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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Caribou Coffee vs Kahala Coffee Traders

    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.

    Caribou Coffee2026 FDDKCKahala Coffee Traders2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Caribou Coffee

    Not available

    Kahala Coffee Traders

    $88,400 – $526,000

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Caribou Coffee

    Not available

    Kahala Coffee Traders

    $7,500

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 29

    Royalty · Item 6

    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

    Kahala Coffee Traders

    6%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Kahala Coffee Traders discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Only Caribou Coffee has reviewed Item 19 figures here.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Caribou Coffee

    Not available
    No reviewed Item 7 total

    Kahala Coffee Traders

    $88,400 – $526,000
    2026 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Caribou Coffee

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Kahala Coffee Traders

    $7,500
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 29
    Royalty (Item 6)

    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

    Kahala Coffee Traders

    6%
    Royalty Fee traditional: greater of 6% of weekly Gross Sales or $300/week
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    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

    Kahala Coffee Traders

    1%
    Current advertising fund contribution: 1% of weekly Gross Sales — 1%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Caribou Coffee

    494
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 62

    Kahala Coffee Traders

    Not available
    No reviewed outlet counts
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Caribou Coffee

    +14
    Calculated: 480 at end of 2023 → 494 at end of 2025

    Kahala Coffee Traders

    Not available
    Only one year reported
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Caribou Coffee

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Kahala Coffee Traders

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

    Caribou Coffee

    2004
    From a verified franchisor listing

    Kahala Coffee Traders

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Caribou Coffee

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Kahala Coffee Traders

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    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
    KCKahala Coffee Traders

    No reviewed Item 19 figures

    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.

    Caribou Coffee vs Kahala Coffee Traders: common questions

    How do Caribou Coffee and Kahala Coffee Traders royalties compare?
    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); Kahala Coffee Traders: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Do Caribou Coffee and Kahala Coffee Traders disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Caribou Coffee has reviewed Item 19 figures for 6 location groups; Kahala Coffee Traders has no reviewed Item 19 figures on file. 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 Caribou Coffee report

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

    KC

    Full Kahala Coffee Traders report

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

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    FDD glossary

    Plain-language meaning of each Item