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The Top 10 Emerging Health Food Franchises Under 100 Units
As an emphasis on health and wellness continues to grow, these 10 franchises allow business owners to break into a growing market.
According to Statista, the global health and wellness food market was worth $841 billion in 2022, and it is expected to grow to $1 trillion by 2026. In the U.S., consumer patterns are changing to incorporate additional fruits and vegetables in the daily diet, often in pursuance of improved health and/or weight loss.
Many “superfoods,” such as salmon, kale, blueberries, quinoa and chia seeds, have been the target of consumers’ affection as they look to create more nutrient-dense snacks and meals at home. However, the do-it-yourself approach isn’t always the easiest, especially for consumers who have little-to-no practice in selecting and preparing healthful foods. As such, consumers are highly likely to defer to health food concepts that provide quick service, takeout and delivery.
Beyond Juicery + Eatery is a health food concept that offers energizing smoothies, standard smoothies, bottled juices, wellness shots, juice “by the cup,” wraps, salads and bowls.
The concept was founded by Mijo Alanis and Pam Vivo, who noticed a shift in Vivo’s family restaurant. Rather than going for the more traditional offerings like burgers and fries, people were starting to lean toward produce-based offerings. Clearly, there was some space in the market.
In 2005, the duo opened their first location in Birmingham, Michigan. Now, Entrepreneur reports there are 39 open units.
The initial investment to open a Beyond Juicery + Eatery is $469,302–$649,199.
Main Squeeze Juice Co. is a cold-pressed juice, smoothie and health food concept striving to make healthy eating even more accessible. In the health foods space, Main Squeeze Juice Co.’s cold-pressed approach is especially notable as the technique is recognized for its ability to maintain the integrity of fruits and vegetables, ensuring the maximum amount of micronutrients and benefits make it to the final product.
The concept opened its first location in 2017 and has since grown to include 28 units that have served over 315,000 people.
“This business is simply too good not to share,” said CEO Thomas Nieto. “We have an amazing menu, proprietary technology, industry-leading AUVs, in-depth real estate support and more. It is a very special concept, and demand is huge. As a franchise, we have a brand that is life-changing and transformative. You can make a real impact on the people you serve. Now, we have the capital and the infrastructure to double down on the brand and bring that opportunity to more people through franchising.”
The initial investment to open a Main Squeeze Juice Co. is $382,5000–$574,000.
Pure Green is a cold-pressed juice bar concept that is “dedicated to [its] mission of building healthier communities around the globe by connecting people everywhere with superfoods.” Its website notes that, especially after the pandemic, the demand for healthy products is on the rise.
With a range of offerings, Pure Green caters to those who want to drink their food, eat their food and somewhere in between. Superfood smoothies, acai and pitaya bowls, steel-cut oats, and superfood toasts are made to order in the juice bar. However, the cold-pressed juice and wellness shots themselves come bottled.
The franchisor notes this as a crucial differentiator as “there is no need to worry about complicated juice manufacturing regulations so you can focus on providing your community with great-tasting, highly-nutritious products while making great margins.”
The brand does not publish an initial investment range, but it does note a franchise fee of $30,000, liquidity requirement of $100,000 and net worth requirements of $300,000. Entrepreneur reports an initial investment of $122,950–$380,400 and a current unit count of 22.
Just Poke is a dine-in, takeout and delivery “poké fusion restaurant chain that was founded in 2016 by two Seattle natives after a trip to Hawaii,” the website says. Though not all poke concepts specifically promote health food offerings, Just Poke highlights health-oriented food, high-quality ingredients and sustainability practices as key franchise differentiators.
The concept’s site notes plans for “28 restaurants open by 2022” and “36 restaurants open by 2023,” but Entrepreneur’s unit count notes 27 open restaurants in 2022. However, it does say that this is a 200% increase over three years, which is still impressive growth.
Though the franchise development website does not note specific investment costs, Entrepreneur reports an initial investment of $171,000–$327,500.
