Crooked Pint Ale House Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Crooked Pint Ale House is a casual-dining franchise serving pub food and craft beer in an ale-house setting. Franchisees run the restaurants, managing the kitchen, bar, and dining service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Crooked Pint Ale House franchise requires a total initial investment of $1.2M – $2.1M, including a $55K – $75K franchise fee and an ongoing 4.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $1.2M – $2.1M
- 34th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- 2nd pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 14
- 17th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Full-Service Restaurants avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $1.2M – $2.1M including a $55K franchise fee, 4.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 21 financial statements are the audited COMBINED financial statements of Green Mill Restaurants, LLC and GMR, Inc. (affiliates that provide management/administrative services to franchisor Crooked Pint, LLC), audited by CliftonLarsonAllen LLP (Owatonna, MN), dated August 22, 2025. FY2024 Total Revenues 2,657,168 (Royalty & Franchise Fees 1,516,378; Management Fees 132,499; Administrative Allowance 1,008,291). Net income 119,228.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 53/100 (higher is better).
- DATAItem 19 reports monthly average sales rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Crooked Pint, LLC
- Parent company
- Hightop Brands, LLC
- CEO title
- Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer
- Paul Dzubnar
- CEO experience
- 2011 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- MN
- HQ
- 1342 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105
- Auditor
- CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $2.7M
- vs $2.8M prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Affiliated brands
- Green Mill on the Go
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Paul Dzubnar
- Headquarters
- MN
- Founded
- 2011
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 4
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 41% above the typical full-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown10 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $20K | $20K | |
| Training-Related Expensesnot refundable | $5K | $25K | |
| Leasehold Improvementsnot refundable | $50K | $125K | |
| Equipment and Trade Fixturesnot refundable | $50K | $300K | |
| Signagenot refundable | $5K | $20K | |
| Opening Inventory and Smallwaresnot refundable | $5K | $20K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $2K | $10K | |
| Initial Advertising and Promotional Costs | $5K | $15K | |
| Miscellaneous Start-Up Costsnot refundable | $5K | $10K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 monthsnot refundable | $5K | $35K | |
| Total initial investment | $152K | $580K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $1.2M – $2.1M
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $50K – $75K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $55K – $75K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.5%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 5.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 4.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.5% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $0 |
| Transfer fee | $13K |
| Renewal fee | $20K |
| Inventory (initial) | $50K – $65K |
| Total fee load | 5.5% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Crooked Pint Ale House did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Crooked Pint Ale House unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
5%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
Item 21 financial statements are the audited COMBINED financial statements of Green Mill Restaurants, LLC and GMR, Inc. (affiliates that provide management/administrative services to franchisor Crooked Pint, LLC), audited by CliftonLarsonAllen LLP (Owatonna, MN), dated August 22, 2025. FY2024 Total Revenues 2,657,168 (Royalty & Franchise Fees 1,516,378; Management Fees 132,499; Administrative Allowance 1,008,291). Net income 119,228.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 5.5% — below the Full-Service Restaurants average of 7.6%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports monthly average sales rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
Operator retention
System contracting at -12.5% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Full-Service Restaurants averages
How Crooked Pint Ale House Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 14
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Turnover rate
- 7.1%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -12.5%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -12.5%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 1
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Ceased ops
- 50.0%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 4 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- Minnesota
- South Dakota
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 1 7(a) loan on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 1
- Loan volume
- $350K
- Median loan
- $350K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (1 loan) — rate not shown below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 1
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Contracting system with shrinking unit base, undisclosed profitability, potential franchisor going-concern issues, and revenue figures that appear misaligned with investment requirements present substantial risk.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $75,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 53 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORUnit count declining 6.7% YoY (14 units) indicates system contraction and potential viability concerns
- 02MINORNo net income disclosure despite Item 19 availability — inability or unwillingness to show profitability is a major red flag
- 03HIGHGoing Concern status = FALSE suggests franchisor may have disclosed material doubts about ability to continue operations
- 04MINORAverage revenue of $169,508 is critically low for a full-service restaurant; incompatible with $1.19M-$2.1M investment thesis
- 05MEDHigh investment requirement ($1.19M-$2.1M) paired with undisclosed/likely marginal net income creates severe ROI risk
- 06MEDSmall unit count (14) limits franchisee network support and suggests limited franchisor resources
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 5.5% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 20 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 15,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 5 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 4 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Minnesota |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | MN |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 75 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 400 hrs
- Training location
- Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota area
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 12 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Ingage I.T. (Infinity Service)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Ingage I.T. (Infinity Service)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
13 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Crooked Pint Ale House · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Crooked Pint Ale House franchise?
The total investment to open a Crooked Pint Ale House franchise ranges from $1.2M – $2.1M, with an initial franchise fee of $55K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Crooked Pint Ale House franchise owners earn?
Crooked Pint Ale House does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Item 19 in the Crooked Pint Ale House FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Crooked Pint Ale House FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Crooked Pint Ale House's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Crooked Pint Ale House (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many Crooked Pint Ale House franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Crooked Pint Ale House has 14 total units in the United States, including 14 franchised units and 0 company-owned units.
Is Crooked Pint Ale House a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Crooked Pint Ale House as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 53 out of 100 (higher is better), based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
Are you the franchisor?
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.