Are you interested in starting a vegan business franchise but sort of idea? If yes, you are at the right place.
In this article, we will shortlist the top 10 best vegan franchise opportunities that are worth investing in this year.
The popularity of Veganism has climbed like a staircase steadily in the last few years and now hitting the mainstream, leading the way as one of the growing business ventures in the future, especially in the fast food and restaurant industry.
Americans have largely embraced the growing trend of Veganism towards dairy and meat substitutes.
The statistic shows that 47% of Americans eat at least one vegetarian meal a week, while 1 million people are strictly vegan.
According to Statista, the plant-based meat consumption and milk substitute market are expected to reach $3.1 billion in 2025.
However, starting a vegan business is not just an ordinary business idea because the vegan niche is one of the most in-demand niches with a growing market value.
There are tons of vegan franchises widely available across the United States, and if you want to invest in a franchise, it would be wise to follow the trends to set yourself up for a successful venture.
Here are the ten best vegan franchise opportunities to build a lucrative business in 2023.
Let’s dive right in!
10 Best Vegan Franchise Opportunities
1. Cinnaholic Franchise
| Founded in | 2010 |
| Franchising Since | 2014 |
| Estimated Outlets | 56 |
| Initial Investment | $187,000-$368,500 |
| Franchise Fees | $39,000 |
| Liquidity | $120,000 |
| Royalty Fees | 5% |
Cinnaholic is an award-winning bakery and beverage company that serves gourmet, vegan cinnamon rolls that are both dairy and egg-free.
Found in 2010, they offer 50 different flavors of frostings and specialty toppings, allowing customers to create gourmet, custom rolls of their choice.
Cinnaholic has a flexible business model, relatively low operating costs, and high-quality products, making it an appealing franchise opportunity for entrepreneurs. It was also featured on Shark Tank 2014 for its one-of-a-kind concept.
As a Cinnaholic franchisee, you can benefit from one week of training in a regional bakery, help in site selection, financial assistance, recruiting assistance, and cooperative advertising.
Their support team will mentor you on an ongoing basis and help you every step of the way to successfully build your business.
2. Copper Branch Franchise
| Founded in | 2013 |
| Franchising Since | 2016 |
| Estimated Outlets | 70 |
| Initial Investment | $375,000-$670,000 |
| Franchise Fees | $40,000 |
| Liquidity | N/A |
| Royalty Fees | 6% |
Copper Branch is another excellent franchise opportunity that offers 100% plant-based meals, including burgers, salads, power bowls, and smoothies.
All their foods are 100% organic, gluten-free, and made from non-GMO ingredients, which makes it a great place to enjoy wholesome and innovative food that customers can feel good about.
With more than 70 franchises in Canada, Copper Branch is striving to make this planet better for future generations and constantly seeking new franchisees all across the United States to join their mission of a clean and sustainable planet.
The franchisor offers comprehensive training, continual marketing, and operational support, along with assistance in business plan preparation, leasing, site selection, interior design, construction, and equipment.
In addition, you’ll have a direct line of communication with their management team members to ensure you have all the resources to successfully run and operate every aspect of your Copper Branch.
3. Maoz Vegetarian Franchise
| Founded in | 1991 |
| Franchising Since | 1991 |
| Estimated Outlets | 14 |
| Initial Investment | $248,000-$572,500 |
| Franchise Fees | $35,000 |
| Liquidity | $100,000 |
| Royalty Fees | 6% |
Maoz Vegetarian is an exclusively vegetarian fast-service restaurant that serves falafel and freshly made vegetarian food without any preservatives.
Found in 1991, the company is growing as a successful restaurant franchisor with a mission to offer an affordable, nutritious, healthy alternative to fast food.
In addition to the restaurant, Maoz Vegetarian is available to cater private events.
Maoz Vegetarian is looking for ambitious and enthusiastic entrepreneurs to join their venture to provide fresh and wholesome foods to more people across the United States and Europe.
