How much is a Tapioca Express franchise? $250,000 – $509,100 to open, per its disclosure filings
$250,000 – $509,100
Opening a Tapioca Express franchise takes $250,000 – $509,100 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $58,400 – $69,000. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 3% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 1%. To qualify, Tapioca Express asks for $124,388 in liquid cash. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Tapioca Express cost table
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $58,400 | $69,000 | $58,400 to $69,000 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $250,000 | $509,100 | $250,000 to $509,100 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | Not disclosed1 | Not disclosed1 | ||
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $124,388 | $124,388 | $124,388 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $250,000 | $509,100 | $250,000 to $509,100 | |
- 1 "Not disclosed" means Tapioca Express's filings do not state this figure. We publish the gap instead of estimating it.
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 3% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 1% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 5 years |
What's in that number — and what isn't
The $250,000 – $509,100 range is derived from Tapioca Express's filed initial-investment disclosure (FDD Item 7 class): build-out, equipment, and opening costs as the franchisor stated them. Your market's real estate, labor, and build-out prices can land you outside it.
Not in the opening number: the ongoing royalty of 3% on sales, the ad-fund contribution of up to 1%, and your operating losses while the unit ramps. Every figure marked "Not disclosed" above is a gap in the filings, not a zero.
How Tapioca Express's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Tapioca Express's disclosed cost sits against the Food & Beverage category:
- Minimum startup cost of $250,000 — about in line with the Food & Beverage median of $282,500.
- Initial franchise fee of $58,400 — about 1.7× the Food & Beverage median of $35,000.
Category medians are computed from the Food & Beverage brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Food & Beverage franchises
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Tapioca Express or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask Tapioca Express for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What is the Tapioca Express franchise fee?
$58,400 – $69,000, one-time, per disclosure filings as of 2026-05.
What ongoing fees does Tapioca Express charge?
A royalty of 3% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 1%, per disclosure filings as of 2026-05.
How much money do you need to qualify for a Tapioca Express franchise?
Tapioca Express's filings ask for $124,388 in liquid cash (as of 2026-05). Capital figures are the franchisor's stated minimums, not our advice.