Franchise Deep Dive: Acai Express Superfood Bowls' Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data

LAST UPDATED: 2/2024
FRANCHISE WEBSITE: https://acaiexpressfranchise.com/
NUMBER OF LOCATIONS: 54
REPORTED COST TO GET IN: $158,400 to $429,000
REPORTED ROI (Item 19): N/A

Acai Express was founded by Hector Westerband in July 2013. The brand has a humble beginning, as it started in a food truck in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and quickly grew into the successful franchise brand it is today. Acai Express’s nutritious bowls and smoothies are centered around the acai berry, but the brand also offers items like pitaya and coconut bowls to juices, toasts and more.

A big part of Acai Express is its focus on providing customers who are interested in living a healthy lifestyle with natural, fresh and organic acai bowls on the go.

How Many Acai Express Locations Are There?

There are currently 54 Acai Express locations across the country. 

Acai Express is currently planning to open new locations across South America, and is also seeking franchisees in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. 

What Is the Acai Express Business Model?

Acai Express offers a fairly simple business model. Prospective franchisees can either franchise a food trailer, a food truck or a regular brick-and-mortar retail store.

The brand does not require franchisees to have any prior restaurant experience. They provide two weeks of training, which consists of one week in the brand’s corporate office and a second week in one of the store locations. Acai Express is viewed as an appealing business opportunity because of its lower cost of entry, with a franchise fee of $25,000.

The process from start to finish in order to open an Acai Express location can take anywhere from six to nine months. After doors open, the brand expects owners to be hands-on in the store for the first nine months of operations. However, most of their current franchise owners are multi-unit operators with established systems in place that allow them to operate multiple stores without having to be there in person. The brand also has an on-call marketing team that works to provide ongoing support to franchisees by handling paid advertising, social media, public relations, ad creation and influencer campaigns.

How Much Can Acai Express Franchise Owners Make?

Acai Express franchise earnings are not publicly available. 

How Much Does It Cost to Open an Acai Express?

The total investment necessary to open a single-unit Acai Express franchise ranges from $158,400 to $429,000, including a $25,000 franchise fee. The investment required to open a food trailer or food truck ranges from $145,850 to $217,500.

Fees include: 

• Architect/Blueprints: $2,000 to $8,000
• Leasehold Improvements: $50,000 to $200,000
•  Leasehold Improvement for Drive-thru: $0 to $25,000
• Lease Payments (Three Months): $3,000 to $15,000
• Security Deposits: $3,400 to $6,000
• Equipment, Furniture and Fixtures: $42,000 to $80,000
• Signage: $2,000 to $10,000
• Initial Inventory: $3,500 to $10,000
• Point of Sale System: $2,000 to $6,000
• Office Supplies and Computer System: $2,500
• Travel, Lodging and Meals for Initial Training: $4,000 to $7,000
•  Insurance (Three Months): $1,000 to $3,000
•  Grand Opening Advertising: $5,000
•  Licenses and Permits: $1,000 to $1,500
• Professional Fees: $2,000 to $5,000
• Additional Funds (Three Months): $10,000 to $20,000

Franchisees must also pay 6% in weekly royalties and 2% in brand development fees. There is also a networth requirement of $250,000 and a liquid capital requirement of $50,000. 

What Is the Franchise Fee for Acai Express?

The franchise fee is $25,000. 

Who Is the Leadership of Acai Express?

• Hector Westerband, Founder and President
• Ricardo Mercade, Marketing Director
• Karen Lopez, Accountant Department Director

What Helpful Sources Can I See to Learn More About Acai Express?

• Start an Acai Express Franchise in 2024
• Franchise FAQs
• Acai Express Franchise Cost and Requirements for 2024

Want to learn more about franchise opportunities on 1851 Franchise? Be sure to visit our Power Rankings to read more on brands making moves. 

Check out these three 1851 brands:

Main Squeeze Juice Co.

• Franchise Development Page
• Number of Open Locations (as of 2/23/2024): 36
• Investment Range: $385,050 - $682,750 

Pure Green

• Franchise Development Page
• Number of Open Locations (as of 2/23/2024): 37
• Investment Range: $250,000 - $499,999

CHOP5

• Franchise Development Page
• Number of Open Locations (as of 2/23/2024): 3
• Investment Range: $356,700 - $873,700
   

Every great franchisee had help buying a franchise. Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit www.1851growthclub.com and start your journey.

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only. You should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Nothing contained on this site constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer to buy or sell any franchises, securities, or other financial instruments in this or in any other jurisdiction in which such solicitation or offer would be unlawful under the franchise and/or securities laws of such jurisdiction. All content in this article is information of a general nature and does not address the detailed circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Nothing in the article constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information in the email constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. You alone assume the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information or other content in this article before making any decisions based on such information or other content.