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B65/100FDD 2026

Minuteman Press — Litigation & Risk

Business Services - Printing & Signs · FDD Items 3, 4 & 5

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Moderate — Review

5 cases disclosed in FDD Items 3 and 4.

Source: FDD Items 3–5

FDD Items 3 & 4

Litigation Metrics

Cases disclosed
5
Total from FDD Items 3 and 4
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
—
Franchisor or officer bankruptcy
Overall risk score
65 / 100
FranchiseVerdict composite
Rating
MODERATE
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
460
Government-backed loans issued
Default rate
24.1%
vs <3% typical · system-wide
5-yr default rate
14.3%
Defaults
92 loans
Loans charged off or defaulted
Total loan volume
$97.8M
Avg loan size
$213K
Participating lenders
151

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

Contract Risk Indicators

Mandatory arbitration
Required
Disputes resolved outside court — limits your legal options
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
New York
State whose law governs disputes — relevant if you're not based there

What drove the 65/100 rating

Risk Score Breakdown

  1. 01MINORStagnant unit growth (2.3% YoY) indicates declining franchise appeal in mature market
  2. 02HIGHMultiple litigation cases including fraudulent misrepresentation claims and historical FTC injunction suggest compliance and disclosure issues
  3. 03MINORNo Item 19 (average net income) disclosure prevents verification of profitability claims against stated $769,858 average revenue
  4. 04MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk between franchisees in same market
  5. 05MINORConsent order with Washington State Department of Financial Institutions indicates regulatory action
  6. 06HIGHHistorical pattern of settlement agreements (2 concluded) and pending litigation (William Weston case) suggests ongoing operational friction

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.