The Original Dave’s Cosmic SubsFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A The Original Dave’s Cosmic Subs franchise requires a total initial investment of $253K – $561K, including a $30K franchise fee. The 2024 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: D. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $253K – $561K
- 14th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 28th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 21
- 28th pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Full-Service Restaurants avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Franchising since 2000. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
Franchised units fell from 24 to 11 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $253K – $561K including a $30K franchise fee.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict D (Below Average) with a risk score of 72/100.
- System contracting at -54.2% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- SRC DCS, LLC
- Incorporated in
- OH
- HQ
- 7361 Daisy’s Wood Lane, Gates Mills, OH 44040
- Auditor
- ALAN V JANUZZI
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $248K
- vs $652K prior year
Overview
About
Franchisees operate submarine sandwich restaurants branded as The Original Dave's Cosmic Subs, focusing on customizable subs and likely casual dining service. Daily operations include food prep, inventory management, staffing, and customer service in a quick-service or fast-casual format. Franchisees are responsible for rent, labor, local marketing, and compliance with brand standards while remitting 6% royalties on gross sales (minimum $200/week).
- CEO
- Navpaul Sidhu
- Headquarters
- OH
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 3
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing · 14 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $30K | $30K | |
| Training expensesnot refundable | $10K | $20K | |
| Rental Costsnot refundable | $5K | $10K | |
| Construction, remodeling, leasehold improvements and decorating costsnot refundable | $65K | $250K | |
| Architectural Feesnot refundable | $6K | $10K | |
| Equipment, furniture and fixtures, signage, point of sale system, security system and sound systemnot refundable | $82K | $85K | |
| Digital menu boardsnot refundable | $5K | $5K | |
| Start-up Inventory/Suppliesnot refundable | $8K | $15K | |
| Uniforms (shirts and hats)not refundable | $300 | $520 | |
| Grand Opening Advertisingnot refundable | $8K | $15K | |
| Security deposits, utility deposits, business formation and licenses, and other prepaid expensesnot refundable | $1K | $4K | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $3K | $6K | |
| Insurance - 3 Monthsnot refundable | $1K | $3K | |
| Additional funds (initial period - 3 months)not refundable | $29K | $109K | |
| Total initial investment | $253K | $561K |
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
- $253K – $561K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $29K – $109K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $30K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- Greater of: (i) $200 or (ii) 6% of previous week’s Gross …
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 12.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty (flat) | greater of $200 or 6% of previous week's Gross Sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $3 |
| Training fee | $1K |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Total fee load | 12.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Full-Service Restaurants averages
How The Original Dave’s Cosmic Subs Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 21
- Opened
- 0
- 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
- 10
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 52%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -15.4%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -54.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Projected new
- 6
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Continuity rate
- 84.6%
- Units that stayed open
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 4 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.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Dave's Cosmic Subs exhibits high investment risk due to 15.4% YoY unit decline, absence of financial performance data, unprotected territory, and weak system fundamentals despite no litigation history.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · ALAN V JANUZZI
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- 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 72 / 100 rating
- 01MINORSystem contracted 15.4% YoY (21 units down from ~25); indicates declining franchise appeal and potential systemic issues
- 02MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosed in FDD Item 19; impossible to validate ROI or assess unit-level profitability
- 03MINORNo protected territory; franchisees face direct competition from other Dave's Cosmic Subs locations and company-owned stores
- 04MINORWide investment range ($253K–$561K) suggests inconsistent build-out costs, site variability, or hidden expenses
- 05HIGHGoing Concern flag is FALSE, but combined with unit contraction, suggests franchisor may lack financial stability or growth strategy
- 06MINORMinimum weekly royalty of $200 ($10,400/year) mandatory even during slow periods; creates fixed cost burden on underperforming units
- 07MED10-year term is long commitment into a shrinking system with no exit clarity or buyback provisions disclosed
- 08MINORLow franchisee count (21 units) limits peer support network and increases isolation risk for new franchisees
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | radial |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 1.5 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | New York |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 28 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 80 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- POS system
- Toast, Inc.
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Toast, Inc.
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
12 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
The Original Dave’s Cosmic Subs · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a The Original Dave’s Cosmic Subs franchise?
The total investment to open a The Original Dave’s Cosmic Subs franchise ranges from $253K – $561K, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do The Original Dave’s Cosmic Subs franchise owners earn?
The Original Dave’s Cosmic Subs 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 The Original Dave’s Cosmic Subs's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for The Original Dave’s Cosmic Subs (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 The Original Dave’s Cosmic Subs franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, The Original Dave’s Cosmic Subs has 21 total units in the United States, including 24 franchised units and 10 company-owned units.
Is The Original Dave’s Cosmic Subs a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates The Original Dave’s Cosmic Subs as a D-grade franchise with a risk score of 72 out of 100, 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.
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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.