How to read the numbers

Figures on Franopolis come from a franchisor's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). Each report shows the FDD year (vintage) the figure was taken from, because numbers change from one year's document to the next.

Citations point to the page in the PDF and, where available, the page number printed on the document itself, so you can check the original wording.

AI helps us find and extract figures, but figures are checked against the document's own text before they appear. Wording the check couldn't confirm is labeled in "Reader notes on wording" — the FDD's own language always controls.

The one-time fee paid for the right to open. Item 5 often lists discounts (veterans, existing franchisees, additional units) and whether any part is refundable.

Royalties, advertising or brand fund contributions, technology fees and other recurring or event-based charges. A royalty may be a percentage of gross sales, a flat amount, or a minimum, so read the basis, not just the number.

We highlight the standard royalty and fee; the full Item 6 table is one click away on each report.

The franchisor's estimated low-to-high range for opening and operating through an initial period, usually including the franchise fee and "additional funds" (working capital). It is an estimate in the document, not a quote — your own costs may fall outside it.

Item 19 is optional. When a franchisor includes it, it describes results for a specific group of outlets over a specific period. Always check who is covered: sample size, ownership type, years open, and which outlets were excluded.

We never combine different Item 19 groups, and we show the coverage alongside each figure. Item 19 figures describe past results of those outlets; they are not a projection for any new location.

If a brand's FDD has no Item 19, the report says so rather than leaving a blank.

Item 20 tables show outlet counts at the start and end of each of the last three years, plus openings, transfers, terminations, non-renewals, reacquisitions and closures. We quote the geography the table covers (often U.S. only).

Openings and closures appear only when they reconcile with the reported unit totals.

Tools like the Investment Planner and Capital Fit do arithmetic on figures you enter or on sourced ranges. Those results are labeled as calculations — they aren't disclosures, estimates of returns, or recommendations.