Uncle Louie G Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $69K – $175K
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- Under 10 loans (2)
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Uncle Louie G is a dessert franchise serving Italian ices and premium ice cream in a wide range of flavors. Franchisees run the shops, managing product inventory, staffing, and counter service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Uncle Louie G franchise requires a total initial investment of $69K – $175K, including a $8K – $20K franchise fee. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. 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: medium - issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file
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 scored4 of 4 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $69K – $175K
- 3rd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 0.0%
- 0th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 30
- 56th 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 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 $69K – $175K including a $20K franchise fee, 0.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 53/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +6 franchised outlets in the latest year (8 opened, 2 closed); 5 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 15.4% CAGR over 3 years with 30 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Uncle Louie Gee I, Inc.
- Predecessor
- Uncle Louie G Franchise Inc.
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President
- Melissa Aiello
- CEO experience
- 13 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Incorporated in
- New York
- HQ
- 115 Johnson Street, Staten Island, New York 10309
- Auditor
- Henry Mensah
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.5M
- vs $1.1M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Overview
About
- CEO
- Melissa Aiello
- Headquarters
- NY
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 6
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 75% below the typical quick-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $20K | $20K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $15K | $25K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $34K | $130K |
| Total initial investment | $69K | $175K |
Source: Uncle Louie G 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $69K – $175K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $8K – $20K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 0.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- No advertising fund maintained; franchisor may conduct it…
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 0.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $6K |
| Renewal fee | $3K |
| Inventory (initial) | $5K – $6K |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Uncle Louie G makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Uncle Louie G 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 annual revenue, ad fund rate, 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.
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
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
0.0% royalty — lower than the category average.
Disclosure
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator retention
System expanding at 15.4% CAGR over 3 years across 30 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Multi-unit rate
Only 15% 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 Quick-Service Restaurants medians
How Uncle Louie G Compares
Category median of published Quick-Service Restaurants 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 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 30
- Opened
- 8
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Terminated
- 1
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 1
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 6.7%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 14.8%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +15.4%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +15.4%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 1
- Not renewed
- 1
- Transferred
- 4
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 5
- 0.17 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 17
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 13.3%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Termination rate
- 6.7%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 6.7%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 6 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.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
34 current owners across 7 states.
- NJ 13
- NY 11
- FL 5
- PA 2
- OH 1
- RD 1
- SC 1
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
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
- $340K
- Median loan
- $170K
- 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
- 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
Two concluded matters, including a 2014-2015 NY Attorney General investigation into unregistered franchise sales, both resolved. No bankruptcy, no going-concern, audited financials with total revenue of $1.49M and a stable 30-unit all-franchised system. Only lingering concern is no Item 19 disclosure and the historical regulatory matter.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Two concluded actions: (1) Basciano v. Uncle Louie Gee I, Inc. - breach of contract claim by former licensee alleging violation of territorial rights and unfulfilled order, settled with license fee refund and brand de-identification; (2) New York Attorney General investigation alleging unlawful franchise sales without registration, settled with agreement not to offer franchises in NY until registered/exempt, rescission offer to prior NY franchisees, and $5,000 in penalties, fees, and costs.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Henry Mensah
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Franchisor revenue from sale of Uncle Louie G Products/Supplies & Equipment to franchisees was $1,342,022 (90% of total revenue of $1,491,136) in FY2024 (Item 8)
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: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 53 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORConcluded NY AG investigation into unregistered franchise sales (2014-2015)
- 02MINORNo Item 19 disclosure
- 03HIGHBoth litigation matters concluded, not active
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
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 | Exclusive territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory radius | 0.1 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | No |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 14 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | New York |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | New York |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Two concluded actions: (1) Basciano v. Uncle Louie Gee I, Inc. - breach of contract claim by former licensee alleging violation of territorial rights and unfulfilled order, settled with license fee refund and brand de-identification; (2) New York Attorney General investigation alleging unlawful franchise sales without registration, settled with agreement not to offer franchises in NY until registered/exempt, rescission offer to prior NY franchisees, and $5,000 in penalties, fees, and costs.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 14 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 10 hrs
- Training location
- Staten Island, New York
- Ongoing training
- Optional
- Site selection
- franchisee (subject to franchisor's written notice of no objection)
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
34 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 Uncle Louie G franchise?
The total investment to open a Uncle Louie G franchise ranges from $69K – $175K, with an initial franchise fee of $20K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Uncle Louie G franchise owners earn?
Uncle Louie G makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns Uncle Louie G?
Uncle Louie G is franchised by Uncle Louie Gee I, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Uncle Louie G 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 Uncle Louie G FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Uncle Louie G's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Uncle Louie G (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 Uncle Louie G franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Uncle Louie G has 30 total units in the United States, including 30 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 8 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Uncle Louie G a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Uncle Louie G as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 53 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.