The franchisor also offers comprehensive training and assistance in setting up and operating their restaurant.
Their revolutionary model will help you keep the costs low while maintaining high quality, which translates directly into profits.
4. Souley Vegan Franchise
| Founded in | 2009 |
| Franchising Since | 2018 |
| Estimated Outlets | 4 |
| Initial Investment | $162,400-$251,500 |
| Franchise Fees | $35,000 |
| Liquidity | $35,000 |
| Royalty Fees | 7% |
Souley Vegan is another leading vegetarian restaurant chain in the United States that is famous for offering a wide selection of vegan burgers, salads, drinks, and more.
Found by Tamara Dyson, a lifelong vegan, the California-based restaurant combines two different food themes, Southern and Vegan, and prides itself on having a fun and inclusive culture.
As a Souley Vegan franchisor, you’ll have the freedom to open a new startup or convert your existing restaurant into a Soule Vegan.
The franchisor also offers outstanding support in a broad number of areas, including assistance in territory selection, pre-launch training, and ongoing support.
5. Vegan Burg Franchise
| Founded in | 2010 |
| Franchising Since | 2018 |
| Estimated Outlets | 2 |
| Initial Investment | $500,000 |
| Franchise Fees | $40,000 |
| Liquidity | N/A |
| Royalty Fees | 6% |
VeganBurg is a 100% plant-based burger chain that offers nutritious burgers with great taste.
Founded in 2010 by Alexander Tan, the chain brands itself as the World’s first plant-based burger joint that provides customers with sustainable fast food with a sensory experience.
VeganBurg has locations in San Francisco and Singapore and offers opportunities for like-minded individuals to open more stores throughout California.
The franchisees will receive free initial training, pre-opening support, operational support, and all the assistance needed to open a successful VeganBurg location that will flip burgers in no time.
6. Vegan Fine Foods Franchise
| Founded in | 2017 |
| Franchising Since | 2019 |
| Estimated Outlets | 1 |
| Initial Investment | $95,900-$458,500 |
| Franchise Fees | $29,900-$35,000 |
| Liquidity | $150,000 |
| Royalty Fees | 5% |
Vegan Fine Foods is a triple theatre retailer that offers customers a wide range of plant-based organic products at affordable prices.
The company is committed to making plant-based and eco-friendly products accessible to everyone.
Vegan Fine Foods has an innovative and unique business model with plans to expand through e-commerce.
The vegan trend is here to stay, so they are looking for franchise partners to meet that demand and fulfill their agenda to create a better world.
As a Vegan Fine Foods, you’ll get comprehensive training, ongoing support, and assistance to ensure your business runs properly.
Third-party financing and staff training are also available for the franchisees to help with their initial costs.
7. Raw Addiction Franchise
| Founded in | 2014 |
| Franchising Since | 2018 |
| Estimated Outlets | 2 |
| Initial Investment | $159,400 -$266,900 |
| Franchise Fees | $29,000 |
| Liquidity | N/A |
| Royalty Fees | 5% |
Raw Addiction is a sustainable juice bar that offers fresh raw pressed juices, organic acai bowls, wraps and salads, and many other healthy foods made with premium organic, GMO-free ingredients sourced from local farmers.
Founded by two brothers, the goal of the company is to promote natural foods made with natural ingredients to combat nutritional issues like diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure, and obesity.
Raw Addiction entered the franchise market in 2018. In terms of training and support, franchisees are offered initial training programs that explain everything you need to know about running a business, along with a variety of ongoing support options for franchisees, including site selection, marketing support, online support, and third-party financing to cover the startup fees, franchise fees, equipment, inventory, accounts, and payroll.
8. Daily Veg Franchise
| Founded in | 2019 |
| Franchising Since | 2021 |
| Estimated Outlets | 2 |
| Initial Investment | $300,900-$531,000 |
| Franchise Fees | $35,000 |
| Liquidity | $125,000 |
| Royalty Fees | 5% |
Daily Veg is a 100% vegan QSR restaurant that combines the two most thriving vegan niches, smoothies, and acai bowls + Vegan burgers and milkshakes to reach a wide number of customers.
