Uncle Louie GFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Uncle Louie G franchise requires a total initial investment of $41K – $175K, including a $20K franchise fee and an ongoing 0.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $41K – $175K
- 3rd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 59th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 0.0%
- 0th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 30
- 54th pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Quick-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Quick-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
Franchised units fell from 30 to 26 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $41K – $175K including a $20K franchise fee, 0.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 52/100.
- System growing at 15.4% CAGR over 3 years with 30 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Uncle Louie Gee I, Inc.
- Ultimate parent
- None
- CEO title
- President
- Melissa Aiello
- CEO experience
- 13 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Incorporated in
- NY
- HQ
- 115 Johnson Street, Staten Island, New York 10309
- Auditor
- Henry Mensah
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.1M
- vs $1.5M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Overview
About
Uncle Louie G franchisees operate gelato and frozen dessert retail locations, likely focused on product sales, customer service, and point-of-sale operations. Day-to-day activities include inventory management, staff scheduling, equipment maintenance, and local marketing to drive foot traffic in protected territories.
- CEO
- Melissa Aiello
- Headquarters
- NY
- Founded
- 2008
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 6
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $20K | $20K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $1K | $25K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $20K | $130K |
| Total initial investment | $41K | $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
- $41K – $175K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $1K – $25K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $8K – $20K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 0.0%
- Product Purchase · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- -n/d
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 0.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $6K |
| Renewal fee | $3K |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants averages
How Uncle Louie G Compares
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 (yr3)
- +25.0%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +15.4%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 4
- 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 · 23 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.
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
- $340K
- Median loan
- $170K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
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
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Uncle Louie G's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 1 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 1 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 1-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Uncle Louie G presents elevated risk due to going concern status, missing financial disclosures (Item 19), regulatory settlement history, and reliance on non-royalty unit economics—warranting extensive validation before $40K-$175K commitment.
Litigation (Item 3)
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.
Largest disclosed settlement: $5,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Henry Mensah
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: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 52 / 100 rating
- 01HIGHGoing Concern status is False — indicates financial distress or operational uncertainty at corporate level
- 02MINOR0% royalty structure may signal weak corporate support, cash flow problems, or inability to enforce standards
- 03MINORNo Item 19 (Average Unit Volume) disclosure — cannot assess profitability or validate $40,900-$175,000 investment ROI
- 04MINORRegulatory history: 2014-2015 NY AG investigation for unregistered franchise sales suggests compliance/disclosure violations
- 05MEDSmall unit count (30 locations) with only 25% YoY growth — modest expansion and limited brand recognition/proof of concept
- 06HIGHBreach of contract litigation over territorial rights (2014) indicates potential disputes over franchise agreement enforceability
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 | Radius |
| 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 |
| 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
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
52 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Uncle Louie G · FDD (2025) PDF
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 $41K – $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 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 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 A-grade franchise with a risk score of 52 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.