Hoppin'

The American bar industry has a problem that most operators quietly accept as inevitable: high overhead, rampant over-pouring, staff theft, and inconsistent customer experiences that erode margins even in high-volume establishments. The traditional bartender-poured model loses an estimated 20-25% of potential revenue through spillage, over-pouring, and shrinkage, and that structural inefficiency has persisted for decades because no scalable alternative existed. Hoppin' franchise was built to solve exactly that problem. Founded in 2017 by Rich Moyer in Charlotte, North Carolina, Hoppin' Brands introduced a self-pour taproom concept that puts customers in direct control of their beverage selections through a wall of self-serve taps monitored by radio-frequency identification technology. The company operated from its corporate address at 1402 Winnifred St., Charlotte, NC 28203, and spent several years refining its flagship Charlotte location before formally launching its franchise program, with some sources citing 2021 and others citing 2022 as the official start of franchising. The brand has grown to 3 total U.S. locations, with franchised units now operating in South Carolina, Texas, and Tennessee in addition to its original Charlotte corporate footprint. The total addressable market for the U.S. bar and nightclub industry exceeds $32 billion in annual revenue, and the self-pour subsector represents one of the most significant structural innovations to emerge within that category in the past two decades. For franchise investors evaluating the Hoppin' franchise opportunity, the central question is not whether self-pour technology works — the model's first Charlotte location generated $3.5 million in revenue in its inaugural year — but whether this emerging brand can scale its operational model efficiently enough to justify the capital required and capture meaningful market share before the concept becomes broadly commoditized. This analysis is produced independently by PeerSense and is not sponsored by, affiliated with, or approved by Hoppin' Brands or Hoppin' Franchise Group.

The drinking establishments sector, which encompasses bars, taverns, taprooms, and nightclubs, generated approximately $32 billion in annual U.S. revenue in recent years, and the craft beverage subsegment has been its most durable growth engine. Craft beer alone accounts for over $28 billion in annual retail sales according to Brewers Association data, and on-premise craft consumption has rebounded aggressively following the pandemic-era contraction that shuttered thousands of traditional bar establishments. The secular tailwind driving Hoppin' franchise investment interest is threefold: consumer demand for experiential hospitality that goes beyond passive drinking, the mainstreaming of craft beer and cider culture that makes a multi-tap self-pour format genuinely exciting to broad consumer demographics, and a technology-forward generation of operators who view labor cost reduction as existential rather than optional. The U.S. bar industry is highly fragmented, with independent operators controlling the vast majority of locations and lacking the capital or operational sophistication to implement costly technology infrastructure. This fragmentation creates a significant white-space opportunity for franchise concepts that can deliver a proven, tech-enabled operating playbook to franchise investors who would otherwise struggle to replicate the model on their own. CEO Rich Moyer has described the self-pour system as eliminating 90-95% of typical bar owner headaches, including spirits disappearing, excessive overhead, and inconsistent service quality — claims that are supported directionally by the Charlotte flagship's $3.5 million first-year revenue, a figure substantially above average for a single-location bar concept in a mid-sized southeastern city. The macro environment also favors the concept: rising minimum wages in most U.S. states are increasing the cost of traditional bar staffing models, making labor-light self-pour technology economically attractive from both the operator and the investor perspective.

The Hoppin' franchise investment requires careful financial modeling across several cost components. The initial franchise fee is a flat $59,995, which is notably higher than many food-and-beverage franchise entry fees in the $25,000-$45,000 range but reflects both the proprietary technology infrastructure embedded in the concept and the relatively limited unit count that limits the brand's ability to subsidize franchisee acquisition costs. Hoppin' offers a 10% discount off the initial franchise fee for qualified veterans, reducing that entry cost to approximately $53,996. The total initial investment range has been reported across multiple sources with some variation depending on market, format, and build-out complexity: the 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document analysis places the range at $764,545 to $1,261,045, while a separate 2024 FDD report cites $1,133,245 to $1,971,495. CEO Rich Moyer has publicly stated the investment falls between $750,000 and $1,000,000 for most markets, with the majority of capital directed toward interior build-out, bar infrastructure, and the self-pour technology platform itself. A December 2022 source recorded the range at $553,950 to $1,698,750, and a 2025 source cited $554,000 to $1,700,000, suggesting the lower end of the range has remained relatively stable while the upper bound has expanded with larger-format or more complex market builds. For 2026, the estimated investment range narrows to $750,000 to $1,200,000, which likely reflects the brand's improved ability to scope projects based on accumulated franchisee build-out experience. The ongoing royalty rate is 5% of gross revenue, which is meaningfully below the 6-8% industry standard for food-and-beverage franchise concepts, and represents a structural competitive advantage for franchisee unit economics. An additional 2% of gross revenue is contributed to the brand's marketing fund, bringing total ongoing brand fees to 7% of gross sales. Working capital requirements per the 2024 FDD are specified at $15,000 to $30,000, which is on the lean side for a bar-format concept. Prospective franchisees must demonstrate liquid capital of $250,000 to $300,000 and a minimum net worth of $500,000, positioning Hoppin' as a mid-to-premium tier franchise investment accessible to high-net-worth individuals and experienced multi-unit operators rather than first-time small business investors.

