Franchise Facts Report → brands → Papa Murphy's
Papa Murphy's franchise — is it worth it?
High risk Shrinking network Item 19 disclosed
Papa Murphy's is a quick-service restaurant brand specializing in take 'n' bake pizza, with an initial investment ranging from $450,330 to $693,450.
Everything below is free, read straight off Papa Murphy's's registered filing, with where the numbers land against quick-service restaurant peers. Weighing Papa Murphy's against other options? Get a free shortlist of franchises that fit your budget.
Figures above are as disclosed in Papa Murphy's's most recent FDD (registered 2026). Source: Wisconsin Dept. of Financial Institutions — Franchise Registration · filing 640464 — check it yourself. See every other Wisconsin-registered franchise.
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How much does a Papa Murphy's franchise make?
Papa Murphy's is one of the franchisors that answers this on the record: its most recent FDD makes an Item 19 financial performance representation — actual unit earnings figures, disclosed by the franchisor itself. The headline figure is $687,539 in average unit revenue — read it alongside what Item 19 says about which units it covers (often only mature or top-performing locations). See every quick-service restaurant brand that discloses earnings in the Fast food & quick-service restaurant franchises with disclosed Item 19 earnings ranking.
Papa Murphy's franchise profit vs. revenue
Revenue is not profit. An Item 19 almost always reports sales — what a location takes in — not what an owner keeps. Out of that number come Papa Murphy's's 5% royalty, the ad fund, rent, payroll, supplies and debt service. No FDD tells you a Papa Murphy's franchise's profit, because profit depends on your site, your rent and how you run it — so treat any "Papa Murphy's franchise profit" figure quoted elsewhere as someone's estimate, not a disclosure. On $687,539 of revenue, a 5% royalty alone is about $34,377 a year before any other cost.
Papa Murphy's lawsuits & legal history (FDD Item 3)
Papa Murphy's's most recently filed Franchise Disclosure Document (2026) does disclose 8 legal proceedings in Item 3 . Item 3 is the item where a franchisor must put its material legal history on the record. Two things it is not: it covers the franchisor and its predecessors, parents and affiliates, so a disclosed case is not necessarily a suit against Papa Murphy's itself; and a disclosure is a fact, not a finding of wrongdoing — most entries are contract disputes with former franchisees, which every large system accumulates. 3 of those proceedings were brought by franchisees against the franchisor — the split that actually matters, because franchisees suing their franchisor is the signal a buyer is looking for. Item 3 of the source FDD describes each case.
Papa Murphy's closures & failure rate
Before you sign, Papa Murphy's will hand you a list of current owners to call as references — and they choose who's on that list. It won't include the owners who quit, got bought out, or were forced out last year. The FDD does report that number, even though the reference list leaves those people off. Below is what Papa Murphy's's most recent filing shows, and whether it's normal for a quick-service restaurant of this kind.
The closest thing an FDD has to a failure rate is Item 20 — outlet openings, closures, terminations and non-renewals, reported by the franchisor. Papa Murphy's's latest tables show a shrinking franchised network — more units left than opened. Net franchised outlets moved -36 to 965 in the latest reported year.
Who owns Papa Murphy's?
Papa Murphy's's franchise is offered by Papa Murphy's International LLC — the franchisor named on the cover of its most recently filed Franchise Disclosure Document (2026), and the entity a franchisee actually signs with. That name comes straight off the filing at WI DFI; it identifies the franchisor, not necessarily the ultimate parent company behind it.
Quick-service restaurant franchises at a similar investment level
Anyone weighing Papa Murphy's is really weighing it against the other brands their money could go into. These are the closest by total initial investment (FDD Item 7), each with its own FDD-based page.
Papa Murphy's franchise — frequently asked
Who owns Papa Murphy's — who is the franchisor?
Papa Murphy's's most recently filed FDD (2026) names Papa Murphy's International LLC as the franchisor — the entity you would actually sign the franchise agreement with, as stated on the disclosure document itself. A registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent company.
How much does a Papa Murphy's franchise cost?
Papa Murphy's's most recently filed FDD (Item 7) puts the total estimated initial investment at $450,330 – $693,450, with an initial franchise fee of $25,000 and a 5% royalty. That price is the franchisor's own estimate of what it takes to open, not a quote. Against quick-service restaurant peers it sits in the upper quartile (median $604,609).
How much profit does a Papa Murphy's franchise make?
Papa Murphy's discloses unit earnings in Item 19, but that figure is revenue — sales — not profit. Royalties (5% of gross for Papa Murphy's), the ad fund, rent, payroll and supplies all come out of it, and no FDD discloses what an owner nets. Any Papa Murphy's franchise profit number quoted elsewhere is an estimate. The headline figure Papa Murphy's discloses is $687,539 in average unit revenue.
Does Papa Murphy's disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
Yes — Papa Murphy's reports unit-level earnings in Item 19. The headline figure is $687,539 in average unit revenue, as the franchisor states it.
Are there lawsuits against Papa Murphy's?
Papa Murphy's's most recently filed FDD (2026) discloses 8 legal proceedings in Item 3. Item 3 covers the franchisor, its predecessors, parents and affiliates — so a disclosed case is not necessarily a suit against Papa Murphy's itself, and a disclosure is not a finding of wrongdoing. 3 of the disclosed proceedings were brought by franchisees against the franchisor.
Is Papa Murphy's a good franchise to buy?
Nobody can answer that from Papa Murphy's's numbers alone — it comes down to how its investment, earnings, litigation and franchisee churn stack up against quick-service restaurant peers and against your own budget. Our read on this filing is high risk. Every figure behind that read is on this page for free. If you're comparing options, the free shortlist on this page matches you with 5–10 franchises that fit your budget and industry.
Get a free email when something changes on Papa Murphy's or quick-service restaurant: a new FDD registration, a new lawsuit, an outlet count that shifts, or Item 19 earnings going from undisclosed to disclosed. Pulled straight from the same state registries this page is built on.