Franchise opportunities compared
Benihana National Corp vs Smoothie King
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.
Before you compare
- Benihana National Corp figures come from its 2024 FDD and Smoothie King figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
- Benihana National Corp and Smoothie King disclose more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
- Only Smoothie King has reviewed Item 19 figures here.
| Disclosure |  Benihana National Corp |  Smoothie King |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $616,000 – $6,250,000 2024 FDD · Item 7 | $0.00 – $1,278,900 2026 FDD · Item 7 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | $40,000 2024 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 17 | Not available No single standard fee identified |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 5% Royalty 2024 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18 | Not available No reviewed royalty record |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | 2% Advertising Contributions — 2% 2024 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18 | $5,000 Development payment schedule; design/training/opening marketing fees — $5000 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 17 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | Not available No reviewed outlet counts | 2,484 Outlets at end of 2025 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 68 |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | Not available Only one year reported | +180 Calculated: 2,304 at end of 2023 → 2,484 at end of 2025 |
| Outlet exits (Item 20) | Not available No complete exit records for a year | Not available No complete exit records for a year |
| Franchising since (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | 1989 From a verified franchisor listing |
| Franchisor founded (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Performance (Item 19) | ||
| Financial performance (Item 19), by location group | Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Top 50percent cumulative net-sales segment $795,063 other 2025 Top 50percent cumulative net-sales segment Median Net Sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 61 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All 1087 units $662,015 other 2025 All 1087 units Average Net Sales · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 61 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Comparable-period same-store franchised units 51 percent other 2025vs2024 At/above average percent · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 66 +37 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.
Benihana National Corp vs Smoothie King: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Benihana National Corp or Smoothie King?
- Benihana National Corp: $616,000 – $6,250,000 (2024 FDD · Item 7); Smoothie King: $0.00 – $1,278,900 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Smoothie King. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- Do Benihana National Corp and Smoothie King disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Benihana National Corp makes no Item 19 financial performance representation; Smoothie King has reviewed Item 19 figures for 40 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.