Duff’s CakeMixFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Duff’s CakeMix franchise requires a total initial investment of $272K – $415K, including a $45K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2023 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: C. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2023 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $272K – $415K
- 52nd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 59th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 44th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 2
- 10th pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Quick-Service Restaurants avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $272K – $415K including a $45K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict C (Average) with a risk score of 64/100.
- Auditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- CakeMix Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- Camp Cake LLC
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Pamela Fazio
- Incorporated in
- NV
- HQ
- 827 Spectrum Center Drive, Irvine, California 92618
- Auditor
- Metwally CPA PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $57K
- Most recent fiscal year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2023
- Status as of 2023; may have been resolved in a later filing we don't yet have.
Overview
About
Franchisees operate Duff's-branded cake decorating studios or retail locations, likely selling decorated cakes, baking supplies, and cake-related classes or events. Day-to-day operations likely include customer service, cake design/decoration, inventory management, and marketing to drive foot traffic in a protected territory.
- CEO
- Pamela Fazio
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2021
- FDD year
- 2023
- States available
- 1
FDD Item 7 · 2023 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $45K | $45K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $20K | $25K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $207K | $345K |
| Total initial investment | $272K | $415K |
Source: Duff’s CakeMix 2023 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $272K – $415K
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $25K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $45K – $45K
- Below avg, review vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- Gross Sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $500 |
| Training fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $30K |
| Renewal fee | $35K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Duff’s CakeMix Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 2
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 0%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Projected new
- 4
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 1 state reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
1
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Duff's CakeMix presents a caution-level risk profile due to anemic unit growth (only 2 locations), complete absence of financial disclosure in Item 19, and lack of operational performance benchmarks needed to justify a $270k+ investment.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Metwally CPA PLLC⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 64 / 100 rating
- 01MINOROnly 2 operating units despite franchise model being established—indicates minimal system growth and market traction
- 02MINORFinancial performance metrics (Item 19) completely absent—impossible to validate ROI or break-even timeline on $271k-$415k investment
- 03MEDNo disclosed average unit volume (AUV) or net income data creates opacity around actual franchisee profitability
- 04MINOR6% royalty structure appears reasonable but sustainability unknown without revenue visibility
- 05MEDMaterial gap between franchise fee ($45k) and total investment ($271k-$415k) suggests significant undisclosed startup costs or working capital requirements
- 06MINOR10-year term is moderately long without demonstrated multi-unit performance or exit data from existing franchisees
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Radius |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 5 mi |
| Territory population | 50,000 |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Los Angeles County, California |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Nevada |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 2 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 30 hrs
- Training location
- Irvine, California
- POS system
- Clover
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Clover
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
1 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Duff’s CakeMix · FDD (2023) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Duff’s CakeMix franchise?
The total investment to open a Duff’s CakeMix franchise ranges from $272K – $415K, with an initial franchise fee of $45K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Duff’s CakeMix franchise owners earn?
Duff’s CakeMix 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 Duff’s CakeMix's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Duff’s CakeMix (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 Duff’s CakeMix franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Duff’s CakeMix has 2 total units in the United States, including 0 franchised units and 2 company-owned units.
Is Duff’s CakeMix a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Duff’s CakeMix as a C-grade franchise with a risk score of 64 out of 100, 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.
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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.