Food & Beverage

Chatime

Chatime is a food service establishment offering gourmet coffees and teas, other coffee and tea-based beverages, bubble tea, compatible food products, coffee and tea makers, and related supplies, accessories, and gifts.

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Ways to own

Standard franchise

Single unit Flexible

Money you'll need

Personal cash (liquid capital)
$150,000
Cash or near-cash you contribute yourself
Total project cost
$291,100 – $499,900
Fee, build-out, equipment and early working capital
Net worth required
$500,000
Initial franchise fee
$54,900
Included in total project cost

Ongoing fees

Royalty
5%
Advertising / brand fund
National Advertising Fund: 2% of Gross Sales
Other recurring fees
Not disclosed
Agreement term
Not disclosed

Your role

Ownership style
Flexible
Expected time
Not disclosed
Home-based
No
Staffing
5 - 10
Location
Not disclosed

Training and support

Training
Training and support program details: Initial Training Program - 3 weeks of on-the-job training & on-site opening support covering the following key modules: Tea knowledge & expertise Drink preparation & procedure Store management People management Equipment operatios & maintenance Inventory management & ordering 6-8 Hours of Classroom Training 58-80 Hours of On-the-Job Training Cost for Training: $5,000 Lodging and airfare included: No Site Selection Assistance: Yes Lease Negotiation Assistance: Yes Mentor following training: Yes Length of mentoring Franchisee: From Franchise Agreement signing to just past location opening. Chatime initiates wire transfers for payment each week on Friday mornings. The deadline for receipt of an invoice is Thursday at 12:00 (Noon) PM PT to ensure payment is made that week. Any invoices received after noon on Thursday will be paid the following Friday.
Ongoing support
Site selection: Yes Lease negotiation: Yes Mentoring: Yes; From Franchise Agreement signing to just past location opening.

Financing information

SBA Franchise Directory
Listed (per source data)

Financing information describes options the franchisor mentions. It is not a loan offer or approval; lenders decide based on your circumstances. An SBA directory listing does not mean any loan is guaranteed. What it means.

Brand facts

Founded
2005
Franchising since
2023
Franchised units
Not disclosed
Company-owned units
Not disclosed
Headquarters
Culver City, CA

Where it's offered

State-level availability as reported in source materials. A state being listed doesn't mean a territory is open near you — an advisor confirms specific areas with the franchisor.

State availability has not been confirmed for this brand.

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About this information

Listing reviewed by our editors on October 13, 2026. Source materials dated August 20, 2026. Figures come from franchisor-provided materials and can change; always confirm against the brand's current Franchise Disclosure Document.

We don't publish revenue, profit or return estimates. If a franchisor provides financial performance information, it appears in Item 19 of its FDD with the context needed to interpret it.

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