ProteinHouse

The question every serious franchise investor should ask before committing capital is simple but consequential: does this brand solve a real, growing consumer problem, or is it riding a trend that will fade? ProteinHouse answers that question with unusual clarity. Co-founded in 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada, by Andrew Bick and professional bodybuilder Larissa Reis, ProteinHouse was built on a single, defensible premise — that the tens of millions of Americans pursuing active, health-conscious lifestyles deserved a fast-casual dining destination designed specifically around their nutritional needs, not retrofitted from a conventional burger-and-fries template. The concept was not born in a corporate boardroom; it emerged from the fitness community itself, with Reis bringing credibility and direct market knowledge that generic health-food brands cannot manufacture. The franchisor entity, ProteinHouse Franchising, LLC, was formally established on July 9, 2015, as a Nevada limited liability company, anchoring the brand's corporate infrastructure in Las Vegas at 4965 Blue Diamond Road, Suite 100, Las Vegas, NV 89139. Today, ProteinHouse operates across 18 locations spanning 10 U.S. states and the United Arab Emirates as of June 2023, demonstrating an early but meaningful international footprint. The brand occupies a sharply differentiated niche within the Limited-Service Restaurant category, targeting professional athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and the far larger population of health-conscious consumers who want meals built around high-quality protein, organic ingredients, and macronutrient transparency. The total addressable market for health and wellness dining is embedded within a Limited-Service Restaurant market projected to grow from USD 737.31 billion in 2024 to USD 1,214.93 billion by 2032, and a franchise investor evaluating this space needs to understand that ProteinHouse is not chasing a fad — it is aligning with a structural, decade-long shift in how Americans think about food. This analysis is independent research, not marketing copy, and every data point below comes from disclosed franchise documents and verified public records.

The industry context surrounding the ProteinHouse franchise opportunity is essential for any investor conducting serious due diligence. The Limited-Service Restaurant Market, which encompasses fast-casual and quick-service dining, is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 5.71% from 2025 through 2035, reaching USD 1,214.93 billion globally by 2032, with other projections citing a 4.5% annualized growth rate over the next five years. Within that broad market, the health and wellness fast-casual segment is growing at a measurably faster pace, driven by three secular tailwinds that show no sign of reversing. First, consumer awareness around dietary protein has reached mainstream penetration, moving from the domain of competitive athletes into everyday purchasing decisions at grocery stores, restaurants, and meal-prep services. Second, the demand for convenience in food service continues to accelerate, with delivery sales in the limited-service sector surging over 20% in the most recent tracked year, and mobile ordering becoming a baseline expectation rather than a differentiator. Third, fast-casual dining concepts are capturing share from both traditional fast food below them and casual dining above them, as consumers prioritize what industry analysts describe as an "upscale convenience" experience — better ingredients and transparency without the wait time or price point of a sit-down restaurant. The competitive landscape in health-focused fast-casual dining remains relatively fragmented compared to the legacy burger and sandwich categories, which means a brand with genuine differentiation, a coherent identity rooted in the fitness community, and a scalable franchise model can capture disproportionate market share during this growth window. These macro forces create a compelling structural argument for the ProteinHouse franchise opportunity, provided the unit-level economics and operational model can sustain the investment thesis.

Evaluating the ProteinHouse franchise cost requires navigating several data points across different FDD vintages, and a disciplined investor should understand what each figure represents and when it was disclosed. The franchise fee has evolved over time: it stood at $35,000 as of November 2018, increased to $40,000 per the 2020 FDD, and most recently climbed to $50,000 per the 2024 FDD, a trajectory that reflects both growing brand equity and increased franchisee demand. For comparison, the fast-casual franchise category broadly sees initial franchise fees ranging from $25,000 to $75,000, placing ProteinHouse in the accessible-to-mid-tier range as of its most recent disclosed figure. The total initial investment range has also shifted across reporting periods: the 2020 FDD reported a range of $449,225 to $698,500; an alternative Item 7 disclosure cited $422,075 to $707,300; and the 2024 FDD shows a current range of $504,375 to $846,300. The spread within each range — roughly $300,000 to $400,000 from low to high — is driven by the typical variables of geography, leasehold improvement costs, local construction labor markets, and equipment specifications. The ongoing royalty rate per the 2020 FDD is 4.0% of gross sales, with an advertising fund contribution of 1.0%, for a combined ongoing fee load of 5.0% — notably lean compared to the 8% to 12% combined fee structures common among larger fast-casual brands. The 2024 FDD sets the minimum liquid capital required at $300,000, with a minimum net worth requirement of $1,000,000, positioning this as a mid-tier franchise investment that requires a genuinely capitalized operator. The initial franchise agreement term is 10 years with a 5-year renewal option. ProteinHouse does not offer direct financing support, so prospective franchisees should plan for conventional financing, SBA loan structures, or existing capital deployment. The total ProteinHouse franchise investment, when evaluated against the royalty structure and revenue data discussed below, represents a considered cost-of-entry into one of the fastest-growing dining niches in the country.