The Hoppin' operating model is built around a self-pour technology platform that fundamentally restructures the labor requirements and service dynamics of a traditional bar environment. Instead of a team of bartenders managing volume across a busy service window, Hoppin' locations use RFID-linked tap walls where customers pour their own selections and are charged by the ounce, eliminating over-pouring, spillage waste, and the bartender labor costs associated with traditional drink service. Daily operations for a Hoppin' franchisee involve monitoring the technology platform, managing beverage inventory across the tap selection, overseeing a smaller-than-typical floor staff focused on customer guidance and compliance verification, and maintaining the kitchen operation if the location includes food service. The franchise training program consists of 4 days of training at the flagship corporate location in Charlotte, North Carolina, providing franchisees with direct exposure to the proven operating environment, followed by an additional 4 days of on-site training during the new location's opening phase. Adam Mann, the Director of Operations for Hoppin' Franchise Group, oversees the operational support infrastructure that guides franchisees through pre-opening and ongoing operations. Territory structure and exclusivity terms are defined within the franchise agreement, and the brand has pursued both single-unit and multi-unit development agreements — a master agreement was being finalized in Utah as of October 2023, demonstrating the brand's willingness to execute area development deals in markets where it identifies strong regional operators. The self-pour model is inherently suited to an owner-operator or semi-absentee structure because the technology platform reduces dependence on individual bartender performance and creates a more systemized, data-transparent service environment than a conventional bar. Cooperative advertising support is provided through the brand fund, and Hoppin' is registered to offer franchises in more than 40 U.S. states including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Item 19 financial performance data is not disclosed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document that forms the basis of the available database entry for this profile, though the web research findings note that Hoppin' does include Item 19 financial performance representations in its FDD based on actual franchise performance with supporting documentation available upon request. The figures circulating in franchise analysis sources suggest an ROI potential of approximately $1,064,166 in gross revenue per unit, with one report citing a gross revenue figure of $1,079,852 for a represented unit — a number that falls below the self-pour subsector average of approximately $1,289,410 but may reflect the early development stage of the franchise system rather than a ceiling on unit performance. The Charlotte flagship corporate location, which is not a franchised unit, generated $3.5 million in its first operating year, establishing proof-of-concept at a revenue scale that significantly exceeds the franchised unit performance figures currently disclosed. The spread between corporate flagship revenue and early franchised unit revenue is not unusual in emerging franchise systems where franchisees are frequently operating in smaller or less-trafficked markets during the brand's initial expansion phase — the first franchised Hoppin' unit opened in June 2023 in a small market in South Carolina approximately 30 minutes south of Charlotte, a meaningfully different demand environment than an urban Charlotte taproom. The 5% royalty structure, compared against a gross revenue of approximately $1.08 million per unit, implies annual royalty payments in the range of $54,000, and the 2% marketing contribution adds approximately $21,600, for a combined brand fee obligation of roughly $75,600 annually at that revenue level. With total investment in the $764,545 to $1,261,045 range per the 2024 FDD, the implied payback period at franchised unit revenue levels is between 4 and 7 years before accounting for debt service, occupancy costs, and owner compensation — a range that warrants careful underwriting but is not atypical for a capital-intensive hospitality concept in its early franchise growth phase.

