FranchiseVerdict
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D72/100FDD 2024

Matchbox — Litigation & Risk

Food & Beverage - Full Service · FDD Items 3, 4 & 5

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Lower Risk

No litigation cases disclosed in FDD Items 3 and 4.

Source: FDD Items 3–5

FDD Items 3 & 4

Litigation Metrics

Cases disclosed
0
Total from FDD Items 3 and 4
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
—
Franchisor or officer bankruptcy
Overall risk score
72 / 100
FranchiseVerdict composite
Rating
CAUTION
STRONG / MODERATE / CAUTION / AVOID

7(a) FOIA data · FY2020–present

SBA Loan Performance

Aggregated from public SBA 7(a) loan disclosures. Default rate is the share of loans that were charged off or settled for less than the full balance.

Total 7(a) loans
1
Government-backed loans issued
Default rate
—
vs <3% typical · system-wide
5-yr default rate
—
Defaults
0 loans
Loans charged off or defaulted
Total loan volume
$300K
Avg loan size
$300K
Participating lenders
1

FDD Items 5, 6 & 17 — what you give up

Contract Risk Indicators

Mandatory arbitration
Not required
You retain the right to sue in court
Jury trial waiver
Waived
You give up the right to a jury trial
Non-compete
2 yrs
Post-termination restriction on similar businesses
Franchisor can compete
Yes
Franchisor can open competing locations in or near your territory
Right of first refusal
Yes
Franchisor can match any purchase offer when you try to sell
Governing law
Virginia
State whose law governs disputes — relevant if you're not based there

What drove the 72/100 rating

Risk Score Breakdown

  1. 01HIGHGoing Concern warning indicates potential franchisor financial distress or viability questions
  2. 02MEDOnly 13 units system-wide suggests minimal scale, limited support infrastructure, and high failure risk
  3. 03MINORNo average revenue or net income disclosure (Item 19) prevents ROI validation and raises transparency concerns
  4. 04MINORUnknown unit growth trajectory suggests stagnation or contraction in recent years
  5. 05MEDHigh initial investment range ($1.1M–$2.3M) paired with undisclosed earnings creates extreme uncertainty on payback period
  6. 06MED6% royalty on non-disclosed revenue baseline makes financial planning impossible for prospective franchisees

Severity inferred from FDD text — not a regulatory or legal classification

Litigation data from FDD Items 3, 4, and 5. SBA data from public 7(a) FOIA records (FY2020–present). Not legal advice — consult a franchise attorney before signing any franchise agreement.