Appell Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a Appell franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2026), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
Appell discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it C.
What their own earnings claim actually says
2025 gross sales for 5 franchisees ($96,702–$794,744); affiliate sales by service type. Unaudited. No assurance earnings match.
What a Appell franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $60,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 8% of gross sales | Item 6 — charged on revenue, not profit |
| Advertising fund | 1% of gross sales | Item 6 — brand marketing, spent at the franchisor's discretion |
| Total recurring fees | 9% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $224,907 – $477,178 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
8% royalty or $500/month minimum; 1% brand fund; 2% local advertising; $410 technology fee.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
Appell system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 12 |
| Ceased operations | 1 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 1 |
| Transferred to new owners | 0 |
| Closure rate | 8.3% of outlets |
1 franchisee terminated 2025; 1 FL ceased operations 2025. Limited system size.
From Item 20 of the FDD 2026. Terminations and ceased operations are the franchisor's own count of owners who stopped — the number the sales pitch leaves out.
Is Appell worth it? — how it compares to 436 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 9% of sales | steeper than 60% of other franchises franchises |
| Startup cost | from $224,907 | pricier than 67% of peers |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade C | typical for the category |
| Closure rate | 8.3% of outlets | worse than 86% of peers |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 0 | fewer than most |
Benchmarked against every other franchises franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a Appell
The franchisor's framing: 2025 gross sales for 5 franchisees ($96,702–$794,744); affiliate sales by service type. Un… We reconstruct what an owner actually keeps, from their own FDD.
- Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
- Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI
- Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
- Decoded real failure / closure rate
- How it ranks vs comparable franchises
- Validation-call playbook — the exact questions to ask
See a full sample report → · 30-day guarantee
Appell franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a Appell franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $224,907–$477,178, including a $60,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do Appell franchise owners make?
- 2025 gross sales for 5 franchisees ($96,702–$794,744); affiliate sales by service type. Unaudited. No assurance earnings match. We grade this disclosure C for honesty.
- What are the Appell franchise fees?
- Appell's FDD discloses a $60,000 initial franchise fee, a 8% royalty on gross sales, a 1% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 9% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. 8% royalty or $500/month minimum; 1% brand fund; 2% local advertising; $410 technology fee.
- What is the Appell franchise profit margin?
- Appell does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: 2025 gross sales for 5 franchisees ($96,702–$794,744); affiliate sales by service type. Unaudited. No assurance earnings match. Recurring fees alone take about 9% of gross sales, before rent, labor, food or debt service. Margin has to be reconstructed from the disclosure, not read off it.
- What is the Appell franchise failure rate?
- 1 franchisee terminated 2025; 1 FL ceased operations 2025. Limited system size.
- How many Appell locations are there?
- Appell's FDD reports 12 total outlets, with 1 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 0 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does Appell have complaints or lawsuits?
- Appell discloses no material litigation in Item 3 of the filing we reviewed. That's a positive signal, though it covers only what the franchisor is required to report.
- Is a Appell franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Appell scores C on disclosure honesty, carries about 9% of sales in ongoing fees. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Compare Appell to similar franchises
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Source: MN CARDS 36409-202604-11 (Clean FDD 2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Appell or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.