Captain D's franchise research

Investment by format

Format-specific estimates only. Do not combine one format's minimum with another format's maximum.

Investment sourceFDD p.15 ↗

Franchise fees and ongoing costs

Franchise fee

$17,500 to $35,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review.

Royalty

4.5% · 4.50% of gross sales, paid weekly (3rd business day after each Sunday, based on prior week's sales); reduced to 2.25% for first 12 months for restaurants opened within 60 days of scheduled opening, or 2.50% for first year under Veterans Program

Marketing contribution

1% (basis not captured; see original filing)

Technology fee

Up to $236/month for required POS and computer-based training system maintenance/support, plus equipment repair and shipping costs

Other fees

Advertising Marketing Contribution 1.00-1.50% of gross sales (depending on location); reimbursement of opening-team travel/lodging costs exceeding $8,000; product/supplier approval fee up to $1,000

Working capital (FDD Item 7)

$40,000 to $90,000 - estimate of initial start-up expenses (including staff payroll costs) during the first three months after opening; does not include owner's salary or draw.

Fees sourceFDD p.13 ↗

Working capital is drawn from Item 7. The Investment source below locates the investment section, not an independently verified working-capital scalar.

Investment sourceFDD p.15 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

Financial performance: Item 19

Item 19 captured

Yes

Metric / basis

Average and median gross sales (system-wide, and separately for franchised and company-owned restaurants), plus a company-owned restaurant expense breakdown by top/middle/bottom sales third including a Proforma Restaurant Contribution Before Occupancy (EBITDAR) margin

Reporting period

Fiscal year ended December 28, 2025

Sample

491 "Comparable Restaurants" open continuously the full fiscal year (210 of 229 franchised restaurants; 281 of 289 company-owned restaurants)

Reported average

$1,041,323

Reported median

$1,004,715

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Results depend on the disclosed metric, sample and period; consult the full filing.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.42 ↗

Unit growth: Item 20

Reporting year

2025

Scope

franchised outlets

Starting outlets

237

Year-end outlets

229

Net change

-8

Derivation

ending minus starting outlets

Openings

5

Terminations

0

Non-renewals

0

Other closures

13

Reacquisitions

0

Transfers

0

Transfers are not closures. Net change is ending minus starting outlets for the stated scope and year, or complete openings less terminations, non-renewals, other closures and reacquisitions. Missing inputs stay unknown.

Unit growth sourceFDD p.46 ↗

SBA loan history

Loan activity

9 approvals

Activity window

FY2021-FY2026 YTD; snapshot 2026-06-30

Median SBA loan

$784,000

Median loan window

FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30

Median loan sample

6 loans

Historical charge-off share

14.29%

Cohort

7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals

Numerator / denominator

2 / 14

Formula

CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100

This is a historical loan-level share, not a franchise failure probability or location survival rate. Loan size is not total investment. Other loan statuses are excluded from the seasoned denominator. Activity combines 7(a) and 504 approvals, excluding canceled and not-funded records; this is not a rolling five-year count. FY2024-25 franchise tags are sparse after directory suspension; fewer tagged loans do not establish brand decline. Recent charge-off cohorts are immature.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median loan amounts are financing context, not startup cost. The median window is separate from the seasoned charge-off cohort.

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Questions before you invest

How much does Captain D's franchise cost?

44-seat Prototype: $1,453,000 to $1,862,100; 32-seat Prototype: $1,325,000 to $1,638,800; Express Prototype: $752,000 to $1,185,500; Inline/Endcap Prototype (with drive-through): $662,000 to $1,040,500 These are format-specific estimates, not a guaranteed cash requirement. Franchise fee: $17,500 to $35,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review..

Investment sourceFDD p.15 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

How much do Captain D's owners make?

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Item 19 metric: Average and median gross sales (system-wide, and separately for franchised and company-owned restaurants), plus a company-owned restaurant expense breakdown by top/middle/bottom sales third including a Proforma Restaurant Contribution Before Occupancy (EBITDAR) margin. Sample: 491 "Comparable Restaurants" open continuously the full fiscal year (210 of 229 franchised restaurants; 281 of 289 company-owned restaurants). Period: Fiscal year ended December 28, 2025.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.42 ↗

What's the SBA charge-off rate for Captain D's?

14.29%; numerator / denominator: 2 / 14. Historical 7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals; CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100, snapshot 2026-06-30. This is not a franchise failure probability. Median SBA loan: $784,000; window: FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30; sample: 6 loans. Median financing is not total investment.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