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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a CRISP & GREEN® Franchise

CRISP & GREEN is a fast-casual restaurant franchise built around fresh, wellness-focused food: made-from-scratch salads, grain bowls, wraps, smoothies and acai bowls aimed at health-conscious diners who want a quick, better-for-you meal. Founded in 2016 in Minnesota by fitness entrepreneur Steele Smiley, the brand pairs counter-service dining with a community feel, hosting in-store fitness classes and wellness events.

The concept runs brick-and-mortar locations on a territory-based franchise model and is owned by Minneapolis-based Steele Brands, which also operates the PuraLima Mexican concept. Smiley stepped back as CEO and later returned to lead the group, keeping the business founder-led.

The network is concentrated in the Upper Midwest and Mountain regions, with roughly 46 locations across about 15 states. About half are now company-owned after the franchisor reacquired a number of units, and recent franchising has favoured large multi-unit operators. CRISP & GREEN positions itself at the premium end of healthy fast casual, alongside names such as Sweetgreen and Cava.

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Why buy a CRISP & GREEN® Franchise?

Healthy fast casual has been one of the more resilient corners of the restaurant sector, and CRISP & GREEN has built a recognisable place in it with a wellness-led menu, an events-driven community model and a design-forward store format. For a buyer weighing whether to buy a CRISP & GREEN franchise, the appeal is a differentiated, lifestyle-oriented concept in a category with durable consumer demand.

The franchisor provides an established operating system, national and local marketing, supply relationships through Sysco and end-to-end technology management, so an incoming owner steps into a built-out playbook rather than an untested concept. The brand’s premium positioning is designed to support higher-value tickets than volume-led rivals.

CRISP & GREEN® Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      2016

    • Franchising Since

      2018

    • New Startup Cost

      $642,841 – $1,398,538

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $50,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      50%

      of then-current Initial Franchise Fee

    • Royalty Fee

      7%

      of Gross Sales or $7,500/month min

    • Marketing Fee

      2%

      of Gross Sales

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      50

    • New Units Opened *

      4

    • Units Transferred *

      11

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      $1,695,391

    * Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

CRISP & GREEN® – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    Incoming owners receive structured initial training built around 110 hours of on-the-job training and 10 hours of classroom instruction, delivered by the franchisor's dedicated team. Ongoing support covers operations training to optimise performance, national and local marketing, hiring and team-building help, supplier access through Sysco and end-to-end management of the technology systems that run each store. Resale buyers should confirm with Steele Brands what onboarding and system access transfer to a new owner, and the training status of existing staff.

  2. Ideal Owner

    CRISP & GREEN suits hospitality-minded, business-savvy operators rather than first-time restaurateurs. The franchisor now leans toward experienced multi-unit owners who can run several locations and manage teams at scale, so the model favours operators comfortable with staffing, throughput and brand standards. Restaurant experience is not strictly required, but a genuine interest in wellness, strong local leadership and the discipline to follow the system closely fit the brand well, given its emphasis on made-from-scratch consistency.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    CRISP & GREEN has been recognised among the leading healthy fast-casual brands. It was named to Technomic's Future 50 list of fast-growing emerging chains and cited for roughly 44% year-over-year sales growth in Technomic's 2024 rankings. It also placed on the Franchise Times Top 400 (#419 in 2024) and has featured in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500. For resale buyers, brand-level recognition should be weighed alongside the specific territory's local reviews, referral sources and community visibility.

  4. Industry / Market

    CRISP & GREEN operates in the U.S. fast-casual segment, the fastest-growing part of the restaurant industry, with better-for-you concepts among its strongest sub-categories. Demand is driven by younger, health-conscious consumers willing to pay more for fresh, customisable meals and by broader wellness spending across the country. The category has proved comparatively resilient across economic cycles, though local performance still hinges on lunchtime traffic, daytime density and nearby competition, all worth weighing for any specific resale location.

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