Founded in 2019, they understand the excellent potential the vegan market has and extend an exciting business opportunity for the franchise to share their brand success.
As a Daily Veg franchisee, you can benefit from their profit-generating business model, experience, and business wisdom and establish a successful business.
All-inclusive initial training, operational support, market penetration, and SBA loan financing are offered to the franchisees to help them launch, operate and sustain their daily veg restaurant successfully.
9. Stand-Up Burgers Franchise
| Founded in | 2021 |
| Franchising Since | 2021 |
| Estimated Outlets | 2 |
| Initial Investment | $632,000-$1.1 million |
| Franchise Fees | $30,000 |
| Liquidity | $350,000 |
| Royalty Fees | 5% |
Stand-Up Burgers is a vegan fast-casual restaurant that aims to change the food culture for the better with its cruelty-free, innovative and sustainable menu without compromising the flavor.
It was founded in 2021; the vegan burger chain offers indulgently bold vegan burgers, fries, and shakes that satisfy even the most devoted carnivores.
The burger franchise is looking for entrepreneurs who share our enthusiasm for the plant-based movement and get the World to less meat.
The franchisees can leverage their established business model, comprehensive training program, and ongoing support.
They offer multi-unit deals with flexible site requirements and marketing support to make sure you get a head start.
10. VeganBites Franchise
| Founded in | 2006 |
| Franchising Since | 2006 |
| Estimated Outlets | 1 |
| Initial Investment | $100,000-$500,000 |
| Franchise Fees | $20,000 |
| Liquidity | N/A |
| Royalty Fees | $1000 per month |
Vegan Bites is a high-end boutique bakery that offers gluten-free and allergy-free cakes, pastries, and snacks in a café environment.
Founded in 2006, they handcraft all their products with organic and non-GMO ingredients that are gentle to the earth.
Vegan Bites is looking for franchisees to offer vegan products in America and worldwide. Their low-cost startups and distinct brand identity appeal to investors of all backgrounds.
Vegan Bites offers comprehensive training, marketing support, and an extensive operational manual to ensure things run smoothly and your business expand faster than you can imagine.
Also Read: 10 Best Convenience Store Franchise Opportunities
Comparison of Top 5 Vegan Franchise Opportunities
| Company | Cinnaholic | Copper Branch | Maoz Vegetarian | Souley Vegan | Vegan Burg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2010 | 2013 | 1991 | 2009 | 2010 |
| Outlets | 56 | 70 | 14 | 4 | 2 |
| Franchise Fee | $39,000 | $40,000 | $35,000 | $35,000 | $40,000 |
| Initial Investment | $187,000-$368,500 | $375,000-$670,000 | $248,000-$572,500 | $162,400-$251,500 | From $500,000 |
| Royalty Fee | 5% | 6% | 6% | 7% | 6% |
When should you choose a Vegan Franchise?
Before you blindly invest in a vegan franchise, you must ask yourself the following questions:
Am I passionate about veganism?
Starting a vegan franchise means knowing the in and out of this industry to deliver the best.
And if you are a vegan yourself, if you are passionate about veganism and want to promote this culture, then running a vegan franchise will bring a lot of satisfaction to you.
What is the food preference of people living in my area?
Vegan food is gaining popularity, but there are still a lot of areas where not that many people are into this kind of food.
So before choosing your location to start a vegan franchise, you must see if this kind of food is in demand in your area or not.
Am I willing to follow guidelines?
“I want to be my own boss” is what most people would say if you ask them why they want to open a business.
And although a franchise business does not require you to go through the trouble of building a brand image and customer base from scratch, it comes at a cost.
A franchise business requires you to follow guidelines and standards so that its brand image can be maintained.
So if you are someone who wants complete control over your business, then you might want to start a business from scratch.
