SoFresh

The question every entrepreneur enters the healthy fast-casual category with is whether a regional brand built around made-to-order bowls and clean ingredients can compete, scale, and return capital before the next lease renewal. SoFresh, founded in 2013 in Tampa, Florida, by John Williams — a University of Florida alumnus whose personal commitment to fitness and purposeful living drove the concept — was designed precisely to answer that question. Williams opened the first SoFresh location in Tampa the following year, in 2014, building a menu architecture centered on customizable bowls, wraps, and smoothies designed for health-conscious consumers who refuse to choose between speed and nutritional integrity. In 2020, Clay Donato joined as a business partner, bringing with him a background in building successful franchise restaurant brands, and the two restructured the leadership team with Williams serving as founder and partner and vice president of operations, and Donato stepping into the role of partner and vice president of development. That dual-leadership model has coincided with the brand's most aggressive expansion phase: as of early 2024, SoFresh had over 40 locations open or in active development, and by 2025 the company reported 23 open restaurants with 17 additional units in the pipeline. The brand now operates across six states — Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee — and positions itself within a total addressable market for global limited-service restaurants valued at approximately 1.2 trillion dollars in 2024. This analysis is produced independently by PeerSense franchise intelligence and reflects no commercial relationship with SoFresh or its franchisee recruitment team.

The industry SoFresh competes in is one of the most structurally compelling segments in all of franchising, and the macroeconomic tailwinds behind it are measurable and durable. The global limited-service restaurant market, valued at 1.2 trillion dollars in 2024, is projected to reach 1.4 trillion dollars by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate of 3.2 percent, while alternative forecasting models place the segment's trajectory even higher — one projection models the market reaching approximately 1.44 trillion dollars by 2034 at a CAGR of roughly 5.7 percent across the 2025 to 2034 forecast period. Within that macro category, the fast-casual sub-segment where SoFresh competes is being driven by four converging consumer trends that carry unusual durability: first, the structural increase in dual-income households and urbanization has made convenience and meal speed non-negotiable for a growing share of the working population; second, consumer preferences have shifted measurably toward plant-based, gluten-free, low-calorie, and organic meal options, with health and wellness increasingly functioning as a purchase driver rather than a premium niche; third, digital ordering infrastructure has matured rapidly, with delivery sales in the limited-service sector surging by over 20 percent in a single recent year; and fourth, customization has emerged as the dominant format preference for consumers under 45, who expect to build their own meal rather than accept a fixed menu item. SoFresh's design-your-own-bowl architecture — structured around two bases, three mix-ins, one sauce, and a protein — maps directly onto that customization trend. The fast-casual segment's competitive landscape remains fragmented at the regional level, which means that a brand capable of establishing operational consistency and brand recognition across a multi-state footprint retains meaningful first-mover advantages in markets that have not yet been penetrated by a healthy bowl concept.

The Sofresh franchise investment begins with an initial franchise fee of 25,000 dollars, which provides the franchisee with the right to use SoFresh's brand name, trademarks, business model, and proprietary operating systems, and covers initial training and pre-opening operational support. Total development costs for a turn-key SoFresh restaurant range from a low of approximately 295,500 dollars to a high of 692,000 dollars, with a separate all-in cost estimate of 350,000 to 550,000 dollars that reflects the variability in site conditions; PeerSense's database records an initial investment range of 424,000 to 683,450 dollars based on current FDD filings, which aligns with the higher end of the brand's own published range and reflects a market where construction costs and lease premiums have risen meaningfully since the brand's earlier cost disclosures. The primary variable driving investment spread is unit size: SoFresh locations range from 500 to 1,800 square feet, with an optimum size of 1,200 to 1,600 square feet, and a franchisee who can acquire a space with existing furnishings and fixtures can compress total build-out costs substantially. Ongoing fees include a royalty of 6 percent of gross sales, which is consistent with the fast-casual franchise category average, and an advertising contribution that varies across disclosure sources — one source cites 1.5 percent of gross sales for national advertising, another cites a national cooperative advertising fee of 2.5 percent of gross sales, and a third source structures the contribution as 1 percent local and 1.5 percent national. Prospective franchisees should clarify the current advertising fund structure directly within Item 6 of the Franchise Disclosure Document. Minimum liquidity requirements range from 85,000 to 150,000 dollars depending on the source, with a net worth requirement of 500,000 dollars. At a total investment ceiling near 683,000 dollars with a 25,000-dollar franchise fee, the Sofresh franchise cost positions this as a mid-tier fast-casual investment — below the capital threshold of many national full-service concepts, but above the entry point of counter-model fast food conversions — making it accessible to a qualified pool of owner-operators without requiring institutional capital.

