Crisp & Green Franchise

Crisp & Green began with its affiliated Wayzata, Minnesota restaurant in November 2016. The current franchisor, Crisp & Green Franchising LLC, was organized in February 2018 and began franchising that April. Founder Steele Smiley’s concept connects convenient meals with community activities, using a menu and restaurant experience built around the brand’s wellness positioning.

A typical restaurant occupies approximately 1,500 to 2,500 square feet of leased space. The site selection process considers the surrounding market and the proposed premises; an endcap location with parking and potential patio space is among the formats described in the franchise materials. Franchisees identify a location for approval and arrange the lease, construction and local requirements. The franchisor supplies design specifications and sample plans for adaptation to the approved site.

The estimated initial investment is $642,841 to $1,398,538. The initial franchise fee for an individual restaurant is $50,000. The lower end of the investment estimate uses the $39,900 per-restaurant development fee available under the separate area development program, which requires at least five restaurants. The estimate includes equipment, leasehold improvements, opening inventory, training expenses, initial payroll and three months of additional funds. It assumes leased premises rather than land purchase or construction of a new freestanding building.

Crisp U provides three weeks of combined classroom instruction and restaurant training during the 90 days before opening. The general manager, an approved operator when applicable, and at least two additional approved management employees attend. The franchisee or approved ownership representative also participates in the first week. The curriculum lists 10 classroom hours and 110 hours of on-the-job work covering marketing, technology and reporting, front-of-house service, back-of-house operations and restaurant management.

The first four approved participants are included without a training tuition fee; the franchisee covers compensation, travel, meals and lodging. The franchisor also provides opening assistance, subject to staff availability: 12 days around the opening of each of an operator’s first three restaurants and 10 days for the fourth and subsequent restaurants. Additional or replacement-manager training can involve further charges.

Ongoing resources include the operations manual, supplier specifications, guidance on operating questions and system updates. Franchisees use approved marketing materials and participate in required marketing programs, while managing their local team and community relationships. The owner remains responsible for hiring, compensation, employee training and day-to-day execution. A full-time general manager must oversee the restaurant, and an entity franchisee designates an operating partner who participates in training and business oversight.

Crisp & Green offers a defined restaurant identity: scratch-made meals, a focused fast-casual service model and community fitness activities. For an operator who enjoys hospitality and local relationship building, those elements create several practical ways to engage guests—through a meal in the restaurant, an off-premises order, catering or a neighborhood wellness event. The menu spans salads and grain bowls as well as wraps, sandwiches and smoothies, giving the team a range of approved products within one operating system.

The training structure is another distinguishing feature. Crisp U prepares multiple management employees, while opening support moves the preparation into the franchisee’s own restaurant. Operators receive a common framework for kitchen work, service, reporting and marketing, which can help organize the many responsibilities involved in launching a location. Experienced restaurant groups can also consider the separate area development program when planning a multi-location operation.

This franchise is a fit for owners who want to build and lead a restaurant team around consistent food preparation and guest service. It combines a local, community-facing business with established recipes, operating procedures and brand standards, while leaving the franchisee responsible for the people and execution that shape each restaurant’s daily experience.

Explore the operating model in our Crisp & Green menu and ownership guide.