Paulie Gee's Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Paulie Gee's is a pizza franchise serving artisanal wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzas. Franchisees run the restaurants, managing dough, wood-fired ovens, staffing, and dining service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Paulie Gee's franchise requires a total initial investment of $255K – $734K, including a $15K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $255K – $734K
- 39th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 46th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 7
- 30th pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Quick-Service Restaurants 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 $255K – $734K including a $15K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSPages p191-p201 in this folder are Franchise Agreement exhibits (ACH form, General Release) and FDD Exhibits F/G (franchisee lists) plus the California State Addendum. No audited financial statements (Item 21 balance sheet, income statement, or Independent Auditor's Report) appear in this page range, so no financials could be extracted. Entity referenced throughout is Paulie Gee's Franchising, LLC; FDD dated February 7, 2025.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 59/100 (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
- Paulie Gee's Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- None
- CEO title
- Managing Member / President
- Paul Giannone
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- NY
- HQ
- 1374 Clove Road, Staten Island, NY 10301
- Auditor
- Alfred J. Lutfy, CPA
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $246K
- vs $299K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Paul Giannone
- Headquarters
- NY
- Founded
- 2012
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 4
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 25% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown24 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee (Full-Service Restaurant)not refundable | $15K | $15K | |
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements, Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment (Full-Service Restaurant) | $250K | $500K | |
| Lease Deposits - Three Months (Full-Service Restaurant) | $12K | $36K | |
| Signage (Full-Service Restaurant) | $3K | $5K | |
| Computer, Software and Point of Sales System (Full-Service Restaurant) | $5K | $12K | |
| Initial Inventory (Full-Service Restaurant) | $5K | $15K | |
| Utility Deposits (Full-Service Restaurant) | $1K | $2K | |
| Insurance Deposits - Three Months (Full-Service Restaurant) | $5K | $10K | |
| Travel for Initial Training (Full-Service Restaurant) | $2K | $5K | |
| Professional Fees (Full-Service Restaurant) | $15K | $30K | |
| Licenses and Permits (Full-Service Restaurant) | $2K | $4K | |
| Additional Funds - Three Months (Full-Service Restaurant) | $40K | $80K | |
| Initial Franchise Fee (Slice Shop Restaurant)not refundable | $15K | $15K | |
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements, Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment (Slice Shop Restaurant) | $150K | $520K | |
| Lease Deposits - Three Months (Slice Shop Restaurant) | $12K | $36K | |
| Signage (Slice Shop Restaurant) | $3K | $5K | |
| Computer, Software and Point of Sales System (Slice Shop Restaurant) | $5K | $12K | |
| Initial Inventory (Slice Shop Restaurant) | $5K | $15K | |
| Utility Deposits (Slice Shop Restaurant) | $1K | $2K | |
| Insurance Deposits - Three Months (Slice Shop Restaurant) | $5K | $10K | |
| Total initial investment | $609K | $1.4M |
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
- $255K – $734K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $40K – $80K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Franchise fee
- $15K – $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- tiered · 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% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $500 |
| Training fee | $300 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $4K |
| Inventory (initial) | $5K – $15K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Paulie Gee's 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 Paulie Gee's unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
19%
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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
Pages p191-p201 in this folder are Franchise Agreement exhibits (ACH form, General Release) and FDD Exhibits F/G (franchisee lists) plus the California State Addendum. No audited financial statements (Item 21 balance sheet, income statement, or Independent Auditor's Report) appear in this page range, so no financials could be extracted. Entity referenced throughout is Paulie Gee's Franchising, LLC; FDD dated February 7, 2025.
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 8.0% (near the Quick-Service Restaurants average).
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
Net unit growth of +25.0% over 3 years (1 opened, 0 closed).
Multi-unit rate
67% of franchisees own multiple units — high repeat-buyer rate signals strong unit economics and operator satisfaction.
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 Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Paulie Gee's Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 7
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 71%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 66.7%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +25.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +25.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 1
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 1
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Ceased ops
- 14.3%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 4 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.
4
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
- $305K
- Median loan
- $153K
- 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
- 1
- 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
Paulie Gee's presents moderate-to-cautious risk: a micro-franchise with no financial transparency, above-market royalties, high startup variability, and unproven unit economics in an extremely small system.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Alfred J. Lutfy, CPA
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 59 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDNo Item 19 financial performance disclosure (avg revenue and net income not disclosed) makes ROI analysis impossible
- 02MINORWide investment range ($254.5K–$734K) suggests high variability in startup costs and unclear cost structure
- 03MEDOnly 7 units with 25% YoY growth is extremely small system size—limited franchisee network for validation and support scalability concerns
- 04MINOR6% royalty for 7 years is above-market for pizza/QSR (typically 4–5%) and reduces profitability in critical early years
- 05MINOR10-year term is shorter than industry standard (typically 15–20 years), creating renewal uncertainty and reinvestment risk
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 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 5 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 | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Richmond County, New York |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | NY |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 15 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 91 hrs
- Training location
- Brooklyn, New York
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 25 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 8 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects; franchisor must approve in writing
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
5 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Paulie Gee's · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Paulie Gee's franchise?
The total investment to open a Paulie Gee's franchise ranges from $255K – $734K, with an initial franchise fee of $15K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Paulie Gee's franchise owners earn?
Paulie Gee's 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 Paulie Gee's 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 Paulie Gee's FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Paulie Gee's's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Paulie Gee's (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 Paulie Gee's franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Paulie Gee's has 7 total units in the United States, including 5 franchised units and 2 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Paulie Gee's a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Paulie Gee's as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 59 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.