While its name doesn’t exactly scream “health food,” Wow Wow Hawaiian Lemonades offers far more than just a typical glass of lemonade. The concept began in 2012, bringing tropical drinks to Oahu farmer’s markets. Now, it is awarding franchises to health-conscious businesspeople.
In addition to its handcrafted raw fruit lemonades, which are fresh-pressed daily, the franchise also offers acai bowls, superfood smoothies, coffee, tea, grain bowls, flatbreads and toasts.
Wow Wow Hawaiian Lemonades notes that the ideal franchisee has a head for business, an interest in healthy eating, a knack for social media, and a net worth of $300,000 and $75,000 in liquid capital. The listed initial investment range is $221,000–$303,000.
With three corporate locations, 21 franchised locations and another 10 under development, Baya Bar is a growing acai shop concept that also offers smoothies, fresh juices, wellness shots, kale bowls and toasts.
Baya Bar does not publish the required initial investment but does advertise a $35,000 franchise fee, a $100,000 liquidity requirement and a $250,000 net worth requirement. Entrepreneur lists an initial investment of $155,000–$335,000.
Grain & Berry is primarily a bowl concept that focuses on acai, pitaya, spirulina and yogurt bowls with a range of fruit, nut, granola and other superfood toppings. However, Grain & Berry locations also serve flatbreads made with cauliflower or broccoli crust, quesadillas, wellness shots, smoothies, fresh juices, toast, and yogurt parfaits.
While many acai bowl concepts will incorporate a few other offerings, Grain & Berry’s menu is certainly extensive. Not only does it offer three of the biggest superfood bowl bases—acai, pitaya and spirulina—but it also does not shy away from any of the other popular health food offerings.
Grain & Berry notes an average startup cost of $402,750 and publishes an average unit net profit of $134,185 on its site.
Lean Kitchen Company stands out from the other health food concepts listed here, but it certainly is a key health food franchise offering. This business is a meal prep concept that allows consumers to purchase fresh, never frozen, made-from-scratch prepped meals to carry them through the week. For many individuals, nutrition is the hardest part of a fitness journey, and Lean Kitchen Company lifts a huge weight from consumers’ shoulders.
“Maybe even cooler than that though, we have customers frequently stop in to grab meals and tell us they have been able to come off their diabetes medicine that they have been on their entire life,” said Austin Evans, co-founder of the concept. “Or, tell us they don’t need their blood pressure meds anymore. Or, how they have lost 85 pounds just from eating our meals. Impacting somebody’s life in this way is a feeling that money can’t buy.”
The franchisor website does not list investment data, but Entrepreneur reports an initial investment of $151,450–$440,750.
Chop Stop is a chopped salad concept with over a decade in operations.
“When you chop a salad so fine you can eat it with a spoon, you get a flavor explosion in every bite—and a legion of customers addicted to your food!” the franchisor website says. “A Chop Stop salad franchise can be your ticket to both business ownership and a healthier lifestyle.”
In addition to its foundational chopped salads, Chop Stop also offers “chopurritos,” reminiscent of the burrito bowl, along with wraps, soft pretzels, drinks and chips.
The initial investment required to open a Chop Stop is $327,000–$698,500.
Frutta Bowls is yet another bowl concept that offers acai, pitaya, greens, oatmeal and greek yogurt bases. It also serves smoothies, toasts and protein bites. The franchisor notes a unique offering in the bowl and smoothie place, saying Frutta Bowls owners are able to serve “multiple dayparts: breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and snack.”
Frutta Bowls advertises an initial investment of $162,000–$385,000, a $30,000 franchise fee, a required net worth of $250,000–$300,000 and required liquidity of $100,000.
Though Entrepreneur notes a 2022 unit count of 38, which it says is a 25% decrease in footprint over three years, the concept was ranked #112 on Entrepreneur’s “2022 Top New Franchises list,” indicating Entrepreneur saw some level of strength in the concept’s costs and fees, franchisee support, financial strength and more.
