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D72/100FDD 2025

Earl of Sandwich — Litigation & Risk

Food & Beverage - Full Service · FDD Items 3, 4 & 5

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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
72 / 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
6
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
Total loan volume
$2.6M
Avg loan size
$426K
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
Jury trial waiver
Waived
You give up the right to a jury trial
Non-compete
1 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
Florida
State whose law governs disputes — relevant if you're not based there

What drove the 72/100 rating

Risk Score Breakdown

  1. 01MINORSystem contracted 10.3% YoY (31 units total) — indicates declining brand momentum and franchisee struggles
  2. 02HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — franchisor may lack financial stability or operational viability
  3. 03MINORNo Item 19 financial disclosure — cannot validate revenue/profitability claims; prospective franchisees have zero earnings benchmarks
  4. 04MINORHigh investment range ($307.5K–$584K) paired with declining unit count suggests poor unit economics or market saturation
  5. 05MED6% royalty on undisclosed average revenue creates opacity; cannot calculate true ROI or break-even timeline
  6. 06MINORSmall franchise system (31 units) limits peer support network and economies of scale for supply chain

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.