Gasket Guy Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $80K – $343K
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- Under 10 loans (9)
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Gasket Guy is a commercial kitchen services franchise that replaces and repairs refrigeration and cooler door gaskets for restaurants and food businesses. Franchisees run mobile operations, managing service calls and recurring accounts.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Gasket Guy franchise requires a total initial investment of $80K – $343K, including a $60K – $300K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium - issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✗ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored4 of 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $80K – $343K
- 4th pct Food Retail
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 4th pct Food Retail
- Units
- 32
- 6th pct Food Retail
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Food Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Food Retail median · 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 $80K – $343K including a $60K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 49/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +6 franchised outlets in the latest year (6 opened, 0 closed); 1 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 72.2% CAGR over 3 years with 32 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Gasket Guy Franchise Company, LLC
- Parent company
- Gaskets Acquisition LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2025 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- DFS Parent, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2025 FDD
- Predecessor
- Gasket Guy Franchising, LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer and President
- Dave Brautigan
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 3001 McCall Dr., Atlanta, GA 30340
- Auditor
- Baker Tilly US, LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $511K
- vs $358K 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
- CEO
- Dave Brautigan
- Headquarters
- GA
- Founded
- 2022
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 21
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 27% below the typical food retail franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown10 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $60K | $300K | |
| Vehicle - leased (3-months) | $2K | $4K | |
| Vehicle - purchased (3- months) | — | — | |
| Initial Inventory & Supplies | $500 | $3K | |
| Initial Marketing Campaign | $1K | $1K | |
| Legal & Accounting Fees | $750 | $2K | |
| Computer Hardware & Software | $500 | $3K | |
| Office Equipment, Furniture & Supplies | $100 | $1K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 Months | $15K | $30K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses while Training | $400 | $600 | |
| Total initial investment | $80K | $343K |
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 – $343K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $60K – $300K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- Set by a formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.0%
- 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 | 0.0% |
| Transfer fee | $20 |
| Renewal fee | $10 |
| Inventory (initial) | $500 – $3K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Gasket Guy makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Gasket Guy unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for annual revenue, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
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
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
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 7.0% (near the Food Retail median).
Disclosure
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator retention
System expanding at 72.2% CAGR over 3 years across 32 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 Food Retail medians
How Gasket Guy Compares
Category median of published Food Retail brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 32
- Opened
- 6
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- N/A
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 97%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +72.2%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +72.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Signed, not yet open
- 1
- 0.03 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 4
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 21 states 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.
21
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
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
- Under 10 loans (9)
- Insufficient SBA coverage: 9 loans, rate hidden below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- Under 10 loans (9)
- 5-yr charge-off
- Under 10 loans (9)
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 6
- 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
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)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
California Consent Order (Jan 2025): agreed to pay $12,500 administrative penalty for selling franchise licenses without effective registration; Minnesota Consent Order (Feb 2022, predecessor): $1,000 fine for unauthorized franchise sales
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Baker Tilly US, LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Net Sales consist of royalties/initial franchise fee revenue; company has no employees and earns income from franchisee royalties (FY2024 audited statements, Baker Tilly US, LLP).
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 49 / 100 verdict
- 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
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 7.0% 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 | 5 years |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 1,500 |
| 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 | 20 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Fulton County, Georgia |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | GA |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
California Consent Order (Jan 2025): agreed to pay $12,500 administrative penalty for selling franchise licenses without effective registration; Minnesota Consent Order (Feb 2022, predecessor): $1,000 fine for unauthorized franchise sales
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 26 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 14 hrs
- Training location
- Atlanta, GA (Phase 1); Franchisee's location (Phase 2)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 50 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 3 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisor approves; franchisee selects
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- iPad, QuickBooks Online
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: iPad, QuickBooks Online
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
33 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
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 – $343K, 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 makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns Gasket Guy?
Gasket Guy is franchised by Gasket Guy Franchise Company, LLC. Its parent company is Gaskets Acquisition LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is DFS Parent, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Gasket Guy 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 Gasket Guy FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
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 31 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 verdict score of 49 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. 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.