How to Choose a Vegan Franchise?
Running a vegan franchise could be the opportunity you have always dreamed of.
However, there is a large number of vegan franchise opportunities in the market, each unique and different from one another so it can be difficult to choose the franchise that is right for you.
Here is what you should consider to make the right choice:
Weigh Your Options
Many vegan franchises have sprouted over the years, and not all of them may be as clean as they sound. Do background research on whichever vegan franchise you are interested in.
See what ingredients they use and where they source ingredients from so that you can invest in a vegan franchise that matches your core values.
Operational Flexibility
The majority of companies require franchisees to follow a set rule of standards and procedures so that they can maintain their brand value and taste.
However, there is still some flexibility that you may be able to enjoy as a business owner, such as the freedom to run your advertising campaigns or the freedom to decide the working hours, etc.
Make sure you get a clear idea of how much flexibility you can enjoy and choose the option you will enjoy the most.
Training & Support
If you have never managed a franchise business, then it might be difficult for you to manage day-to-day tasks initially.
However, a lot of companies offer training and support to franchisees so that they are ready to work in the field from day one.
Make sure you choose a vegan franchise that offers you the required training and support.
In-House Financing
If you do not have enough capital saved up to start your vegan franchise, then you must look for an option that offers in-house financing.
This would allow you to pursue your dream without much stress
Conclusion
After the pandemic, the market value of vegan food has increased incredibly.
According to Fortune Business Insights, the global vegan food market size is projected to grow by $61.35 billion by 2028.
After seeing this scope, a substantial number of vegan franchises are looking to capitalize on this trend and looking for like-minded franchisees ready to embrace and support an environmental agenda for a better world.
All the vegan franchises mentioned above are worth buying and will help you get the ball rolling. However, make there are a lot of things to consider to choose the best one.
Ensure that your budget aligns with the investment requirements of the brand, and pay attention to the support and training offered by the franchisor and franchise fees of each brand to make more informed decisions and choose the one that’s perfect for you.
FAQ
Are Vegan Franchises Profitable?
The vegan food industry generates $13.7 billion every year in the United States, so it is a no-brainer how profitable a vegan franchise can be.
Top vegan franchise brands are making great money, with earnings between $200,000 and $250,000, by selling great vegan products.
America is far ahead of the World in terms of vegan consumption and is expected to be worth $3.1 billion by 2025.
How Much Do Vegan Franchise Owners Make?
Like any new investment, there needs to be a reasonable ROI and profit potential.
How much a vegan franchise owner’s income and profits as it depends on a lot of different factors.
The five major factors that determine the income and profit margin of vegan franchise owner includes location, brand reputation, labor costs, product waste, and employee theft.
How Much Does a Vegan Franchise Cost?
The cost of a vegan franchise may vary depending on the brand you choose, the size of your vegan franchise store, the type of business model, the number of employees, etc.
However, on average vegan franchises cost anywhere between $300,000 – $400,000.
What is Vegan Franchise Profit Margin?
Since vegetarian and vegan dishes go hand-in-hand with local products or with organic products, you might have to pay more money per pound for common ingredients.
In general vegan restaurants aim for a 25% or higher profit margin per dish.
So vegan franchises have a profit margin in the range of 15-25% in general.
Which is the Cheaptest Vegan Franchise?
Vegan Fine Foods Franchise is one of the cheapest vegan franchises, with investments ranging between $95,900-$458,500, followed by the VeganBites Franchise, which has required an initial investment in the range of $100,000-$500,000.
Amit Gupta is an experienced expert in digital marketing and co-founder of DrFranchises. With more than 11 years of knowledge in franchise digital marketing, SEO, email marketing, and social media marketing, Amit has helped many brands achieve incredible success online. As a passionate entrepreneur and owner of 7 franchises, he continues to study franchise models, looking at costs, revenue, and profitability to guide brands toward profitable growth. When he’s not working on digital marketing, Amit enjoys spending time playing with his beloved dog.