Daily operations at a SoFresh location are structured around a made-to-order kitchen model with a menu that spans warm bowls, cold bowls, wraps, quesadillas, smoothies, and juices, serving a broad dietary spectrum including vegan, vegetarian, keto, paleo, and gluten-intolerant customers. The unit footprint, ranging from 500 to 1,800 square feet with an optimal range of 1,200 to 1,600 square feet, supports a lean staffing model relative to full-service restaurant concepts, and the brand's operational design reflects a deliberate effort to minimize complexity at the unit level. One of the more franchisee-friendly aspects of the SoFresh model is that prior restaurant experience is explicitly not required — the brand states that a willingness to learn and follow operational manuals is more important than prior industry background, which broadens the qualified candidate pool and reduces the friction of first-time operators. The training program covers food preparation, back-of-house management, front-of-house management, food safety, customer service, point-of-sale software, and financial management, and includes hands-on on-location training alongside support from a dedicated SoFresh opening team. Corporate support extends beyond the launch phase: the brand provides a dedicated team of brokers to assist with site selection under strict location guidelines, robust marketing strategies and streamlined systems, and support lines accessible via email throughout the operational cycle. SoFresh claims over 30 years of collective franchise experience within its leadership and support structure, which provides a meaningful institutional knowledge base for franchisees navigating the opening and early operations phases. The brand offers both single-unit and multi-unit franchise structures, and is actively recruiting partners specifically in Central and South Florida markets as well as across the broader Eastern United States. The onboarding process is designed to carry new franchise partners from the initial application through grand opening with structured guidance at each stage, and the corporate team has been described by existing franchisees as genuinely attentive and responsive to partner concerns.

Item 19 financial performance data is not disclosed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document on file within PeerSense's database, which means prospective investors cannot rely on FDD-validated earnings claims when building their financial model for a Sofresh franchise investment. However, the brand has separately disclosed average unit volumes of 1,128,412 dollars, representing average gross sales across its reporting base — a figure that, if applied against the current system average, provides a meaningful revenue benchmark for underwriting purposes. At a 6 percent royalty rate, that average AUV implies an annual royalty obligation of approximately 67,700 dollars per unit, which should be modeled alongside advertising contributions, rent, labor, food costs, and management overhead to arrive at owner-level cash flow. Industry benchmarks for fast-casual restaurant concepts suggest food and beverage costs typically run between 28 and 35 percent of gross sales, labor costs between 25 and 30 percent, and occupancy costs between 8 and 12 percent, which means that at an AUV of approximately 1.1 million dollars and a blended operating expense structure at the midpoint of those ranges, a well-run SoFresh unit could generate meaningful unit-level operating income before debt service and owner compensation — but investors should independently model these assumptions, validate them against actual franchisee P&L data collected during due diligence calls, and treat the AUV figure as a gross revenue benchmark rather than a profitability guarantee. The total Sofresh franchise investment range of 424,000 to 683,450 dollars against an AUV benchmark of approximately 1.13 million dollars implies a sales-to-investment ratio of approximately 1.65 to 1 at the midpoint — a ratio that falls within the acceptable range for fast-casual concepts where experienced operators can manage labor and food costs to industry benchmarks. The absence of Item 19 disclosure in the current FDD is a material consideration during due diligence, and prospective franchisees are strongly encouraged to speak with existing operators across multiple markets before committing capital.

