Men In Kilts Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $101K – $148K
- Disclosed sales
- $209K
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- Under 10 loans (2)
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Men In Kilts is an exterior cleaning franchise, with kilt-clad crews providing window washing, pressure washing, and gutter cleaning. Franchisees run route-based operations, managing crews, scheduling, and accounts.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Men In Kilts franchise requires a total initial investment of $101K – $148K, including a $38K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average revenue per franchisee was $209K. This franchisor reports Item 19 per franchisee rather than per outlet, so the figure is not comparable with per-outlet averages[2]. 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 scored8 of 8 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $101K – $148K
- 36th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Avg gross sales
- $209K
- Per franchisee, not per outlet
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 14th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Units
- 47
- 41st pct Cleaning & Ma…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Cleaning & Maintenance · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Cleaning & Maintenance 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 $101K – $148K including a $38K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage revenue per franchisee of $209K/year (median $191K). Averaged per franchisee, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 69/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +4 franchised outlets in the latest year (6 opened, 2 closed) (Item 20).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 35.0% CAGR over 3 years with 47 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Men In Kilts US, LLC
- Parent company
- Threshold Brands, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 9 of the 2026 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- HS Group Holding Company, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 9 of the 2026 FDD
- Predecessor
- Men In Kilts Franchise Services Inc. (MIKFS)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer and Manager
- Theodore Demarino
- Incorporated in
- MA
- HQ
- 17700 St. Clair Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44110
- Auditor
- Plante & Moran, PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $47.9M
- vs $49.0M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 9
10 other brands on this site name HS Group Holding Company, LLC as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
- Granite Garage FloorsA
- Heating + Air ParamedicsB
- MaidProB
- Miracle MethodA
- Mold MedicsB
- Patio PatrolB
- PestmasterA
- Plumbing ParamedicsB
- Sir GroutA
- USA InsulationA
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2026 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Theodore Demarino
- Headquarters
- OH
- Founded
- 2019
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 9
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 26% below the typical cleaning & maintenance franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown8 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $38K | $38K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses while Trainingnot refundable | $3K | $6K | |
| Vehiclenot refundable | $4K | $5K | |
| Equipmentnot refundable | $7K | $14K | |
| Technologynot refundable | $4K | $5K | |
| Advertising - Initial 3 Monthsnot refundable | $18K | $18K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $2K | $12K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 Monthsnot refundable | $25K | $50K | |
| Total initial investment | $101K | $148K |
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
- $101K – $148K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $25K – $50K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $38K – $38K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% |
| Technology fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $3K |
| Inventory (initial) | $11K – $341K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 61% below the cleaning & maintenance norm.
Averaged per franchisee, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for Men In Kilts until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for 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.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$162K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Men In Kilts 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 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.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for 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.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
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
Averaged per franchisee, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures
- Avg gross sales
- $209K
- Per franchisee, per year — not per outlet
- Median gross sales
- $191K
- Per franchisee, not per outlet
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 11 franchisees
- vs category median 32 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $63K→$489KCited, not corroborated — printed on page 49 of the 2026 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
Compared against 191 Cleaning & Maintenance brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
The average franchisee generates $209K/year in gross sales.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 8.0% (near the Cleaning & Maintenance median).
Disclosure
Transparency score 4/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System expanding at 35.0% CAGR over 3 years across 47 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 Cleaning & Maintenance medians
How Men In Kilts Compares
Per franchisee, not per outlet - the category median is per-outlet only, so no comparison is shown
Category median of published Cleaning & Maintenance 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
- 47
- Opened
- 6
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Terminated
- 2
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 7.4%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +35.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +35.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 2
- Not renewed
- 0
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 4.3%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Termination rate
- 4.3%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 9 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.
9
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 2 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 2
- Loan volume
- $300K
- Median loan
- $150K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- Under 10 loans (2)
- Insufficient SBA coverage: 2 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 (2)
- 5-yr charge-off
- Under 10 loans (2)
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 2
- 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
Slow-growth service franchise with regulatory compliance issues in parent company, missing critical financial disclosures, and royalty structure that may strain profitability.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
1 regulatory action: In the Matter of MaidPro Franchise LLC (affiliate), Maryland Securities Commissioner Case No. 2025-0075; Consent Order Aug 13, 2025; MaidPro paid $15,000 penalty for inadvertent violation of franchise fee deferral requirement. No litigation against Men In Kilts US, LLC directly.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Plante & Moran, PLLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Financials are the audited consolidated statements of parent/guarantor HS Group Holding Company, LLC and Subsidiaries (d/b/a Threshold Brands) for years ended Dec 31, 2025 and 2024. Parent guarantees Men In Kilts US, LLC's performance. 2025 Total revenue $47,884,344 = Recurring Revenue $45,605,509 + Franchise Fee Revenue $2,278,835. Consolidated net loss $(13,594,714).
ⓘ 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 69 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORParent company affiliate (MaidPro) regulatory violation in 2025 raises compliance concerns across franchise system
- 02MINOR6% royalty on gross sales (not net) creates cash flow pressure in service-based business with variable margins
- 03MEDNet income not disclosed — cannot assess profitability or payback period against stated investment
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% 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 | 7 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 7 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Exclusive territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory population | 100,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 10 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 10 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 4 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | OH |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
1 regulatory action: In the Matter of MaidPro Franchise LLC (affiliate), Maryland Securities Commissioner Case No. 2025-0075; Consent Order Aug 13, 2025; MaidPro paid $15,000 penalty for inadvertent violation of franchise fee deferral requirement. No litigation against Men In Kilts US, LLC directly.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 38 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 45 hrs
- Training location
- Your Territory or alternative location designated by us; remote/virtual for some portions
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 4 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects location subject to franchisor consent; franchisor designates Territory
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Field service software (third-party approved supplier)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Field service software (third-party approved supplier)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
26 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 Men In Kilts franchise?
The total investment to open a Men In Kilts franchise ranges from $101K – $148K, with an initial franchise fee of $38K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Men In Kilts franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Men In Kilts FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $209K. The median is $191K. Important context: Averaged per franchisee, not per outlet - not comparable with per-outlet figures. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns Men In Kilts?
Men In Kilts is franchised by Men In Kilts US, LLC. Its parent company is Threshold Brands, LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is HS Group Holding Company, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Men In Kilts 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 Men In Kilts FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Men In Kilts's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Men In Kilts (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 Men In Kilts franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Men In Kilts has 47 total units in the United States, including 47 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 6 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Men In Kilts a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Men In Kilts as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 69 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
Are you the franchisor?
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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.