Uptown Cheapskate Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $364K – $682K
- Disclosed sales
- $1.4M
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 8.6%
- on 100 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Uptown Cheapskate is a resale-retail franchise buying and selling gently used, on-trend clothing and accessories for teens and young adults. Franchisees run stores sourcing inventory directly from local sellers, then pricing and reselling.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Uptown Cheapskate franchise requires a total initial investment of $364K – $682K, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.4M[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 8.6% charge-off rate across 100 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
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 scored6 of 8 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $364K – $682K
- 62nd pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- $1.4M
- 15th pct Business Serv…
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 5th pct Business Serv…
- Units
- 162
- 54th pct Business Serv…
- SBA charge-off
- 8.6%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Business Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Business Services 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 $364K – $682K including a $35K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $1.4M/year (median $1.2M), with an estimated 24% cash-on-cash return (based on Net Income (10)).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 81/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 8.6% across 100 loans (near or below the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHPositive: net +19 franchised outlets in the latest year (14 opened, 0 closed) (Item 20).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Uptown Cheapskate Franchise System, LLC
- Parent company
- BaseCamp Franchising, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2026 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- BaseCamp Parent, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2026 FDD
- Predecessor
- Uptown Cheapskate, LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Co-CEO
- Zach Gordon and Tyler Gordon
- Incorporated in
- Delaware
- HQ
- 39 E. Eagle Ridge Drive, #100, North Salt Lake, Utah 84054
- Auditor
- Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $19.3M
- vs $15.5M prior year
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 8
1 other brand on this site name BaseCamp Parent, LLC as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2026 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Zach Gordon and Tyler Gordon
- Headquarters
- UT
- Founded
- 2009
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 25
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 293% above the typical business services franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $35K | $35K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $40K | $68K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $289K | $580K |
| Total initial investment | $364K | $682K |
Source: Uptown Cheapskate 2026 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
- $364K – $682K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $40K – $68K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $35K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- Set by a formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.5%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 5.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
- Payback period
- 4.2 yrs
- From FDD / Item 19
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.5% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $350 |
| Transfer fee | $25K |
| Renewal fee | $25 |
| Total fee load | 5.5% of rev |
A 5.5% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 105% above the business services norm.
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for Uptown Cheapskate until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for 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.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$577K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
FDD-reported earnings
The FDD reports $227K as Net Income (10). This is a disclosed figure, not our estimate — we publish no modelled profit for Uptown Cheapskate.
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Uptown Cheapskate 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 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.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for 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.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
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: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $1.4M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $1.2M
- Avg net income (10)
- $227K
- Reported as Net Income (10) in FDD Item 19
- Cash-on-cash
- 23.9%
- Based on Net Income (10) / investment midpoint
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 115 outlets
- vs category median 37 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $403K→$3.9MNot cited — published from our reading of the franchisor's disclosure document; the page it is printed on has not been located.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 9 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · above
Compared against 296 Business Services brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $1.4M/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 2.7x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 5.5% — below the Business Services median of 9.0%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 9/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
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 Business Services medians
How Uptown Cheapskate Compares
Category median of published Business Services 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 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 162
- Opened
- 14
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- N/A
- Company-owned
- 14
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 89%
- vs corporate-owned
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 34 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
207 current owners across 34 states.
