D76/100FDD 2025
Cottage Inn Pizza — Litigation & Risk
Food & Beverage - Pizza · FDD Items 3, 4 & 5
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
76 / 100
FranchiseVerdict composite
Rating
CAUTION
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
7
Government-backed loans issued
Default rate
50.0%
vs <3% typical · system-wide
5-yr default rate
—
Defaults
1 loans
Loans charged off or defaulted
Total loan volume
$2.0M
Avg loan size
$282K
Participating lenders
5
FDD Items 5, 6 & 17 — what you give up
Contract Risk Indicators
Mandatory arbitration
Required
Disputes resolved outside court — limits your legal options
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
Michigan
State whose law governs disputes — relevant if you're not based there
What drove the 76/100 rating
Risk Score Breakdown
- 01MEDNet income not disclosed in FDD Item 19 — impossible to validate profit claims or ROI timeline
- 02MINORWide investment range ($216K–$840K) suggests inconsistent unit economics or hidden costs
- 03MEDModest unit growth (10% YoY) with only 63 locations indicates slow expansion and limited brand momentum
- 04MINORAverage weekly revenue of $16,843 translates to ~$876K annually — relatively thin margins for pizza franchise model
- 05HIGHNo 'going concern' qualifier absent suggests potential financial stress or undisclosed franchisor challenges
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.