FranchiseVerdict
Carbone’s Pizza logo
B61/100FDD 2026

Carbone’s Pizza — Litigation & Risk

Food & Beverage - Pizza · FDD Items 3, 4 & 5

Back to overview

Lower Risk

No litigation cases disclosed in FDD Items 3 and 4.

Source: FDD Items 3–5

FDD Items 3 & 4

Litigation Metrics

Cases disclosed
0
Total from FDD Items 3 and 4
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Franchisor or officer bankruptcy
Overall risk score
61 / 100
FranchiseVerdict composite
Rating
MODERATE
STRONG / MODERATE / CAUTION / AVOID

7(a) FOIA data · FY2020–present

SBA Loan Performance

Aggregated from public SBA 7(a) loan disclosures. Default rate is the share of loans that were charged off or settled for less than the full balance.

Total 7(a) loans
5
Government-backed loans issued
Default rate
0.0%
vs <3% typical · system-wide
5-yr default rate
Defaults
0 loans
Loans charged off or defaulted

FDD Items 5, 6 & 17 — what you give up

Contract Risk Indicators

Mandatory arbitration
Required
Disputes resolved outside court — limits your legal options
Jury trial waiver
Not waived
Non-compete
2 yrs
Post-termination restriction on similar businesses
Franchisor can compete
Yes
Franchisor can open competing locations in or near your territory
Right of first refusal
Yes
Franchisor can match any purchase offer when you try to sell
Governing law
Minnesota
State whose law governs disputes — relevant if you're not based there

What drove the 61/100 rating

Risk Score Breakdown

  1. 01MINORDeclining unit count (-3.1% YoY) suggests system contraction and potential franchisee struggles
  2. 02MEDNet income not disclosed in Item 19 — unable to verify actual profitability despite $1.27M average revenue
  3. 03MINORHigh initial investment range ($328K-$909K) with no transparent profitability data creates significant ROI uncertainty
  4. 04MINORTiered royalty structure (4%-2%) incentivizes aggressive revenue growth but may pressure margins on lower-performing units
  5. 05MED33-unit system is small and vulnerable; limited scale for national marketing, purchasing power, or operational support

Severity inferred from FDD text — not a regulatory or legal classification

Litigation data from FDD Items 3, 4, and 5. SBA data from public 7(a) FOIA records (FY2020–present). Not legal advice — consult a franchise attorney before signing any franchise agreement.