Franchise opportunities compared

    Cml Storefront vs Cousins Maine Lobster

    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.

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Cml Storefront

    $266,600 – $965,800

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Cousins Maine Lobster

    $193,500 – $651,200

    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Cml Storefront

    $40,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11

    Cousins Maine Lobster

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    Cml Storefront

    6%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12

    Cousins Maine Lobster

    8%

    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13

    Before you compare

    • Cml Storefront figures come from its 2026 FDD and Cousins Maine Lobster figures from its 2025 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Cml Storefront and Cousins Maine Lobster disclose more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Cml Storefront: 1, Cousins Maine Lobster: 10). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Cml Storefront

    $266,600 – $965,800
    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Cousins Maine Lobster

    $193,500 – $651,200
    2025 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Cml Storefront

    $40,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11

    Cousins Maine Lobster

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

    Cml Storefront

    6%
    Royalty rate
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12

    Cousins Maine Lobster

    8%
    Royalty rate
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Cml Storefront

    2%
    Advertising fund maximum — 2%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12

    Cousins Maine Lobster

    2%
    Advertising Fund Contribution cap — 2%
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Cml Storefront

    2
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 49

    Cousins Maine Lobster

    146
    Outlets at end of 2024
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 49
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Cml Storefront

    −3
    Calculated: 5 at end of 2023 → 2 at end of 2025

    Cousins Maine Lobster

    +58
    Calculated: 88 at end of 2022 → 146 at end of 2024
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Cml Storefront

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Cousins Maine Lobster

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

    Cml Storefront

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Cousins Maine Lobster

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

    Cml Storefront

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Cousins Maine Lobster

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Cml Storefront
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record
    $1,299,825
    other 2025 franchisee Storefronts Median annual gross sales
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 47
    Cousins Maine Lobster
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised Food Trucks open and operating for the full 12-month period in 2024,…
    $132,973
    other Monthly Sales
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 47
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — affiliate-owned units
    50 percent
    other Percentage at or Above Average
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 48
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Cousins Maine Lobster Food Trucks owned by franchisees that operated for a full…
    $102,689
    other Table 1 Food Truck #1
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 46
    +7 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.

    Cml Storefront vs Cousins Maine Lobster: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Cml Storefront or Cousins Maine Lobster?
    Cml Storefront: $266,600 – $965,800 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Cousins Maine Lobster: $193,500 – $651,200 (2025 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Cousins Maine Lobster. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Cml Storefront and Cousins Maine Lobster royalties compare?
    Cml Storefront: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12); Cousins Maine Lobster: 8% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 13). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Which has more locations, Cml Storefront or Cousins Maine Lobster?
    Cml Storefront: 2 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 49); Cousins Maine Lobster: 146 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 49). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Cml Storefront and Cousins Maine Lobster disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Cml Storefront has reviewed Item 19 figures for 1 location group; Cousins Maine Lobster has reviewed Item 19 figures for 10 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

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