Understanding what owning and operating a ProteinHouse franchise actually looks like on a daily basis is as important as understanding the capital requirements. The ProteinHouse operating model is built around a diverse menu architecture that spans breakfast, lunch, dinner, shakes, smoothies, and a dedicated meal prep and catering service — a multi-daypart structure that reduces the revenue concentration risk common in concepts that operate only during lunch or dinner windows. The menu is anchored in high-quality ingredients including organic and grass-fed bison, and it accommodates a wide range of dietary philosophies including vegan and vegetarian options alongside the core protein-focused offerings, a "build your own" customization model that mirrors broader fast-casual consumer expectations. The brand's initial training program consists of 99 total hours, broken down into 35 hours of classroom instruction and 64 hours of on-the-job training, a ratio that prioritizes operational fluency over theoretical knowledge — appropriate for a concept where food quality execution is the primary brand differentiator. Franchisees additionally participate in a "ProteinHouse Brand Immersion" program immediately following agreement execution, providing continuity of learning before the location opens. Corporate support is delivered through a dedicated Franchise Support Center staffed by specialists across technology, marketing, and operations, with ProteinHouse explicitly positioning its support model around the phrase "Exceptional Support From Corporate" and emphasizing ongoing field communication as a core franchisee resource. Franchisees are granted defined territorial rights, providing geographic exclusivity that protects their market investment. The model is structured to support owner-operators given the brand's emphasis on community connection and the fitness lifestyle identity that drives its customer base, though experienced multi-unit operators like Eric Greenwald and Cody Starrett — who acquired the three Arizona locations in June 2023 — demonstrate that sophisticated operators with professional management infrastructure can scale the concept efficiently.

The financial performance picture for the ProteinHouse franchise is one area where the brand's current FDD status requires careful investor attention. Item 19 financial performance data is not disclosed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document, which means prospective franchisees cannot rely on an FDD-verified average revenue or median unit volume figure when building their pro forma. However, the brand has made financial performance representations in prior FDD versions, and those figures are meaningful reference points. The reported yearly gross sales for a ProteinHouse franchise, per previously disclosed data, stand at $1,067,038, a figure that places the brand solidly within the competitive range for fast-casual concepts of comparable investment scale. The estimated owner-operator earnings range is disclosed as $128,045 to $160,056 annually, implying an operating margin of roughly 12% to 15% on gross sales — consistent with well-managed fast-casual operations where labor and food costs are controlled. The franchise payback period based on these figures is estimated at 4.4 to 6.4 years, calculated against the total initial investment range from prior FDD data. Within the system, the three Arizona Valley locations — Gilbert, Arcadia, and Scottsdale — are identified as the first, second, and fourth highest-performing units in the entire ProteinHouse system, according to publicly available statements from the June 2023 acquisition announcement, which provides meaningful geographic performance signal for investors evaluating those markets. Revenue does not equal profit, and these figures must be stress-tested against local lease rates, labor costs, and competitive density before any investment decision is made. The absence of current Item 19 disclosure increases the due diligence burden on prospective franchisees, who should request audited store-level financials from existing franchisees during the FDD review period as a standard part of their investment process.

