Franchise Facts Report → methodology

Methodology & sources

Every figure on this site comes from a franchisor’s own Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), filed with a state franchise registry and structured by us. Nothing is estimated or editorialized.

Where the data comes from

Franchisors that sell in registration states must file their FDD with the state securities regulator, and those filings are public records. We ingest franchise registrations from the Minnesota Dept. of Commerce CARDS, Wisconsin Dept. of Financial Institutions, and California Dept. of Financial Protection and Innovation registries (more states over time), download each brand’s most recent FDD, and extract the structured fields below. Where a brand is registered in more than one state we keep a single most-recent filing.

What we extract

Item 7 — total initial investment. The low–high range to open and operate through the initial period.
Items 5 & 6 — fees. Initial franchise fee, royalty, and ad/brand-fund contributions.
Item 19 — financial performance representation. Whether the franchisor discloses earnings, and the reported figures. Disclosure is optional under the FTC Franchise Rule — across the brands we’ve parsed, about 52% include one.
Item 3 — litigation. Disclosed legal proceedings, with franchisee-initiated actions flagged.
Item 20 — outlets. Openings, closures, transfers, and terminations — the franchisee-churn signal.

Limits

Figures are as disclosed in the most recent registered FDD; a franchisor may have filed a newer FDD elsewhere.
Where a field couldn’t be parsed cleanly from the PDF, we show “see the FDD” rather than assert a number.
This is an informational product — not legal, financial, or investment advice, and not affiliated with any franchisor. Always read the full FDD and consult a franchise attorney and accountant.

Coverage: 2,187 brands · last updated 2026-06-28.

This report compiles and structures publicly filed Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) data from state franchise registrations. It is not legal, financial, or investment advice, is not affiliated with or endorsed by any franchisor, and does not replace reading the full FDD or consulting a franchise attorney or accountant. All figures are as disclosed by the franchisor in its most recent registered FDD. Item 19 financial performance representations are made at the franchisor’s option and may be absent or limited.