Valentino’s RestaurantFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Valentino’s Restaurant franchise requires a total initial investment of $50K – $779K, including a $15K franchise fee. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: C. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $50K – $779K
- 3rd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 59th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 32
- 55th 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
Franchising since 1981. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
Bottom line
- Total investment $50K – $779K including a $15K franchise fee.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict C (Average) with a risk score of 65/100.
- No Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Valentino’s of America, Inc.
- Parent company
- Val Limited, Inc.
- CEO title
- President
- Anthony J. Messineo
- CEO experience
- 28 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Incorporated in
- NE
- HQ
- 2601 South 70th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska 68506
- Auditor
- HBE
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $802K
- vs $800K prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Overview
About
Franchisees operate Valentino's restaurant locations (To-Go and/or Express formats), managing daily food preparation, customer service, inventory, and staffing. Revenue depends on foot traffic and order volume, with costs including labor, rent, food, and utilities offsetting sales.
- CEO
- Anthony J. Messineo
- Headquarters
- NE
- Founded
- 1980
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 2
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $15K | $15K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $6K | $40K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $29K | $724K |
| Total initial investment | $50K | $779K |
Source: Valentino’s Restaurant 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
- $50K – $779K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $6K – $40K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $15K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- Up to 5% of gross sales for To-Go; greater of 5% or $1,00…
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty (flat) | greater of up to 5% of gross sales or $1,000 per month for Express Location |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $4K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
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 Valentino’s Restaurant Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 32
- 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
- 15
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 53%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +0.0%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +0.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Projected new
- 1
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Continuity rate
- 100.0%
- Units that stayed open
- Ceased ops
- 3.1%
- 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.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 6 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 6
- Loan volume
- N/A
- Amount data pending
- Median loan
- N/A
- 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
- 0
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Small, undisclosed restaurant franchise with no financial performance data, unclear growth, and wide investment variance presents significant investment opacity and profitability risk.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · HBE
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- 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 65 / 100 rating
- 01MINORNo Item 19 financial performance disclosure — cannot validate ROI claims or typical unit economics
- 02MINORWide investment range ($49.5K–$779K) suggests inconsistent costs and unclear unit profitability tiers
- 03MINOROnly 32 units system-wide with unknown growth trajectory — small, potentially stagnant franchise base
- 04HIGHGoing Concern indicator is FALSE (unusual phrasing) — potential ambiguity on franchisor financial stability
- 05MINORRoyalty structure creates floor ($1,000/mo minimum for Express) even during slow months, risking negative cash flow
- 06MED15-year term is lengthy commitment with no disclosed renewal or exit data
- 07MINORRestaurant industry has notoriously low margins (3-5% net) — no disclosure makes risk assessment impossible
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 | 15 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Radius |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory radius | 2.5 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1.5 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Nebraska |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 40 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 1250 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
21 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Valentino’s Restaurant · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Valentino’s Restaurant franchise?
The total investment to open a Valentino’s Restaurant franchise ranges from $50K – $779K, with an initial franchise fee of $15K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Valentino’s Restaurant franchise owners earn?
Valentino’s Restaurant 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 Valentino’s Restaurant's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Valentino’s Restaurant (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 Valentino’s Restaurant franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Valentino’s Restaurant has 32 total units in the United States, including 17 franchised units and 15 company-owned units.
Is Valentino’s Restaurant a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Valentino’s Restaurant as a C-grade franchise with a risk score of 65 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.
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.