Hoppin' began franchising in either 2021 or 2022 depending on the source, and the brand's growth trajectory from that starting point has been measured but directionally positive. As of the 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, 1 franchised location was formally open with 7 additional units signed, representing a development pipeline that is substantial relative to the brand's current operating footprint. Beyond the initial South Carolina franchised opening in June 2023, three additional franchised locations were slated to open in 2024 across Fort Worth, Texas, Dallas, Texas, and a North Carolina market, with a Virginia location contingent on signing and a Utah master agreement in late-stage negotiation as of October 2023. As of early 2026, a new Hoppin' location is under construction in Matthews, North Carolina, with a spring 2026 opening expected, and the brand has now established franchised presence in South Carolina, Texas, and Tennessee. The competitive moat for Hoppin' rests on three pillars: the proprietary self-pour technology infrastructure that creates a high barrier to casual replication by independent operators, the operational playbook developed across the Charlotte flagship and subsequent locations that gives franchisees a documented path to execution, and the brand's first-mover positioning in the self-pour taproom franchise category at a time when the model is gaining mainstream consumer recognition. The PeerSense Franchise Performance Index assigns Hoppin' a score of 54 out of 100, categorized as Moderate, which is consistent with an emerging franchise system that has demonstrated concept viability but has not yet accumulated the unit count or longitudinal performance data to support a high-confidence investment rating. Rich Moyer's decision to develop two company-owned corporate units in Charlotte before scaling through franchising reflects a founder-led approach that prioritizes operational credibility over rapid unit growth, a strategic posture that tends to produce more durable franchise systems over a longer horizon.

The ideal Hoppin' franchisee profile is an experienced business operator with a background in hospitality, food and beverage, or multi-unit retail management, combined with a genuine enthusiasm for the craft beverage culture that drives the brand's consumer experience. The liquid capital requirement of $250,000 to $300,000 and minimum net worth threshold of $500,000 effectively filter for candidates with meaningful financial sophistication and real assets to protect, which correlates with higher franchisee accountability and operational commitment. Available territories span more than 40 registered U.S. states, though the brand's current concentration in the Carolinas, Texas, and Tennessee suggests a southeastern and south-central geographic bias in early franchise development, likely reflecting the corporate team's ability to provide hands-on operational support within a reasonable proximity to the Charlotte headquarters. Markets with strong craft beer cultures, millennial and Gen Z consumer demographics, and entertainment-district real estate availability are likely to produce the strongest unit performance, consistent with the Charlotte flagship's $3.5 million first-year result. The franchise does not currently offer international franchises or franchises in Canada, focusing all growth capital and support infrastructure on the domestic U.S. market. The timeline from signing to opening varies based on real estate selection and build-out complexity, but the construction activity reported in Matthews, North Carolina in January 2026 for a spring opening suggests a build-out timeline in the range of four to six months for a prepared site. Multi-unit and area development agreements are available, as evidenced by the Utah master agreement, and franchisees with regional market knowledge and the capital to develop multiple locations are likely to receive priority consideration from the Hoppin' Franchise Group development team.

The Hoppin' franchise investment thesis is fundamentally a bet on two converging forces: the continued growth of craft beverage culture as a consumer experiential category, and the accelerating economics of labor-light technology-enabled hospitality formats in an era of rising minimum wages and tightening margins across the broader restaurant and bar industry. With a franchise fee of $59,995, a below-industry royalty rate of 5%, total investment in the $764,545 to $1,261,045 range per the most granular 2024 FDD analysis, a Charlotte corporate flagship generating $3.5 million in year-one revenue, and a signed development pipeline of 7 units as of the most recent disclosure, Hoppin' presents a franchise opportunity that merits serious investigation by qualified investors with the capital profile and hospitality background to execute the model. The brand's Moderate PeerSense FPI Score of 54 reflects its emerging status accurately — this is not a 400-unit proven system, but a 3-unit concept with validated unit economics at the corporate level, early franchise expansion underway across multiple states, and a structural operating advantage that differentiates it from every traditional bar franchise in the category. The risk profile is correspondingly higher than a mature franchise system, but the potential for outsized returns in an underpenetrated self-pour market is equally real for investors who enter early in a brand's development arc. 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 Hoppin' against every comparable franchise opportunity in the drinking establishments category. Explore the complete Hoppin' franchise profile on PeerSense to access the full suite of independent franchise intelligence data.