- TX 49
- GA 18
- FL 12
- UT 12
- VA 12
- NC 11
- OH 10
- MD 8
- AZ 7
- MI 7
- OK 7
- CA 6
- +22 more states
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 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 100
- Loan volume
- $42.7M
- Median loan
- $373K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 8.6%
- on 100 loans · rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 91.4%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 23
- Defaults
- 3
- Typical loan rate
- 7.2%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 5.8%
- brand above franchise avg ↑
- Jobs supported
- 1,737
- 4.1 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 33%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 92% went to startups / new businesses, 8% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in used merchandise stores, franchised businesses charge off at 5.8% vs 19.5% for independents — franchising is associated with 70% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Vintage analysis
Uptown Cheapskate charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Uptown Cheapskate franchisees
Showing 3 of 23 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Uptown Cheapskate from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 0.8%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 75%
- Avg interest rate
- 7.16%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $110K
- Lender concentration
- 33.0%
- Job velocity
- 4.1 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 7.0%
- NAICS 453310
- Jobs supported
- 1,737
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 33% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 33 | $13.9M | 27.3% |
| 2 | Citizens Bank | 19 | $8.8M | 0.0% |
| 3 | KeyBank National Association | 16 | $7.0M | 0.0% |
| 4 | Cadence Bank | 7 | $1.2M | 0.0% |
| 5 | Enterprise Bank & Trust | 3 | $735K | 0.0% |
| 6 | BancFirst | 3 | $868K | 0.0% |
| 7 | The Huntington National Bank | 3 | $575K | N/A |
| 8 | Zions Bank, A Division of | 1 | $225K | 0.0% |
| 9 | Carter FCU | 1 | $308K | 0.0% |
| 10 | Stellar Bank | 1 | $710K | N/A |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| TXTexas | 26 | 1 | 11.1% |
| OHOhio | 9 | 0 | 0.0% |
| CACalifornia | 6 | 0 | 0.0% |
| MIMichigan | 6 | 0 | -- |
| OKOklahoma | 6 | 0 | 0.0% |
| UTUtah | 6 | 0 | 0.0% |
| VAVirginia | 6 | 0 | 0.0% |
| GAGeorgia | 5 | 0 | 0.0% |
| MOMissouri | 5 | 0 | 0.0% |
| SCSouth Carolina | 4 | 1 | 50.0% |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 8.6% — 46% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Healthy parent-level financials (net worth $13.47M, net income $686,504 on $19.27M revenue), no bankruptcy, no going-concern, Item 19 disclosed across a solid 129-unit system. Only concern is one historical predecessor arbitration (2014) over earnings-claim/support allegations that found the franchisee jointly owed $186,750 in rent offset. Matter is concluded.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Predecessor UCF was sued by a franchisee (M Three, Inc.) in 2014 arbitration alleging unlawful earnings claims and poor support; arbitrator found franchisee breached the agreement but held UCF, K2KF, and predecessor Basecamp jointly liable for $186,750 in rent offset; award confirmed by U.S. District Court of Minnesota in 2016.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Financials are for BaseCamp Franchise Holdings, LLC and Subsidiaries (consolidated parent entity), not Uptown Cheapskate Franchise System, LLC alone.
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
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: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 81 / 100 verdict
- 01MINOROne concluded predecessor arbitration (2014) re: earnings claims, $186,750 award
- 02MINORStrong parent financials, no going-concern
- 03MEDItem 19 disclosed, 129-unit system
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 5.5% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 5 mi |
| Territory population | 100,000 |
| 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 | 15 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Utah |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Predecessor UCF was sued by a franchisee (M Three, Inc.) in 2014 arbitration alleging unlawful earnings claims and poor support; arbitrator found franchisee breached the agreement but held UCF, K2KF, and predecessor Basecamp jointly liable for $186,750 in rent offset; award confirmed by U.S. District Court of Minnesota in 2016.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 46 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 55 hrs
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 50 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Site selection
- Franchisee with recommendations from franchisor; franchisor approves site
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Baseline
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Baseline
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
207 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 Uptown Cheapskate franchise?
The total investment to open a Uptown Cheapskate franchise ranges from $364K – $682K, with an initial franchise fee of $35K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Uptown Cheapskate franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Uptown Cheapskate FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.4M. The median is $1.2M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns Uptown Cheapskate?
Uptown Cheapskate is franchised by Uptown Cheapskate Franchise System, LLC. Its parent company is BaseCamp Franchising, LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is BaseCamp Parent, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Uptown Cheapskate 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 Uptown Cheapskate FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Uptown Cheapskate's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Uptown Cheapskate has a charge-off rate of 8.6% across 100 loans, meaning 8.6% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Uptown Cheapskate franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Uptown Cheapskate has 162 total units in the United States, including 148 franchised units and 14 company-owned units. 14 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Uptown Cheapskate a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Uptown Cheapskate as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 81 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
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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.