Ford’s Garage Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Ford's Garage is a casual-dining franchise serving craft burgers and American fare in a vintage Ford-themed setting with a full bar. Franchisees run the restaurants, managing the kitchen, bar, and dining service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Ford’s Garage franchise requires a total initial investment of $3.7M – $6.6M, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.5% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $5.7M[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $3.7M – $6.6M
- 40th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $5.7M
- Incl. company outlets15th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 5.5%
- 22nd pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 29
- 23rd 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 $3.7M – $6.6M including a $50K franchise fee, 5.5% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $5.7M/year (median $5.5M) (includes company-owned outlets). Note: this is gross profit, not take-home income.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 73/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 40.0% CAGR over 3 years with 29 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Vintage Hospitality Group, LLC
- Parent company
- Motor City Holdings, LLC
- CEO title
- President
- William T. Downs III
- Incorporated in
- FL
- HQ
- 501 N Reo Street, Suite 102, Tampa, Florida 33609
- Auditor
- GBQ Partners LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $5.5M
- vs $5.4M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- William T. Downs III
- Headquarters
- FL
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 7
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 342% above the typical full-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown20 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $50K | $50K | |
| Grand Opening Advertisingnot refundable | $5K | $10K | |
| Grand Opening Team Expensesnot refundable | $100K | $150K | |
| Training Expensesnot refundable | $50K | $100K | |
| Lease Payments 6 Monthsnot refundable | $60K | $300K | |
| Security Deposit | $12K | $300K | |
| Leasehold Improvementsnot refundable | $1.2M | $3.2M | |
| Computer Equipment and Softwarenot refundable | $120K | $200K | |
| Office Expensesnot refundable | $1K | $2K | |
| Signagenot refundable | $50K | $100K | |
| Furniture and Equipmentnot refundable | $950K | $1.3M | |
| Utilitiesnot refundable | $500 | $15K | |
| Uniformsnot refundable | $10K | $20K | |
| Inventorynot refundable | $60K | $100K | |
| Architecture Feesnot refundable | $50K | $150K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $3K | $100K | |
| Licenses and Permitsnot refundable | $2K | $150K | |
| Legal and Accountingnot refundable | $5K | $25K | |
| Dues and Subscriptionsnot refundable | $300 | $1K | |
| Additional Fundsnot refundable | $100K | $400K | |
| Total initial investment | $2.8M | $6.6M |
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
- $3.7M – $6.6M
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $100K – $400K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.5%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.5% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Renewal fee | $25K |
| Inventory (initial) | $60K – $100K |
| Total fee load | 6.5% of rev |
A 6.5% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 229% above the full-service restaurants norm.
Includes company-owned outlets
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$659K
11.5% margin
Unlevered ROIC
12%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
8.2 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit. The target band for an attractive franchise is 30–60% ROIC. Below that and a passive index fund likely outperforms; above that and the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses. It's the top line only. Operating costs below are category estimates. Override them to match your real lease quote, labor market, and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Ford’s Garage unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
12%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Levered LBO scenario · Yale Crease Capital framing
What would 25 Ford’s Garage units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
26.9%
3.29× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
3.04×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$13.1M
on $25.8M purchase
Total debt
$12.7M
SBA $5.0M + senior + seller note
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
Includes company-owned outlets
- Avg gross sales
- $5.7M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $5.5M
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross revenue and ebitda
- Sample size
- 24 outlets
- vs category median 18
- Range (low → high)
- $3.5M→$8.7M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency tier
- full
- Categorical assessment of disclosure depth
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 9 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · above
Compared against 805 Full-Service Restaurants brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $5.7M/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.1x. Includes company-owned outlets.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 6.5% (near the Full-Service Restaurants average).
Disclosure
Transparency score 9/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System expanding at 40.0% CAGR over 3 years across 29 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
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 Ford’s Garage Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 29
- Opened
- 5
- 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
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 97%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +40.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +40.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 5
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 6 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.
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 4 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 4
- Loan volume
- $4.2M
- Median loan
- $1.0M
- average
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (4 loans) — 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
- 2
- 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
Caution-level risk: high capital requirement with thin margins, unverified financial claims, and rapid growth in small system warrant thorough validation before commitment.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · GBQ Partners LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- 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 73 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORHigh initial investment ($3.7M-$6.6M) with modest average net income ($568K) yields 9-12 year payback period, creating significant financial risk
- 02MINORRapid unit growth (21.7% YoY) may indicate aggressive recruitment outpacing support infrastructure; 29-unit system still relatively small and unproven at scale
- 03MINORRoyalty structure excludes merchandise and gift card sales, potentially creating hidden revenue gaps and franchisor incentive misalignment
- 04MINORNet profit margin of only 9.9% ($568K/$5.73M) is thin for QSR-hybrid model, leaving little buffer for underperforming locations or economic downturns
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 6.5% 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 | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 100,000 |
| 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 | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Tampa, Florida |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | FL |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 12 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 435 hrs
- Training location
- Tampa, Florida or another certified training center location
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 18 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects, franchisor approves
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Aloha POS
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Aloha POS
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
33 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Ford’s Garage · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Ford’s Garage franchise?
The total investment to open a Ford’s Garage franchise ranges from $3.7M – $6.6M, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Ford’s Garage franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Ford’s Garage FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $5.7M. The median is $5.5M. Important context: Includes company-owned outlets. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the Ford’s Garage 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 Ford’s Garage FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Ford’s Garage's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Ford’s Garage (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 Ford’s Garage franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Ford’s Garage has 29 total units in the United States, including 28 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 5 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Ford’s Garage a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Ford’s Garage as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 73 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
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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.