiple sites. The proprietary proactive scheduling platform, standardized photo documentation protocols, and IKECA-certified training program create operational differentiation from the fragmented independent operator base that constitutes most of the competitive landscape. Brand President Nathan Willard and the leadership team have invested in developing enhanced Standard Operating Procedures, new training materials, and Safety Talk operational frameworks that raise the technical floor across the franchise system. BELFOR Franchise Group's backing provides financial stability, access to shared infrastructure, cross-brand operational expertise, and a recruiting and support infrastructure that would be prohibitively expensive for an independent franchisor of comparable scale to replicate. Hoodz has received recognition in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500, evaluated across more than 150 data points including costs and fees, size and growth, franchisee support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability — a third-party validation of system quality that carries meaningful weight in franchise investor due diligence. The brand's expansion into Ireland and the United Kingdom represents a strategic geographic diversification play that, if executed with the same discipline as the North American buildout, could meaningfully expand the total addressable system size over the next decade.

The ideal Hoodz franchise candidate is a driven, people-oriented entrepreneur who combines comfort with B2B relationship sales, strong personnel management capabilities, and a disciplined operational mindset. Candidates are not required to have prior experience in commercial kitchen cleaning — the 92-hour training program is specifically designed to equip franchisees with both the technical expertise and business development skills needed to launch and grow the business — but prior experience managing service technicians, operating a field service business, or developing commercial client relationships represents a meaningful advantage. The franchise model explicitly favors candidates who are comfortable getting out of the office, engaging directly with decision-makers at restaurants and institutions, and managing ongoing client relationships in a B2B service environment. Geographically, the most significant near-term opportunity for new franchisees exists in the Midwest and Western United States, where Hoodz currently has a limited footprint, with emerging operations already developing in markets like Nebraska and Washington. Each protected territory is structured to contain 1,600 to 2,000 potential restaurant sites, giving franchisees a defined, density-appropriate service universe from which to build a recurring contract base. The franchise agreement is available for new territories throughout the United States and Canada internationally, with specific availability in underserved regions representing the highest-priority recruitment focus. Veterans benefit from a reduced franchise fee ranging from $23,920 to $47,920, making Hoodz a particularly accessible entry point for former military operators who bring the discipline and process orientation that technical service franchise operations reward. Multi-unit and multi-territory operators are actively supported through the Hoodz system, with BELFOR Franchise Group providing guidance on evaluating adjacent markets, scaling operations, and replicating growth — a support structure that explicitly anticipates and accommodates franchisees who intend to build regional enterprises rather than single-territory operations.

The Hoodz franchise opportunity occupies a specific and defensible position within the commercial services franchise landscape: a legally mandated, recurring-revenue, mobile service business backed by the world's largest residential and commercial services franchisor by geographic footprint, operating in a fragmented market growing at a CAGR of 7.3% to 7.5% depending on measurement window, with average unit revenues approaching $550,000 and a tiered royalty structure that rewards scale. The combination of regulatory tailwinds, recurring contract revenue, low overhead, minimal inventory, and lean staffing creates a unit economics profile that warrants serious investigation by investors with $100,000 or more in liquid capital and a $300,000 net worth who are prepared to operate an active, relationship-driven B2B service business. The franchise's PeerSense FPI Score of 62 places it in the Moderate performance tier, reflecting a system with demonstrated operational stability, meaningful market position, and growth trajectory, balanced against the lack of full Item 19 financial performance disclosure in certain FDD versions and the ongoing work of building out underpenetrated Western and Midwest territories. 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 Hoodz against comparable commercial services franchise concepts across every relevant financial and operational dimension. For investors evaluating whether a mandated-service, recurring-revenue B2B franchise with a nationally recognized brand, institutional franchisor backing, and expanding geographic footprint fits their portfolio objectives, the data assembled here represents a starting point, not a conclusion. Explore the complete Hoodz franchise profile on PeerSense to access the full suite of independent franchise intelligence data.