SoFresh's unit count growth trajectory provides a tangible signal of franchisee confidence and system health that complements the revenue data. From a single Tampa location opened in 2014, the brand had grown to 16 open or committed locations by August 2021, reached 20 open and operating restaurants by 2024, and expanded to 23 open locations with 17 in active development by 2025 — a pipeline-to-open ratio of nearly 3 to 4 that reflects meaningful near-term expansion momentum. The brand's system of "over 40 locations open or on the way" as of early 2024, combined with 23 currently operating and 17 in development as of 2025, suggests net unit growth of approximately 5 to 7 units per year across the recent expansion phase. Corporate investment in technology has accompanied this growth: SoFresh implemented its first self-ordering kiosk prototype at its Champions Gate location, launched a new app and online ordering platform within a 90-day window as of August 2021, and continues to refine its digital infrastructure as delivery sales across the broader limited-service sector have grown by over 20 percent in a single year. Specific expansion targets include at least five new locations planned for Central Florida, a new unit at 522 East Woolbright Road in Boynton Beach, Florida within Sunshine Square Plaza as of October 2025, and a new Spring Hill, Florida location at 170 Mariner Blvd preparing to open in February 2026. Since the first location opened in 2014, SoFresh has created more than 350 jobs across its market locations, with the Champions Gate unit alone expected to generate close to 30 new positions. The brand's competitive moat is built on menu architecture that accommodates six dietary profiles simultaneously — vegan, vegetarian, keto, paleo, gluten-intolerant, and conventional — which structurally broadens per-unit addressable customer base relative to single-diet-focus competitors.

The ideal Sofresh franchise candidate is an owner-operator who brings management discipline, community engagement, and a genuine alignment with health and wellness values — prior restaurant experience is explicitly not required, and the brand has structured its training and operational support to onboard motivated first-time operators effectively. Multi-unit development is actively encouraged, and the brand's current geographic focus on Central and South Florida as well as the broader Eastern United States suggests that candidates positioned to develop two to three units across a metro area will find the strongest territorial opportunities available. The minimum liquidity threshold of 85,000 to 150,000 dollars in unencumbered cash, combined with the 500,000-dollar net worth requirement, defines the financial profile of a qualified candidate — someone who has built meaningful personal net worth but does not require an institutional capital partner to cross the investment threshold. Available territories span multiple states including Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee, with the highest concentration of active franchise development currently focused along the Florida peninsula. Franchisees interested in the highest-growth corridor should prioritize Central and South Florida markets where corporate development resources are actively concentrated. The timeline from initial application through grand opening is supported by a structured onboarding process that the corporate team manages with reported attentiveness, and the franchise has generated enough operational history — more than a decade since the first unit opened — that resale and transfer markets for established units are beginning to emerge as a secondary investment consideration for interested buyers.

For investors conducting serious franchise due diligence, SoFresh represents a regional fast-casual concept operating at a critical inflection point: past the experimental phase of a startup brand, not yet at the saturation ceiling of a national chain, and actively expanding through a franchise model with reported average unit volumes of 1,128,412 dollars against a total investment range of 424,000 to 683,450 dollars. The brand sits within a global limited-service restaurant market valued at 1.2 trillion dollars in 2024 and growing at a 3.2 percent CAGR toward 1.4 trillion dollars by 2030, competing for a consumer health-and-wellness tailwind that has consistently outperformed the broader restaurant category for the past decade. The PeerSense FPI score for SoFresh is 63, rated Moderate, which reflects the brand's growth trajectory and disclosed revenue benchmarks balanced against the absence of Item 19 FDD financial performance disclosure and the early-stage scale of the system. PeerSense provides exclusive due diligence data including SBA lending history, FPI score analysis, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and side-by-side comparison tools that allow investors to benchmark SoFresh directly against competing fast-casual concepts across investment cost, AUV, royalty structure, and territory availability. The Sofresh franchise opportunity is one that rewards disciplined underwriting: investors who validate the AUV benchmark against actual franchisee financials, negotiate favorable lease terms within the brand's 500-to-1,800-square-foot footprint range, and commit to owner-operator engagement during the launch phase will be best positioned to realize the unit economics this brand's revenue figures suggest are achievable. Explore the complete SoFresh franchise profile on PeerSense to access the full suite of independent franchise intelligence data.