Uncle Louie G Kiosk Franchise Cost & 2025 FDD Data
53/100
Second tier
53 this brand51 Quick-Service Restaurants medianlikely 38–68: narrower with more SBA loans (low confidence)
Higher is better · an editorial assessment, not investment advice
#1,545 of 3,069 graded brands
Why a B: Helped by unit growth. Held back by scale, legal record and transparency. See all six factors
- Total investment
- $54K – $118K
- Fixed Location Kiosk; excl. real estate
- Avg gross sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from the FDD filing. Analysis by FranchiseVerdict · Methodology · Website · Report an error · Franchisor? Claim this listing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2025 FDD
Per the 2025 FDD, a Uncle Louie G Kiosk franchise requires a total initial investment of $54K – $118K for the Fixed Location Kiosk format (the filing prices $41K to $175K across three formats), excluding real estate, including a $10K 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 verdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Verdict grade: B (Second tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice.
Sources: 2025 FDD · What one unit could make and lose →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium (issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file)
Evidence for the headline figures: partial✓ 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 scored3 of 3 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
Quick verdict · vs Quick-Service Restaurants median
Top edge: green = better than the Quick-Service Restaurants median by more than 10%, red = worse by more than 10%, gray = within 10% or no benchmark. Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a).
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Methodology
Bottom line
- RETURNSThe FDD makes no financial performance representation in Item 19, so it discloses no revenue or earnings figures; Item 19 is voluntary, and the Financial performance section explains what that does and does not mean.
- GROWTHIn the latest Item 20 year, the number of franchised outlets grew by 7 (8 opened, 1 closed).
- DATAThe FDD makes no financial performance representation in Item 19, so it discloses no revenue or earnings figures; Item 19 is voluntary, and the Financial performance section explains what that does and does not mean. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
AT STAKEOne unit at the Item 7 midpoint: $11K a year in payments on assumed SBA 7(a)-style terms.You put in about $17K of your own cash and personally guarantee a $69K loan. Assumptions are labeled in Sales; not investment advice.See what one unit could make and lose
Things to check before you sign (1)
- The franchisor keeps the right to compete inside your territory (Item 12, territory).
Checked and clear: no auditor doubt that the franchisor can keep operating, no pending lawsuit naming the franchisor, no supplier rebates to the franchisor, no rule that the owner must run it personally and the full filing on file. Not on file here, so ask: unit trend, SBA charge-off rate against the category median and jury-trial waiver.
What to do next
Step 1: Read the FDD itself.
Free: the franchisor must give it to you at least 14 days before you sign or pay. Or look it up in a state registry (Wisconsin, Minnesota, California). What to read first.
Step 2: Talk to current and former owners.
Free: Item 20 of the FDD lists every current owner and those who left last year, most with a phone number. Questions to ask.
Step 3: Talk to an SBA lender.
Free: the SBA's Lender Match. Ask what you would personally guarantee and what the monthly payment would be. If you plan to use retirement savings, ask a CPA about the rules for that first.
Step 4: Have a franchise attorney review the FDD and agreement.
Free: your state bar's lawyer referral service can name franchise lawyers, and many offer a short first consultation. Bring the checks listed above.
Research steps, not investment or legal advice.
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost (the Item 7 midpoint) is 82% below the Quick-Service Restaurants median ($487K).
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7 (fees and startup costs)
Do you qualify? The filing states no minimum net worth or liquid capital. Ask Uncle Louie Gee I, Inc. (Item 1: 115 Johnson Street, Staten Island, New York 10309) and your lender what they require, and keep living costs for the first year outside the deal.
Item 7 (startup costs) · 3 formats · 2025 FDD
Every building format
The filing prints a separate Item 7 table for each format. Every total excludes real estate (FDD p.25).
