Grease Monkey Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Grease Monkey is a quick-lube automotive franchise offering fast oil changes, fluid services, and preventive maintenance. Franchisees run service centers managing technicians, appointments, and inventory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Grease Monkey franchise requires a total initial investment of $708K – $2.3M, including a $40K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 9.0% charge-off rate across 166 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $708K – $2.3M
- 51st pct Automotive
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 13th pct Automotive
- Units
- 371
- 45th pct Automotive
- SBA charge-off
- 9.0%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Automotive · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Automotive 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 $708K – $2.3M including a $40K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 19 presents 2025 Net Sales for 174 franchisee-owned Centers (of 233 total) split into five sales-range categories (Chart I) and four quartiles (Chart II), each with average/median/low/high Net Sales, Cost of Goods Sold, Gross Profit, and EBITDAR (not a whole-unit net-income figure -- excludes interest, taxes, D&A, occupancy costs, and non-operating income/expense). Also discloses Daily Vehicle Count and average Ticket ranges per category, which are per-vehicle/per-transaction metrics, not whole-unit revenue.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 69/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 9.0% across 166 loans (near or below the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- DATAItem 19 reports segmented categories and quartiles rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Grease Monkey Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- MOP GM Holding, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- MidOcean Partners V, L.P.
- Predecessor
- Grease Monkey International, LLC (GMI)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Brian Maciak
- Incorporated in
- Colorado
- HQ
- 5575 DTC Parkway, Suite 100, Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111
- Auditor
- KPMG LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $274.5M
- vs $278.9M prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Brian Maciak
- Headquarters
- Colorado
- Founded
- 2006
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 33
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 60% above the typical automotive franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $40K | $40K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $35K | $75K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $633K | $2.2M |
| Total initial investment | $708K | $2.3M |
Source: Grease Monkey 2026 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $708K – $2.3M
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $35K – $75K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $40K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.5%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.5% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $346 |
| Training fee | $3K |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $25K – $35K |
| Total fee load | 6.5% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Grease Monkey 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 Grease Monkey 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
Item 19 presents 2025 Net Sales for 174 franchisee-owned Centers (of 233 total) split into five sales-range categories (Chart I) and four quartiles (Chart II), each with average/median/low/high Net Sales, Cost of Goods Sold, Gross Profit, and EBITDAR (not a whole-unit net-income figure -- excludes interest, taxes, D&A, occupancy costs, and non-operating income/expense). Also discloses Daily Vehicle Count and average Ticket ranges per category, which are per-vehicle/per-transaction metrics, not whole-unit revenue.
- Item 19 type
- segmented categories and quartiles
- Sample size
- 174
- vs category median 70 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $264K→$3.3M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $499K→$1.8M
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 7 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 167 Automotive brands
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 6.5% — below the Automotive average of 9.3%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports segmented categories and quartiles rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
Operator retention
System expanding at 11.8% CAGR over 3 years across 371 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 Automotive averages
How Grease Monkey Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 371
- Opened
- 29
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Terminated
- 2
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 1
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 2.1%
- Company-owned
- 162
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 57%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +11.8%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +11.8%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 29
- Closed (3yr)
- 2
- Terminated (3yr)
- 2
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 1
- Transfers (3yr)
- 12
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 33 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.
33
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 166
- Loan volume
- $114.5M
- Median loan
- $518K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 9.0%
- 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)
- 91.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 49
- Defaults
- 15
- Typical loan rate
- 7.2%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 14.5%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 1,838
- 1.6 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 22%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 61% went to startups / new businesses, 39% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in automotive oil change and lubrication shops, franchised businesses charge off at 14.5% vs 17.7% for independents — franchising is associated with 18% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Vintage analysis
Grease Monkey charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Grease Monkey franchisees
Showing 3 of 49 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 Grease Monkey'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
- 32-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 9.0% — 44% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower 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
Grease Monkey presents moderate-to-elevated risk due to active litigation, unprotected territories, slow growth, and lack of financial transparency, offset partially by reasonable unit economics if claimed revenues hold.
Litigation (Item 3)
Class action (Frye/Maystrenko v. Camden & Ford Enterprises, GK Oil, GMI, GMF, et al.) alleging gender discrimination via "Ladies' Day" promotions in violation of California's Unruh Civil Rights Act; settled in August 2025 with GMI and GMF paying plaintiffs $200,000, followed by crossclaims among defendant franchisees resolved via mediation.
Largest disclosed settlement: $200,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · KPMG LLP
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: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 69 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHActive class action litigation (Aug 2024) for gender-based discrimination creates legal/reputational risk and potential operational mandate changes
- 02MINORUnprotected territory exposes franchisees to direct competition from other Grease Monkey locations and cannibalization of revenue
- 03MINORSlow unit growth (4.0% YoY) suggests market saturation or franchisee satisfaction issues; 371 units is modest for a mature brand
- 04MINORNo Item 19 Financial Performance Representation (Going Concern = False) prevents validation of claimed $227K net income; actual franchisee profitability opaque
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 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 15 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 15 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | none |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 3 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Denver, Colorado |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Colorado |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Class action (Frye/Maystrenko v. Camden & Ford Enterprises, GK Oil, GMI, GMF, et al.) alleging gender discrimination via "Ladies' Day" promotions in violation of California's Unruh Civil Rights Act; settled in August 2025 with GMI and GMF paying plaintiffs $200,000, followed by crossclaims among defendant franchisees resolved via mediation.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 29 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 43 hrs
- Training location
- Greenwood Village, Colorado training facility
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 18 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee_with_franchisor_approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Integrated Services, Inc. (ISI) or Auto Repair Manager System (ARM)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Integrated Services, Inc. (ISI) or Auto Repair Manager System (ARM)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
274 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Grease Monkey · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Grease Monkey franchise?
The total investment to open a Grease Monkey franchise ranges from $708K – $2.3M, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Grease Monkey franchise owners earn?
Grease Monkey 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 Grease Monkey 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 Grease Monkey FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Grease Monkey's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Grease Monkey has a charge-off rate of 9.0% across 166 loans, meaning 9.0% 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 Grease Monkey franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Grease Monkey has 371 total units in the United States, including 209 franchised units and 162 company-owned units. 29 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Grease Monkey a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Grease Monkey as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 69 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 Grease Monkey, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
Other Automotive franchises
Compare similar franchise opportunities in the Automotive category
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.