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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Chester Fried vs Padgett Business Services

    Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.

    Chester Fried2025 FDDPadgett Business Services2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Chester Fried

    $27,500 – $301,500

    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Padgett Business Services

    $8,700 – $117,295

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Chester Fried

    Not available

    Padgett Business Services

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    Chester Fried

    Not available

    Padgett Business Services

    9%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 9

    Before you compare

    • Chester Fried figures come from its 2025 FDD and Padgett Business Services figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Chester Fried and Padgett Business Services disclose more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Only Padgett Business Services has reviewed Item 19 figures here.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Chester Fried

    $27,500 – $301,500
    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Padgett Business Services

    $8,700 – $117,295
    2026 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Chester Fried

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Padgett Business Services

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Chester Fried

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record

    Padgett Business Services

    9%
    Royalty — conversion: 9%; timely payments 5% first year, 6.5% second year; minimum after 24 months
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 9
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Chester Fried

    $10,000
    De-Branding Fee
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16

    Padgett Business Services

    2%
    Advertising fund — up to 2%; fund not yet established — 2%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 10

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Chester Fried

    994
    Outlets at end of 2024
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 39

    Padgett Business Services

    164
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 36
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Chester Fried

    −87
    Calculated: 1,081 at end of 2022 → 994 at end of 2024

    Padgett Business Services

    −9
    Calculated: 173 at end of 2022 → 164 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Chester Fried

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Padgett Business Services

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    Chester Fried

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Padgett Business Services

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Chester Fried

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Padgett Business Services

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Chester Fried

    Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation

    Padgett Business Services
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Revenue $500,000+
    $12,773,686
    other Cumulative adjusted profit
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 33
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchisees with annual revenue $100,000–$299,999
    $17,080
    other Royalties
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 35
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchisees with annual revenue Below $100,000
    $45,258
    other Tax Preparation
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 35
    +23 more groups in the full report

    Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.

    Chester Fried vs Padgett Business Services: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Chester Fried or Padgett Business Services?
    Chester Fried: $27,500 – $301,500 (2025 FDD · Item 7); Padgett Business Services: $8,700 – $117,295 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Padgett Business Services. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    Which has more locations, Chester Fried or Padgett Business Services?
    Chester Fried: 994 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 39); Padgett Business Services: 164 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 36). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Chester Fried and Padgett Business Services disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Chester Fried makes no Item 19 financial performance representation; Padgett Business Services has reviewed Item 19 figures for 26 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

    Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

    Keep researching

    Full Chester Fried report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Full Padgett Business Services report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

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    Plain-language meaning of each Item