3 formats, from $41K to $175K
| Format | Total investment | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Store | $69K – $175K | p.18 |
| Fixed Location Kiosk(the range shown above) | $54K – $118K | p.20 |
| Mobile Concession Trailer | $41K – $130K | p.22 |
Full Item 7 breakdown15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $10K | $10K | |
| Construction, Leasehold Improvements, Furniture and Fixtures | $10K | $35K | |
| Equipment | $15K | $25K | |
| Signs | $1K | $3K | |
| Computer, Software and Point of Sales System | $1K | $2.5K | |
| Initial Inventory | $1.5K | $3.5K | |
| Lease Deposits | $1K | $7K | |
| Real Property | — | — | |
| Utility Deposits | $500 | $1K | |
| Insurance Deposits and Premiums | $1.5K | $3K | |
| Travel and Lodging for Initial Training | $0 | $2K | |
| Professional Fees | $2.5K | $4.5K | |
| Business Licenses and Permits | $150 | $1K | |
| Printing, Stationery, and Office Supplies | $250 | $750 | |
| Additional Funds – Initial period of 3 months | $10K | $20K | |
| Total initial investment | $54K | $118K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. The total row is the total as printed in Item 7. Actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 6 · what you pay once you are open
Ongoing fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 0.0% |
| Renewal fee | $2,500 |
What do units actually make?
This FDD makes no Item 19 financial performance representation - a voluntary item - so unit sales aren't disclosed.
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19 (sales and earnings)
Items 6 (other fees), 7 (startup costs) and 19 (sales and earnings) · assumptions labeled
What you could make and lose: one unit
What one Uncle Louie G Kiosk unit would ask of you, from the filing's Item 7 total and labeled assumptions.
How these figures are worked out
- Loan (assumption): 80% of the $86K Item 7 midpoint (Fixed Location Kiosk format) is a $69K loan, paid over 10 years at 10.5%: $11K a year. SBA 7(a)-style terms on a long-term rate; your lender sets yours.
What you put at risk
Your own cash in: about $17K Assumption (the part the loan does not cover of the $86K Item 7 midpoint), plus whatever anything Item 7 leaves out (its notes say what). The loan is $69K.
Personal guarantee. SBA 7(a) loans require a personal guarantee from anyone who owns 20% or more of the business. If the unit cannot pay, the lender can collect from you personally, which can include your savings and your home. The worst case is losing the cash you put in and still owing the rest of the loan.
Gross sales are not profit, and none of these figures is take-home pay until tax and every operating cost are paid. The assumptions are ours, not the filing's. Not investment advice.
Returns modelOne unit · several units · editable
Uncle Louie G Kiosk makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no gross sales figures are disclosed. The return models need one gross sales figure to start from, plus the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions; nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · one unit
What would one Uncle Louie G Kiosk unit leave you each year after the loan payment?
Not disclosed in Item 19. Enter your own gross sales assumption
Gross sales, not profit: the costs below decide what is left.
No Item 19 figures are on file for this brand. Enter your own costs from a lease quote, a payroll plan and calls with current owners.
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.
Item 7 midpoint of $54K to $118K
Item 7's $10K to $20K additional funds are already in the total
Left after the loan payment · per year
The unit's EBITDA minus the assumed loan payment. Before tax, depreciation and any cost your inputs leave out (insurance, accounting and legal, licenses, technology fees): not take-home pay.
Gross sales are not profit. Neither the filing nor a stated assumption on this page supplies annual revenue, ad fund rate, COGS, labor, rent / occupancy and other operating costs. Enter your own (a lease quote, owner calls) and the model runs on it.
Loan of $69K at 10.5% over 10 years, an assumption, not a quote. Return and payback are before tax, depreciation and the costs above. The loan usually needs your personal guarantee.
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 · filed by Uncle Louie Gee I, Inc.
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 verdict 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.
vs Quick-Service Restaurants medians
How Uncle Louie G Kiosk 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.
System figures: see Uncle Louie G
System figures: see Uncle Louie G
Government records
SBA loan data
Matched to this brand from SBA 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan records.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
What are the risks?
Main risk in the grade: legal, then scale and transparency. The reasons are below.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Verdict grade + FDD Items 3 (litigation), 4 (bankruptcy), 8 (required suppliers), 16 (what you may sell), 21 (audited financials)
Risk and legal
Grade B: Second tier, 53/100 (category median 51); the full grade is at the top of the page.
