Godfather's Pizza Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $711K – $1.3M
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- 18.4%
- on 51 loans
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 and an ongoing 3.3% 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. 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 →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
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
- $711K – $1.3M
- 86th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 3.3%
- 3rd pct Service Resta…
- 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 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 $711K – $1.3M including a $25K franchise fee, 3.3% 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 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).
- GROWTHPositive: net +6 franchised outlets in the latest year (27 opened, 21 closed) (Item 20).
- DATAThis 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.
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.
- FDD Item 1, page 7 of the 2026 FDD
- 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 112% 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
- 3.3%
- Set by a formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 3.3% of net sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of net 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 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 Godfather's Pizza 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: 2026 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 8.5% (near the Quick-Service Restaurants 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 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 medians
How Godfather's Pizza Compares
Category median of published Quick-Service Restaurants 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 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 606
- Opened
- 27
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 21
- 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
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 21
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 7
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 70
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- 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).
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
82 current owners across 20 states.
- IA 35
- MN 13
- IL 4
- NE 4
- AL 3
- IN 3
- KY 3
- TN 3
- CA 2
- GA 2
- AK 1
- CO 1
- +8 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
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%
- on 51 loans · 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.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Godfather's Pizza from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 9.7%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 74%
- Avg interest rate
- 6.15%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $157K
- Lender concentration
- 9.8%
- Job velocity
- 6.4 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 24.7%
- NAICS 722110
- Jobs supported
- 929
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 10% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | INB, National Association | 5 | $367K | 0.0% |
| 2 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 3 | $447K | 66.7% |
| 3 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | 3 | $978K | 0.0% |
| 4 | Glacier Bank | 2 | $230K | 0.0% |
| 5 | Cashmere Valley Bank | 2 | $150K | 0.0% |
| 6 | BMO Bank National Association | 2 | $355K | 50.0% |
| 7 | Celtic Bank Corporation | 2 | $4.2M | 0.0% |
| 8 | Flagstar Bank National Association | 1 | $456K | 0.0% |
| 9 | State Bank of Southern Utah | 1 | $85K | 0.0% |
| 10 | Wells Fargo Bank Wisconsin, National Association | 1 | $395K | 0.0% |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| IAIowa | 6 | 1 | 20.0% |
| ILIllinois | 6 | 1 | 16.7% |
| NENebraska | 6 | 1 | 20.0% |
| COColorado | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| UTUtah | 4 | 1 | 25.0% |
| WAWashington | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| CACalifornia | 3 | 1 | 33.3% |
| MNMinnesota | 3 | 1 | 33.3% |
| MOMissouri | 3 | 1 | 33.3% |
| IDIdaho | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
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)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
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.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Lutz & Company, PC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
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.
ⓘ 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 | No territory protection |
| 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
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 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 Godfather's Pizza?
Godfather's Pizza is franchised by Godfather's Pizza, Inc.. Its parent company is Godfather’s Pizza, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
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). 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.