Quick Verdict · who it fits
Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas fits first-time franchise buyers looking for an emerging food & beverage concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$5.0M - $16.1M
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$125K
Royalty (Item 6)
5% + 0.5% ad
System size (Item 20)
21 +2
Agreement term
10 yrs
Model Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Data extracted from the 2022 FDD filed with state regulators. Fees and terms may have changed since filing — request the current FDD from the franchisor before deciding. Not legal, financial, or investment advice. Full disclaimer.
Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 5% + ad fund 0.5% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$500,000
$100k$2M
Royalty (5%)
—
Ad fund (0.5%)
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Total / year
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▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration
Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.
38
Total units open
2
Units opened last year
2
Units closed last year
1 ceased operations, 1 non-renewal
0
Net unit growth
What our analysis flagged across the 2022 filing.
4
Risks to review
3
Strengths identified
4
Questions to ask
How Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas ranks against 811 Food & Beverage peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
99th pct · of 811 peers
Franchise fee
99th pct · of 811 peers
System size
49th pct · of 811 peers
Food & Beverage industry averages
Avg investment
$528K - $1.3M
Avg franchise fee
$38K
Avg system size
235
Franchises analyzed
811
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas | Disclosed | $125K | $5.0M - $16.1M | 5% | 21 |
| LarksSimilar price | Disclosed | $40K | $1.9M - $12.4M | 7% | 1 |
| Doctor's AssociatesBiggest system | None | $15K | $227K - $630K | 8% | 18,773 |
| Vintage Hospitality GroupTop-rated in category | Disclosed | $50K | $3.5M - $6.4M | 5.5% | 33 |
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Free explainers to go deeper before you sign.
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Brand Analysis
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. reported 656 company-operated stores in 43 states as of January 30, 2026, and the brand has never sold a franchise. Huddle House and Another Broken Egg cover the same daypart with filed FDDs, at $555,375 to $1,715,275 and $792,500 to $1,804,000.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas requires a $125,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $5,048,133–$16,112,868, per the most recent FDD on file.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas is franchised by Alamo Intermediate II Holdings, LLC (Alamo Drafthouse), the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the franchisor's corporate history, parents, and predecessors.
Yes. Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas discloses Item 19 financial performance representations in its FDD. See the financials sub-page for the disclosed figures.
Franchisees pay a royalty of 5% of Gross Sales and an advertising fund contribution of 0.5% of Gross Sales on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2022 FDD, Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas has 21 total locations, with 2 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
Per the FDD, Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas discloses an initial agreement term of 10 years, a transfer fee of $25,000. Review Items 10 and 17 for the full renewal and termination provisions.
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