How the grade is built
Why a B, factor by factor
- Financial health NeutralAudited financials; no going-concern doubt
- Unit economics NeutralNo Item 19 sales figure to set against the investment, so neutral
- Unit growth HelpsTurnover 10.0%
- Scale Weighs on itFranchising since 2000
- Legal Weighs on it, weakest dimension2 matters naming the franchisor among the Item 3 matters we list
- Transparency Weighs on itItem 19 declines to disclose financial performance; audited financials
From the six scored dimensions, an editorial assessment, not investment advice. How the score is built
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Two concluded matters: (1) Basciano v. Uncle Louie Gee I, Inc. (2014) -- former licensee breach-of-contract claim over territorial rights, settled with fee refund and case discontinued; (2) NY Attorney General Investor Protection Bureau investigation (2014-2015) alleging unregistered franchise sales in New York, settled via $5,000 penalty and rescission offer.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Henry Mensah
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
The revenue figures are in the Franchisor tab, under The franchisor.
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
Ask what the franchisor earns on the supplies it sells you or the rebates it takes (Item 8).
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Franchisor takes supplier rebates: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
System figures: see Uncle Louie G
What are you signing up for?
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12 (territory), 15 (owner participation) and 17 (renewal, termination and disputes)
Contract and territory detail
| Allowed renewals | 1 |
|---|---|
| Territory | Conditional: “Use and license others to use the Marks and the System for the operation of Uncle Louie G Businesses at any location other than within the Operating Territory (if any) of a Franchisee or at a Protected Event; 2. Establish company-owned or franchisee-operated businesses that sell similar products and/or services under different trade names or trademarks other than the Marks or System; 3.” |
| Territory radius | 0.1–0.5 mi |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Who runs it (Item 15) | Owner-operator not required |
| Non-compete (years) | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles) | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusal | No |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination grounds | 14 |
| Curable defaults | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | New York |
| Governing law | New York |
Items 10 (financing), 11 (training and support)
Training and operations
- On-the-job training
- 10 hrs
- Ongoing training
- Optional
- Site selection
- franchisee (subject to franchisor's written notice of no objection)
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 (initial fees) & 11 (training and support)
Franchisor support
Franchisee contacts
We hold no owner list for this brand. Item 20 of the FDD lists the current and former owners; the free FDD is the source.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to open a Uncle Louie G Kiosk franchise?
Per the 2025 FDD, the total investment to open a Uncle Louie G Kiosk franchise ranges from $54K to $118K for the Fixed Location Kiosk format, with an initial franchise fee of $10K. Across every format the filing prices, totals run from $41K to $175K (three formats). This is the Item 7 total in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD): the startup costs the franchisor lists, such as build-out, equipment, inventory and working capital. The filing says these totals do not include real estate.
What do Uncle Louie G Kiosk franchise owners earn?
Uncle Louie G Kiosk makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no gross sales 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 verdict 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 Kiosk?
Uncle Louie G Kiosk is franchised by Uncle Louie Gee I, Inc. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Uncle Louie G Kiosk 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. The Uncle Louie G Kiosk FDD does not make an Item 19 financial performance representation, so this page shows no earnings figure.
What is Uncle Louie G Kiosk's franchise failure rate?
There is no published franchise failure rate, and Uncle Louie G Kiosk has too few resolved SBA 7(a) loans on file (fewer than 10) to show an SBA charge-off rate that would mean anything. The SBA charge-off rate is the share of a brand's resolved SBA 7(a) loans to its franchisees that the SBA wrote off, including purchased guarantees. Resolved means paid in full or charged off; active loans are excluded because their outcome is not yet known. It is a lending outcome, not a count of closed businesses. Review the turnover and closure figures in Item 20 of the FDD and speak with current and former franchisees.
Is Uncle Louie G Kiosk a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict gives Uncle Louie G Kiosk a B Verdict grade (Second tier) with a verdict score of 53 out of 100 (higher is better), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Helped by unit growth (turnover 10.0%). Held back by scale (franchising since 2000), legal record (2 matters naming the franchisor among the Item 3 matters we list) and transparency (Item 19 declines to disclose financial performance). The “Why a B” section on this page lists all six dimensions and any adjustment. Speak with current franchisees before making any investment decision.
Other Quick-Service Restaurants franchises
Similar investment first, then by grade
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.