Tide Cleaners franchise research

Investment by format

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

Investment sourceFDD p.21 ↗

Franchise fees and ongoing costs

Franchise fee

$20,000 to $50,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review.

Royalty

6.5% · 6.5% of the Outlet's weekly Net Sales, due weekly (Thursday) on prior week's Net Sales

Marketing contribution

3.5% (basis not captured; see original filing)

Technology fee

Technology Support Fee currently $0/month (may increase up to 2% of Net Sales)

Other fees

GrE License Fee $2,000/dry cleaning machine (annual, due June 30); Computer Systems Maintenance/Support/Licensing $0-$1,000/month depending on store format; Franchisee Convention Fee up to $500/attendee

Working capital (FDD Item 7)

Estimated funds for first 3 months of operation (payroll excluding owner draw, and utilities): $75,000-$95,000 (Plant Store), $75,000-$95,000 (Central Plant Store), $22,500-$63,000 (Drop Store), $9,500-$21,000 (Virtual Store); actual expenses may exceed these estimates.

Fees sourceFDD p.15 ↗

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.21 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

Financial performance: Item 19

Item 19 captured

Yes

Metric / basis

Average, median, and range of Annual Gross and Net Sales, plus Net Controllable Income (% of Net Sales and $ after royalty) for controllable expenses, broken out by store format (Plant Stores, Drop Stores, Conversion Stores)

Reporting period

July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025 (Covered Period); historical tables also cover FY2019-FY2025

Sample

140 franchised Outlets (49 Plant Stores, 91 Drop Stores) for the sales table; 12 Plant Stores Not Servicing Outlets open >1 year for the expense/NCI table; 32 Drop Stores open >1 year (27 open >3 years) for the expense/NCI table; 56 Conversion Stores (5 Plant, 51 Drop) for a separate sales table

Reported average

$1,225,693

Reported median

$1,300,961

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.66 ↗

Unit growth: Item 20

Reporting year

2025 (fiscal year ended June 30, 2025)

Scope

franchised outlets

Starting outlets

246

Year-end outlets

256

Net change

+10

Derivation

ending minus starting outlets

Openings

13

Terminations

1

Non-renewals

0

Other closures

2

Reacquisitions

0

Transfers

2

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.74 ↗

SBA loan history

Loan activity

8 approvals

Activity window

FY2021-FY2026 YTD; snapshot 2026-06-30

Median SBA loan

$547,000

Median loan window

FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30

Median loan sample

5 loans

Historical charge-off share

Suppressed: fewer than 10 seasoned loans

Cohort

7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals

Numerator / denominator

0 / 5

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 Tide Cleaners franchise cost?

Plant Store: $709,700 to $1,510,800; Central Plant Store: $697,500 to $2,517,300; Drop Store: $119,200 to $592,800; Virtual Store: $40,320 to $124,050 These are format-specific estimates, not a guaranteed cash requirement. Franchise fee: $20,000 to $50,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review..

Investment sourceFDD p.21 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

How much do Tide Cleaners owners make?

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Item 19 metric: Average, median, and range of Annual Gross and Net Sales, plus Net Controllable Income (% of Net Sales and $ after royalty) for controllable expenses, broken out by store format (Plant Stores, Drop Stores, Conversion Stores). Sample: 140 franchised Outlets (49 Plant Stores, 91 Drop Stores) for the sales table; 12 Plant Stores Not Servicing Outlets open >1 year for the expense/NCI table; 32 Drop Stores open >1 year (27 open >3 years) for the expense/NCI table; 56 Conversion Stores (5 Plant, 51 Drop) for a separate sales table. Period: July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025 (Covered Period); historical tables also cover FY2019-FY2025.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.66 ↗

What's the SBA charge-off rate for Tide Cleaners?

Suppressed: fewer than 10 seasoned loans; numerator / denominator: 0 / 5. 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: $547,000; window: FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30; sample: 5 loans. Median financing is not total investment.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