Franchise Facts Report → compare → Tropical Smoothie Cafe vs 7 Brew
Tropical Smoothie Cafe vs 7 Brew
Two other franchises, compared on the numbers their own Franchise Disclosure Documents put on record — investment, fees, Item 19 earnings, outlet churn, and litigation. Not marketing copy.
| Tropical Smoothie Cafe | 7 Brew | |
|---|---|---|
| Total initial investment FDD Item 7 | $300,000 – $720,500 | $940,500 – $2,283,500 |
| Initial franchise fee FDD Item 5 | $35,000 | $35,000 |
| Royalty FDD Item 6 | 6% | 4.5% |
| Item 19 earnings disclosed FDD Item 19 | Yes | Yes |
| Avg unit revenue (headline) FDD Item 19 | disclosed (not machine-read) | $2,658,575 |
| Franchised outlets FDD Item 20 | 1,371 | 578 |
| Net outlet change (latest yr) FDD Item 20 | +174 | +281 |
| Closure rate FDD Item 20 | 0.4% | 0% |
| Franchisee lawsuits FDD Item 3 | disclosed | 0 |
| Risk level our read | Low | Low |
| FDD year registration | 2024 | 2026 |
Are Tropical Smoothie Cafe and 7 Brew the same company?
No — Tropical Smoothie Cafe and 7 Brew are franchised by separate companies. Tropical Smoothie Cafe's franchisor is TSC Franchisor, LLC; 7 Brew's is Brew Culture Franchise, LLC. Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
Cost to open
Tropical Smoothie Cafe is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $300,000 – $720,500, against $940,500 – $2,283,500 for 7 Brew.
How much does each make? (Item 19)
Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation — the detailed figures are in each brand's FDD (Item 19).
Closures & failure rate
Tropical Smoothie Cafe reports 1,371 franchised outlets, net change +174 in the latest reported year, a 0.4% closure rate (FDD Item 20). 7 Brew reports 578 franchised outlets, net change +281 in the latest reported year, a 0% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Outlet churn — closures, terminations, non-renewals — is the closest thing an FDD has to a failure rate.
Litigation
Tropical Smoothie Cafe discloses litigation in FDD Item 3 (each case is described there). 7 Brew discloses no franchisee-initiated proceedings in FDD Item 3.
Deciding between Tropical Smoothie Cafe and 7 Brew?
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Tropical Smoothie Cafe vs 7 Brew — frequently asked
Are Tropical Smoothie Cafe and 7 Brew the same company?
No — Tropical Smoothie Cafe and 7 Brew are franchised by separate companies. Tropical Smoothie Cafe's franchisor is TSC Franchisor, LLC; 7 Brew's is Brew Culture Franchise, LLC. Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
What is the difference between Tropical Smoothie Cafe and 7 Brew?
Tropical Smoothie Cafe and 7 Brew are other franchises from different franchisors (TSC Franchisor, LLC and Brew Culture Franchise, LLC). Tropical Smoothie Cafe is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $300,000 – $720,500, against $940,500 – $2,283,500 for 7 Brew. Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation — the detailed figures are in each brand's FDD (Item 19).
Is Tropical Smoothie Cafe more profitable than 7 Brew?
Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation — the detailed figures are in each brand's FDD (Item 19).
Which is cheaper to open — Tropical Smoothie Cafe or 7 Brew?
Tropical Smoothie Cafe is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $300,000 – $720,500, against $940,500 – $2,283,500 for 7 Brew.
Is Tropical Smoothie Cafe or 7 Brew growing faster?
Tropical Smoothie Cafe reports 1,371 franchised outlets, net change +174 in the latest reported year, a 0.4% closure rate (FDD Item 20). 7 Brew reports 578 franchised outlets, net change +281 in the latest reported year, a 0% closure rate (FDD Item 20).
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Other rankings
Figures are as disclosed in each brand's most recent registered FDD (Tropical Smoothie Cafe 2024, 7 Brew 2026). “—” means the FDD does not disclose it or the table did not parse cleanly — never an estimate.