Mulberrys Garment Care Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Mulberrys Garment Care is a dry cleaning franchise offering premium, toxin-free garment care, laundry, and alterations. Franchisees run plants or drop-off stores, managing garment intake, cleaning, and pickup.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Mulberrys Garment Care franchise requires a total initial investment of $868K – $1.3M, including a $40K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2024 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $868K – $1.3M
- 85th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 9th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Units
- 13
- 23rd pct Cleaning & Ma…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Cleaning & Maintenance · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Cleaning & Maintenance 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 $868K – $1.3M including a $40K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSFY2023 audited Statement of Revenues and Expenses (Mulberrys Franchising, LLC). TOTAL INCOME $1,269,133 = franchise fee income $1,201,861 + interest income $63,281 + other income $3,991. Members' equity is negative (-$3,765,684) due to a large 'loan payable on behalf of related party' and member distributions exceeding contributions/earnings.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 48/100 (higher is better).
- DATANo Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Gemini Cleaners LLC
- Parent company
- Value Drycleaners of America, LLC (VDA)
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Michael Weisel
- CEO experience
- 15 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- Maryland
- HQ
- 8510 Corridor Road, Suite 200, Savage, Maryland 20763
- Auditor
- Equi-Point Accounting Inc. (Jaclyn Kidd, Principal)
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.3M
- vs $1.1M prior year
Affiliated brands
- ZIPS Franchising
- ZIPSsoft
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Michael Weisel
- Headquarters
- Maryland
- Founded
- 2023
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 1
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 245% above the typical cleaning & maintenance franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown8 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Training Program and Travel Costsnot refundable | $5K | $20K | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $60K | $180K | |
| Business Licenses and Permitsnot refundable | $5K | $15K | |
| Office Equipment and Suppliesnot refundable | $10K | $50K | |
| Technology Hardwarenot refundable | $5K | $10K | |
| Office Lease - 3 Monthsnot refundable | $9K | $30K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $5K | $15K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 Monthsnot refundable | $74K | $160K | |
| Total initial investment | $173K | $480K |
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
- $868K – $1.3M
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $200K
- 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
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 13.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $550 |
| Training fee | $1K |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Inventory (initial) | $9K – $30K |
| Total fee load | 13.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Mulberrys Garment Care 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 Mulberrys Garment Care unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
7%
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: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
FY2023 audited Statement of Revenues and Expenses (Mulberrys Franchising, LLC). TOTAL INCOME $1,269,133 = franchise fee income $1,201,861 + interest income $63,281 + other income $3,991. Members' equity is negative (-$3,765,684) due to a large 'loan payable on behalf of related party' and member distributions exceeding contributions/earnings.
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 13.0% — above the Cleaning & Maintenance average of 9.7%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System expanding at 116.7% CAGR over 3 years across 13 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Multi-unit rate
Only 1% of franchisees own multiple units. Could indicate challenging economics or a young system where operators haven't had time to expand.
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 averages
How Mulberrys Garment Care Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 13
- Opened
- 2
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 7.7%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 1%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 1.0%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +116.7%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +116.7%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 2
- Closed (3yr)
- 1
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 3 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
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- New York
- Rhode Island
- Virginia
- Washington
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
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
- $4.6M
- Median loan
- $2.3M
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (2 loans) — rate not shown below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- 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
Extreme caution warranted: single-unit system with non-disclosed financials, going concern issues, opaque royalty model, and unproven profitability creates substantial risk of total capital loss.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3
Largest disclosed settlement: $30,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Equi-Point Accounting Inc. (Jaclyn Kidd, Principal)
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 48 / 100 verdict
- 01MINOROnly 1 unit in system with unknown growth trajectory indicates potential system collapse or early-stage concept with unproven model
- 02HIGHGoing Concern = False suggests franchisor may have financial instability or operational viability concerns
- 03MINORUnusual royalty structure (1/3 of subfranchisee royalties) is opaque and creates misaligned incentives between franchisor and franchisee
- 04MINOR$0 franchise fee combined with high unit costs is atypical and may indicate franchisor cannot attract capital through traditional fees
- 05MINORProtected territory is sole competitive advantage listed, but meaningless if brand has no market presence or demand validation
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 13.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 2 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 90 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 2 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Florida |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Maryland |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 40 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 80 hrs
- Training location
- Training Facility in Washington, D.C., or other approved facility
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 80 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 18 mo
- From signing to launch
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- ZIPSsoft
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: ZIPSsoft
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
3 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Mulberrys Garment Care · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Mulberrys Garment Care franchise?
The total investment to open a Mulberrys Garment Care franchise ranges from $868K – $1.3M, 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 Mulberrys Garment Care franchise owners earn?
Mulberrys Garment Care 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 Mulberrys Garment Care 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 Mulberrys Garment Care FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Mulberrys Garment Care's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Mulberrys Garment Care (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 Mulberrys Garment Care franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Mulberrys Garment Care has 13 total units in the United States, including 13 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Mulberrys Garment Care a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Mulberrys Garment Care as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 48 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?
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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.