Franopolis
    vs

    Franchise opportunities compared

    Arwa Coffee vs Caribou Coffee

    Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.

    Arwa Coffee2026 FDDCaribou Coffee2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Arwa Coffee

    $237,300 – $654,600

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19

    Caribou Coffee

    $281,100 – $1,515,000

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Arwa Coffee

    $40,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11

    Caribou Coffee

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    Arwa Coffee

    4%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12

    Caribou Coffee

    4% · Note 1) Cabin and Chalet: 5% of Gross Sales Kiosk: 6% of Gross Sales ( — 4%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Caribou Coffee discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Arwa Coffee: 2, Caribou Coffee: 6). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Arwa Coffee

    $237,300 – $654,600
    Total single-shop investment
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19

    Caribou Coffee

    $281,100 – $1,515,000
    2026 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Arwa Coffee

    $40,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11

    Caribou Coffee

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Arwa Coffee

    4%
    Royalty — monthly gross sales
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12

    Caribou Coffee

    4% · Note 1) Cabin and Chalet: 5% of Gross Sales Kiosk: 6% of Gross Sales ( — 4%
    marks Royalty
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Arwa Coffee

    1%
    Brand fund contribution — monthly — 1%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12

    Caribou Coffee

    1%
    o 3% of Gross Sales Same as Royalty Currently, allocated as 2% to the Brand Fund and — 1% — 1%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 15

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Arwa Coffee

    9
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 43

    Caribou Coffee

    494
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 62
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Arwa Coffee

    +8
    Calculated: 1 at end of 2022 → 9 at end of 2025

    Caribou Coffee

    +14
    Calculated: 480 at end of 2023 → 494 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Arwa Coffee

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Caribou Coffee

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    Arwa Coffee

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Caribou Coffee

    2004
    From a verified franchisor listing
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Arwa Coffee

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Caribou Coffee

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Arwa Coffee
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Corporate Coffee Shop 1
    $1,092,336
    other Corporate Coffee Shop 1 gross sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 52
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Corporate Coffee Shop 2
    $1,064
    other Corporate Coffee Shop 2 gross sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 52
    Caribou Coffee
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Company Chalet
    116 coffeehouses
    other Drive-thru Chalet sample
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 56
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Kiosk nontraditional
    130 coffeehouses
    other Kiosk sample
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 54
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Kiosk
    10 coffeehouses
    other Kiosk exclusions
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 54
    +3 more groups in the full report

    Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.

    Arwa Coffee vs Caribou Coffee: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Arwa Coffee or Caribou Coffee?
    Arwa Coffee: $237,300 – $654,600 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 19); Caribou Coffee: $281,100 – $1,515,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Arwa Coffee. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Arwa Coffee and Caribou Coffee royalties compare?
    Arwa Coffee: 4% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12); Caribou Coffee: 4% · Note 1) Cabin and Chalet: 5% of Gross Sales Kiosk: 6% of Gross Sales ( — 4% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Which has more locations, Arwa Coffee or Caribou Coffee?
    Arwa Coffee: 9 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 43); Caribou Coffee: 494 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 62). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Arwa Coffee and Caribou Coffee disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Arwa Coffee has reviewed Item 19 figures for 2 location groups; Caribou Coffee has reviewed Item 19 figures for 6 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

    Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

    Keep researching

    Full Arwa Coffee report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Full Caribou Coffee report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Compare Arwa Coffee with

    Compare Caribou Coffee with

    Add a third brand

    Compare up to four side by side

    Explore by brand

    Filter every published report

    FDD glossary

    Plain-language meaning of each Item