Gasket GuyFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Gasket Guy franchise requires a total initial investment of $80K – $361K, including a $60K franchise fee. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: B. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $80K – $361K
- 2nd pct Food Retail
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 1st pct Food Retail
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 32
- 1st pct Food Retail
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Food Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Food Retail 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 system grew 24% year-over-year. Fast growth means demand, but can strain support.
Bottom line
- Total investment $80K – $361K including a $60K franchise fee.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict B (Above Average) with a risk score of 57/100.
- System growing at 72.2% CAGR over 3 years with 32 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Gasket Guy Franchise Company, LLC
- Parent company
- DFS Parent, LLC
- Predecessor
- was the franchisor of the
- Prior franchisor entity
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 3001 McCall Dr., Atlanta, GA 30340
- Auditor
- bakertilly
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $358K
- vs $511K prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Independent Franchisee Association
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Affiliated brands
- and its predecessor has s
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Gasket Guy franchisees operate automotive parts businesses specializing in gasket and sealing products, selling to repair shops, fleet operators, and service centers. Day-to-day operations typically involve inventory management, direct sales to commercial clients, order fulfillment, and customer relationship management in a protected territory.
- CEO
- Dave Brautigan
- Headquarters
- GA
- Founded
- 2022
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 21
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 13 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $60K | $300K | |
| Vehicle - leased (3-months)not refundable | $2K | $4K | |
| Vehicle - purchased (3-months)not refundable | $10K | $22K | |
| Initial Inventory & Suppliesnot refundable | $500 | $3K | |
| Initial Marketing Campaignnot refundable | $1K | $1K | |
| Legal & Accounting Feesnot refundable | $750 | $2K | |
| Computer Hardware & Softwarenot refundable | $500 | $3K | |
| Office Equipment, Furniture & Suppliesnot refundable | $100 | $1K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 Monthsnot refundable | $15K | $30K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses while Trainingnot refundable | $400 | $600 | |
| Development Fee (Area Development Agreement)not refundable | $120K | $300K | |
| Initial Investment for Initial Location (with Leased Vehicle) - ADAnot refundable | $20K | $43K | |
| Initial Investment for Initial Location (with Purchased Vehicle) - ADAnot refundable | $28K | $61K | |
| Total initial investment | $258K | $770K |
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
- $80K – $361K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $30K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $60K – $300K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- After Month 12: $1,200 per month or 6% of Monthly Gross R…
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $20 |
| Renewal fee | $10 |
| 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 Food Retail averages
How Gasket Guy Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 32
- Opened
- 6
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 97%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +24.0%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +72.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 22 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
- Michigan
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
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 9 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 9
- Loan volume
- $745K
- Median loan
- $83K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
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
- 6
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Gasket Guy presents meaningful investment risk due to undisclosed financial performance, regulatory non-compliance history, and lack of benchmarking data to validate return potential.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $12,500
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · bakertilly
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 57 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNo Item 19 (Average Unit Volume) disclosed — cannot assess profitability or ROI on $80K–$361K investment
- 02MINORMultiple state regulatory actions (California 2005–2017, Minnesota 2022) indicate systemic franchise disclosure violations and pattern of non-compliance
- 03MEDRoyalty structure ($1,200/month minimum or 6% of gross) creates high fixed costs with no disclosed average revenue baseline to validate viability
- 04HIGH32-unit system is small; 24% YoY growth rate insufficient to offset litigation risk and suggest stability
- 05MED10-year term with $60K upfront franchise fee represents long commitment with limited performance data transparency
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 | 5 years |
| Territory type | Retail Food Service Customers (RFSC) count |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Georgia |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 18 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 22 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- POS system
- iPad, QuickBooks Online
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: iPad, QuickBooks Online
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
29 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Gasket Guy · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Gasket Guy franchise?
The total investment to open a Gasket Guy franchise ranges from $80K – $361K, with an initial franchise fee of $60K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Gasket Guy franchise owners earn?
Gasket Guy 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 Gasket Guy's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Gasket Guy (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 Gasket Guy franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Gasket Guy has 32 total units in the United States, including 18 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 6 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Gasket Guy a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Gasket Guy as a B-grade franchise with a risk score of 57 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.