Quick Verdict · who it fits
Pickleman's Gourmet Cafe 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)
$646K - $1.1M
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$35K
Royalty (Item 6)
6% + 3% ad
Item 19 median rev
$1.35M population not disclosed in this filing
System size (Item 20)
35 +3
Agreement term
10 yrs
Years in business
19+ yrs
Company-owned units
1
Model Pickleman's Gourmet Cafe's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Buyer qualifications
✓Exclusive territory✓Semi-absentee eligible✓No bankruptcy disclosed
Data extracted from the 2026 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.
Where units actually land — not just the headline average.
P25
$971k
Median
$1.35M
P75
$2.22M
▪ n = 31 units · calendar year 2024 · Source: 2026 FDD Item 19
Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 6% + ad fund 3% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$1,350,000
$100k$2.5M
Royalty (6%)
—
Ad fund (3%)
—
Total / year
—
▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration
Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.
35
Total units open
3
Units opened last year
0
Units closed last year
3
Net unit growth
What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.
5
Risks to review
4
Strengths identified
5
Questions to ask
How Pickleman's Gourmet Cafe ranks against 749 Food & Beverage peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
77th pct · of 749 peers
Franchise fee
36th pct · of 749 peers
System size
55th pct · of 749 peers
Food & Beverage industry averages
Avg investment
$589K - $1.4M
Avg franchise fee
$37K
Avg system size
261
Franchises analyzed
749
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pickleman's Gourmet Cafe | Disclosed | $35K | $646K - $1.1M | 6% | 35 |
| Sonny's Franchise Company (sonnys Bbq)Similar price | Disclosed | $35K | $718K - $1.1M | 4.5% | 90 |
| 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.
Brand Analysis
Chipotle reported 4,186 company-operated restaurants and 15 international licensed restaurants as of June 30, 2026. None are franchised, there is no FDD, and there is nothing to apply for. Qdoba is the franchised version of the same order line, and its 12/25 FDD puts a traditional restaurant at $548,100 to $1,294,000.
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.
Brand Analysis
The Häagen-Dazs Shoppe Company franchises the ice cream shops on a $30,000 fee and a 4% royalty, with a 2026 Item 7 range of $213,329 to $591,579. The trademark belongs to a different company, and the ice cream you are required to buy comes from a third.
Pickleman's Gourmet Cafe requires a $35,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $646,000–$1,112,750, per the most recent FDD on file.
Pickleman's Gourmet Cafe is franchised by Pickleman's Franchising, LLC, 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. Pickleman's Gourmet Cafe discloses Item 19 financial performance representations with reported revenue around $1,349,983. See the financials sub-page for the full distribution.
Franchisees pay a royalty of 6% of Gross Sales and an advertising fund contribution of 3% of Gross Sales on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2026 FDD, Pickleman's Gourmet Cafe has 35 total locations, with 3 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
Yes. Pickleman's Gourmet Cafe grants franchisees an exclusive territory under Item 12 of the FDD. Note that exclusive territories often carve out online sales, alternative distribution channels, and non-traditional venues — review the full Item 12 language before signing.
Per the FDD, Pickleman's Gourmet Cafe discloses an initial agreement term of 10 years. Review Items 10 and 17 for the full renewal and termination provisions.
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