The 7 Brew royalty fee is one of the ongoing costs of owning a stand, alongside the startup costs in our 7 Brew franchise guide. It is not one flat percentage. 7 Brew charges a weekly royalty of 4.5%, 5.5% or 7% of a stand’s gross sales, and which rate applies depends on how much that stand sold in the week. On top of the royalty come a brand fund contribution and a technology fee. This guide explains how the tiers work, shows the math on real numbers, and covers the catch most summaries miss.
Quick answer
7 Brew’s royalty is 4.5% of weekly gross sales under $20,000, 5.5% from $20,000 to $25,000, and 7% above $25,000, paid weekly. Add a 2% brand fund and a technology fee of up to 0.25%. Because the average franchised stand sold about $50,900 a week in 2025, a typical stand pays the top rate: roughly 9.25% of sales in total ongoing fees.
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Table of Contents
7 Brew Royalty Fee Tiers
These are the royalty tiers in 7 Brew’s Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). The same three tiers appear in the 2023 FDD and in reports on the 2025 and 2026 editions.
| Weekly gross sales | Royalty rate | Royalty on that week |
|---|---|---|
| Under $20,000 | 4.5% | e.g. $18,000 week = $810 |
| $20,000 to $25,000 | 5.5% | e.g. $22,000 week = $1,210 |
| Over $25,000 | 7% | e.g. $30,000 week = $2,100 |
The 7 Brew royalty fee is paid every week, not monthly. In the 2023 FDD the payment is due by the Friday after each calendar week (Monday to Sunday) ends, together with the brand fund and technology fee.
How the 7 Brew Royalty Fee Tiers Work: One Rate for the Whole Week
This is the part most summaries get wrong. The tiers are not like income tax brackets, where a higher rate applies only to the money above each line. In the FDD wording, the rate is set by the stand’s total gross sales for the week, and that single rate applies to all of the week’s sales.
That creates small jumps at each threshold. A stand that sells $19,900 in a week pays 4.5%, or $895.50. If it sells $20,100, the whole week moves to 5.5%, or $1,105.50: about $210 more in royalty for $200 more in sales. The same thing happens at $25,000: $24,900 at 5.5% is $1,369.50, while $25,100 at 7% is $1,757.
For most stands this part of the 7 Brew royalty fee matters less than it sounds, because busy 7 Brew stands sit far above $25,000 a week and pay 7% every week. The jumps mostly affect new or slower stands that hover near the thresholds.
All Ongoing Fees: Royalty, Brand Fund and Technology Fee
| Fee | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Royalty | 4.5% / 5.5% / 7% of weekly gross sales | Tier set by the week’s sales |
| Brand fund | 2% of weekly gross sales | Was 1% in the 2023 FDD (2% maximum); 2% in the 2025 FDD |
| Technology fee | Up to 0.25% of weekly gross sales | Not charged in 2023; listed at 0.25% in the 2025 FDD |
| Total at the top tier | About 9.25% of sales | 7% + 2% + 0.25% |
The 2023 FDD also lists occasional fees, such as $10,000 to transfer a franchise, a $10,000 successor (renewal) fee, supplemental training at up to $1,500 per trainer per day, a $5,000 relocation fee, and a $100 administrative fee for late or returned payments. These figures can change with each new FDD.
How Much Is the 7 Brew Royalty Fee Per Year?
Using the 2026 FDD figure reported by QSR Magazine, franchised 7 Brew stands open for all of 2025 averaged about $2.65 million in gross sales. That is roughly $50,900 a week, well inside the 7% tier. Here is what that average stand would pay in a year (our own calculation):
| Fee | Rate | Yearly amount on $2,646,063 |
|---|---|---|
| Royalty | 7% | About $185,200 |
| Brand fund | 2% | About $52,900 |
| Technology fee | 0.25% | About $6,600 |
| Total ongoing fees | 9.25% | About $244,800 |
These fees come out of sales before rent, staff, supplies and loan payments. To see what is left for an owner after all of that, read our guide on how much a 7 Brew franchise owner makes.
What Counts as Gross Sales?
The 7 Brew royalty fee is a share of gross sales, not profit. In the 2023 FDD, gross sales means essentially all revenue the stand takes in, including products, merchandise and business interruption insurance payouts. Sales tax is excluded. Employee and promotional discounts reduce gross sales only up to a small limit (2% of the week’s sales). So a stand pays royalty even in a week when it loses money.
Is the 7 Brew Royalty Fee High?
At the top tier, a 7% royalty fee plus a 2% brand fund is on the higher side for coffee franchises, and a typical 7 Brew stand pays that top rate. The trade-off is volume: 7 Brew stands report much higher average sales than most drive-thru coffee brands, so the bigger percentage comes off a bigger number. Our drive-thru coffee franchise comparison puts 7 Brew’s fees next to Scooter’s, Biggby, The Human Bean and others.
FAQs: 7 Brew Royalty Fee
What is the 7 Brew royalty fee?
A weekly royalty of 4.5% of gross sales under $20,000, 5.5% from $20,000 to $25,000, and 7% above $25,000, plus a 2% brand fund and a technology fee of up to 0.25%.
Is the 7 Brew royalty paid weekly or monthly?
Weekly. The 2023 FDD says royalties, brand fund and technology fees are due by the Friday after each Monday-to-Sunday week.
Does the higher rate apply only to sales above $25,000?
No. Under the FDD wording, the week’s total sales decide the rate, and that rate applies to all of the week’s gross sales.
How much does 7 Brew charge in total ongoing fees?
At the top tier, about 9.25% of gross sales: 7% royalty, 2% brand fund and 0.25% technology fee. For an average 2025 stand that is roughly $245,000 a year.
Is the 7 Brew franchise fee the same as the royalty?
No. The franchise fee is a one-time payment ($35,000 for the first store in the 2025 FDD). The royalty is an ongoing weekly charge. See our 7 Brew franchise cost guide for the one-time costs.
More 7 Brew Franchise Guides
- 7 Brew Franchise: Complete Overview
- 7 Brew Coffee Franchise Cost
- 7 Brew Franchise Application: Requirements and Steps
- How Much Does a 7 Brew Franchise Owner Make?
- Best Drive-Thru Coffee Franchises Compared
Sources
- 7 Brew Franchise Disclosure Document, issued 27 March 2023, Item 6 (royalty wording, payment timing, other fees, gross sales definition) — FDD copy (Franchise Index)
- 7 Brew 2025 FDD fees (brand fund 2%, technology fee 0.25%), as summarised by FranDB
- QSR Magazine, 15 May 2026 (2026 FDD average sales) — qsrmagazine.com
Checked 6 October 2026. Royalty wording and occasional fees come from the 2023 FDD; the 2025 and 2026 tiers, brand fund and technology fee are as reported by the sources above. Dollar figures are our own calculations and are illustrations only. Fees can change with each annual FDD, so always check Item 6 of the FDD 7 Brew gives you. This is general information, not financial advice. This website is an independent guide and is not connected with 7 Brew Coffee.
