Quick Verdict · who it fits
Plato's Closet fits owner-operators looking for a mature retail concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$327K - $449K
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$15K
System size (Item 20)
515 +9
Years in business
38+ yrs
Model Plato's Closet's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Data extracted from the 2025 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.
How Plato's Closet ranks against 118 Retail peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
79th pct · of 118 peers
Franchise fee
10th pct · of 118 peers
System size
90th pct · of 118 peers
Retail industry averages
Avg investment
$247K - $707K
Avg franchise fee
$37K
Avg system size
238
Franchises analyzed
118
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plato's Closet | None | $15K | $327K - $449K | — | 515 |
| Winmark Corporation (style Encore)Similar price | None | $15K | $323K - $449K | — | 69 |
| 7-ElevenBiggest system | Disclosed | — | $163K - $1.7M | 45–56% | 7,229 |
| Byrider Franchising PartnersTop-rated in category | Disclosed | $60K | $947K - $1.6M | 1–2.5% | 81 |
Not sure Plato's Closet is the one?
Answer five questions and get matched against 2,000+ analyzed FDDs — including every Retail brand we cover. Free, no account needed.
Free explainers to go deeper before you sign.
Brand Analysis
The '$0 franchise fee' is the bottom of a range, not the fee. 7-Eleven's 2026 FDD prices the Franchise Fee at $0 to $1,100,000 per store, and the ongoing 7-Eleven Charge is not just a royalty: Item 6 says it is also your lease of the store and equipment. Here is the full cost stack, line by line.
Brand Analysis
Ace Hardware Corporation is a retailer-owned cooperative, not a conventional franchisor. It counted 5,250 cooperative locations in the United States at the end of 2025, members buy stock rather than paying a royalty, and some states still deem those member-owned stores franchises.
Investment Guide
Laundromats are the most-Googled passive-income business, and 2026 is a strong moment for the category. Here's an honest breakdown of what laundromat franchises actually cost, how profitable they are, and which brands deserve a serious look.
Plato's Closet requires a $15,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $327,200–$449,000, per the most recent FDD on file.
Plato's Closet is franchised by Winmark Corporation (Plato's Closet), the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the franchisor's corporate history, parents, and predecessors.
No. Plato's Closet does not include a financial performance representation in its FDD. Prospective buyers should rely on validation calls with existing franchisees and benchmark against industry medians.
Franchisees pay an advertising fund contribution of 5% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2025 FDD, Plato's Closet has 515 total locations, with 9 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
This page is part of VetMyFranchise. View all pages: llms.txt · llms-full.txt