The growth trajectory of the ProteinHouse franchise tells the story of a concept that moved from concept validation to measured franchise expansion over roughly a decade, with a more aggressive recent growth posture supported by experienced regional operators. The brand launched its franchise program with zero franchised outlets in 2015, reached 8 franchised locations by 2019 per the 2020 FDD, and expanded to 18 total locations across 10 states and the UAE as of June 2023 — a net unit trajectory that reflects deliberate, quality-over-quantity growth rather than the aggressive unit-count expansion that has undermined several health-focused fast-casual brands in prior cycles. In March 2016, ProteinHouse announced franchise agreements for over 30 locations across North America, including four planned units in Iowa and Kansas City, signaling early franchisee appetite for the concept. The June 2023 acquisition of the three Arizona locations by Eric Greenwald and Cody Starrett represents the most significant recent development in the brand's growth story. Greenwald brings over 30 years of hospitality experience, including more than 19 years as president of Grimaldi's Pizzeria/Forno Suprema, where he oversaw expansion from a single Arizona pizzeria to 43 corporate stores across 12 states — exactly the operational scaling expertise required to execute the stated goal of 10 to 12 new ProteinHouse units within Maricopa County and 15 to 20 across Arizona as a whole. Cody Starrett, founder of venture capital firm Starrett Inc. and managing partner of STK Scottsdale, contributes digital marketing expertise and an understanding of global food trends that positions the Arizona expansion as a model for how the brand can accelerate in other high-density metropolitan markets. The competitive moat for ProteinHouse rests on its authentic origin within the professional fitness community, its Larissa Reis co-founder identity, and a menu architecture designed from the ground up for nutritional optimization — not adapted from a conventional fast-food playbook — making it structurally difficult for generalist brands to replicate its positioning credibly. The brand currently has 2 ongoing lawsuits, a figure investors should review in detail within the FDD's litigation disclosure section.

The ideal ProteinHouse franchisee is not defined by a single profile, but the brand's operational demands and customer base create a clear set of success indicators that investors should honestly self-assess. The most effective operators combine a genuine affinity for health, fitness, and nutrition culture — which directly influences staff hiring, community marketing, and customer engagement authenticity — with the operational discipline and financial management skills required to run a multi-staff food service business. The June 2023 Arizona acquisition by Greenwald and Starrett illustrates that experienced multi-concept restaurant operators with professional management infrastructure and strong local market relationships are well-positioned to scale the brand rapidly. Prospective franchisees should carry a minimum net worth of $1,000,000 and minimum liquid capital of $300,000 per the 2024 FDD requirements, ensuring that new operators enter with sufficient capitalization to navigate the early months of operations without financial strain. Territory structure grants franchisees defined geographic exclusivity, and given that the brand has publicly stated expansion targets in Arizona of 15 to 20 units, investors in growth markets should move with urgency to secure preferred territories before the pipeline fills. The franchise agreement runs for an initial term of 10 years with a 5-year renewal option, providing a long enough runway for franchisees to recoup investment and build genuine enterprise value. Markets with high concentrations of fitness-oriented demographics — proximity to gyms, sports facilities, active lifestyle retail, and health-conscious dining density — consistently align with the brand's strongest performing units, and the Arizona Valley performance data reinforces that geographic alignment is a primary driver of unit-level success. Timeline from signed agreement to open location varies by market and real estate conditions, and franchisees should budget for a minimum of 6 to 12 months from execution to grand opening.

For franchise investors conducting rigorous due diligence on health-focused fast-casual opportunities, the ProteinHouse franchise opportunity presents a data-supported case that merits serious evaluation. The brand operates at the intersection of two powerful macro trends: the sustained growth of the Limited-Service Restaurant market, projected to reach USD 1,214.93 billion globally by 2032 at a 5.71% CAGR, and the accelerating mainstream adoption of protein-focused, nutritionally transparent dining. The unit economics, based on previously disclosed FDD data showing gross sales of approximately $1,067,038 and estimated owner-operator earnings of $128,045 to $160,056, suggest a viable investment thesis for well-capitalized, market-appropriate operators, with a payback period of 4.4 to 6.4 years. The 2024 total investment range of $504,375 to $846,300, combined with a 4.0% royalty and 1.0% ad fund, represents a cost structure that compares favorably with peers in the fast-casual category. The brand's authentic fitness-community origins, experienced new regional operators in Arizona, and clear geographic expansion roadmap all contribute to a growth narrative that is more operationally grounded than many early-stage franchise concepts. PeerSense provides exclusive due diligence data including SBA lending history, FPI scores, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and side-by-side comparison tools that allow investors to evaluate ProteinHouse against comparable franchise opportunities across the health and wellness dining category with precision and objectivity. The FPI score for ProteinHouse currently sits at 60, indicating a Moderate rating — a data point that should be contextualized against the brand's growth stage, regional performance leaders, and the evolving Arizona expansion before any final investment conclusion is drawn. Explore the complete ProteinHouse franchise profile on PeerSense to access the full suite of independent franchise intelligence data.