Godfather's Pizza Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Godfather's Pizza is a quick-service and casual pizza franchise known for its thick-crust pies, with delivery, carryout, and dine-in. Franchisees run traditional restaurants or non-traditional counters such as kiosks and delivery-only units, managing kitchen staff and orders.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Godfather's Pizza franchise requires a total initial investment of $711K – $1.3M, including a $8K – $25K franchise fee. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 18.4% charge-off rate across 51 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $711K – $1.3M
- 87th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 606
- 90th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- 18.4%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Quick-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 $711K – $1.3M including a $25K franchise fee.
- RETURNSTotal Revenues for FY ended May 25, 2025 of $24,130,000, comprising Sales by Company-Operated Restaurants $12,045,000, Franchise Revenues $10,147,000, and Licensed Product Revenues $1,938,000. Consolidated financials of Godfather's Pizza, Inc. and Subsidiaries.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 56/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 18.4% across 51 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- DATANo Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Godfather's Pizza, Inc.
- Parent company
- Godfather’s Pizza, Inc.
- Predecessor
- or affiliate of GPI has offered franchises in any other line of business
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer and Director
- Ronald B. Gartlan
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 2808 North 108th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68164
- Auditor
- Lutz & Company, PC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $24.1M
- vs $23.5M prior year
Affiliated brands
- of GPI has offered franchises in any other line of business
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Ronald B. Gartlan
- Headquarters
- NE
- Founded
- 1973
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 38
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 56% above the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown14 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Development Fee Area Agreement | $9K | $9K | |
| Initial Franchise Fee | $0 | $25K | |
| Site Submission Deposit | $3K | $3K | |
| Continuing Fee Deposit | $0 | $5K | |
| Advertising | $2K | $10K | |
| Equipment | $225K | $400K | |
| Opening Inventory | $34K | $73K | |
| Lease of Real Estate (3 months) | $12K | $50K | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $300K | $500K | |
| Insurance | $9K | $29K | |
| Misc. Opening Costs | $13K | $13K | |
| Signs | $10K | $20K | |
| Initial Training | $5K | $8K | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $90K | $200K | |
| Total initial investment | $711K | $1.3M |
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
- $711K – $1.3M
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $90K – $200K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Franchise fee
- $8K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- Greater of 3.25% of net sales or $175/week per traditiona…
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Training fee | $1K |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $2K |
| Inventory (initial) | $34K – $73K |
| Total fee load | 8.5% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Godfather's Pizza did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Godfather's Pizza unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
9%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
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: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
Total Revenues for FY ended May 25, 2025 of $24,130,000, comprising Sales by Company-Operated Restaurants $12,045,000, Franchise Revenues $10,147,000, and Licensed Product Revenues $1,938,000. Consolidated financials of Godfather's Pizza, Inc. and Subsidiaries.
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 8.5% (near the Quick-Service Restaurants average).
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System roughly stable (-1.2% 3-year CAGR) with 606 units.
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 Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Godfather's Pizza Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 606
- Opened
- 27
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 21
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 3.5%
- Company-owned
- 14
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 98%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +1.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -1.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 27
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 21
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 7
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Ceased ops
- 2.0%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 20 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
- California
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- New York
- North Dakota
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 51
- Loan volume
- $14.5M
- Median loan
- $184K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 18.4%
- 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)
- 81.6%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 39
- Defaults
- 9
- Typical loan rate
- 6.2%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 21.6%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 929
- 6.4 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 10%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 0% went to startups / new businesses, 100% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in full-service restaurants, franchised businesses charge off at 21.6% vs 22.5% for independents — franchising is associated with 4% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Vintage analysis
Godfather's Pizza charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Godfather's Pizza franchisees
Showing 3 of 39 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Godfather's Pizza's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 10 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 15 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 25-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 18.4% — 15% above the 16.0% national norm, i.e. higher lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Godfather's Pizza presents meaningful risk: stagnant system growth, undisclosed financials, recent labor violations, and high capex with no earnings transparency.
Litigation (Item 3)
William Fuelberth et al. v. Godfather's Pizza, Inc. (D. Neb. 8:22cv195) — wage claim by delivery drivers; settled May 2025 for $24,000 total, dismissed with prejudice August 2025.
Largest disclosed settlement: $24,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Lutz & Company, PC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 56 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORStagnant unit growth (1.0% YoY on 606 units indicates system contraction, not expansion)
- 02MINORNo Item 19 disclosure (average revenue and net income withheld — prevents ROI validation)
- 03MEDHigh initial investment range ($711k-$1.34M) with no disclosed profit benchmarks to justify cost
- 04HIGHRecent labor litigation (2022 FLSA class action settled Aug 2025 for $24k — suggests systemic compliance issues with wage/reimbursement practices)
- 05MINORUnprotected territory (franchisees compete directly with other Godfather's locations; no exclusivity)
- 06MINORWeak royalty floor ($150-350/week minimum may indicate struggling franchisees below threshold)
- 07MINOR5-year term only (shorter commitment period suggests franchisor expects higher turnover)
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.5% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Territory type | none |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| 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 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 9 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | NE |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
William Fuelberth et al. v. Godfather's Pizza, Inc. (D. Neb. 8:22cv195) — wage claim by delivery drivers; settled May 2025 for $24,000 total, dismissed with prejudice August 2025.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 30 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 100 hrs
- Training location
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 12 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects site, GPI must approve
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- GPI-approved POS system (subscription ~$325/month for traditional locations)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: GPI-approved POS system (subscription ~$325/month for traditional locations)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
82 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Godfather's Pizza · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Godfather's Pizza franchise?
The total investment to open a Godfather's Pizza franchise ranges from $711K – $1.3M, with an initial franchise fee of $25K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Godfather's Pizza franchise owners earn?
Godfather's Pizza 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 Item 19 in the Godfather's Pizza 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 Godfather's Pizza FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Godfather's Pizza's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Godfather's Pizza has a charge-off rate of 18.4% across 51 loans, meaning 18.4% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Godfather's Pizza franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Godfather's Pizza has 606 total units in the United States, including 592 franchised units and 14 company-owned units. 27 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Godfather's Pizza a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Godfather's Pizza as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 56 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
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent Godfather's Pizza, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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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.