The real numbers on owning a Barrel House franchise
Upscale Tavern/Sports Bar · FDD 2024 · from public state filings
DDisclosure honesty
This franchisor discloses earnings (Item 19) — but read how.
Investment
$540,000–$1,215,000
Total fees
6% of sales
Outlets
7
Closure signals
1 ceased, 0 terminated
Lawsuits
0
What their own earnings claim actually says
One franchised unit (Bloomington, IL) generated $2.125M annual gross sales (2023). Five affiliate-owned units ranged $756K-$2.532M. Cherry-picking: only mature affiliates shown; excludes one affiliate unit; location/size variations noted but limited baseline.
Honesty grade D: the disclosed numbers are incomplete or framed to look better than an owner's real take-home.
Failure & turnover reality (Item 20)
One affiliate unit closed 2023. Single franchisee unit with minimal operating history (15 months). Limited system maturity.
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The franchisor won't put real owner profit in writing. We do — reconstructed from their own FDD.
Franchisor's framing: One franchised unit (Bloomington, IL) generated $2.125M annual gross sales (2023). Five affilia…
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Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI on your investment
Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
Decoded real failure / closure rate
How it ranks vs comparable franchises
Validation-call playbook — who to call + the exact questions
The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $540,000–$1,215,000, including a $40,000 initial franchise fee.
How much do Barrel House franchise owners make?
One franchised unit (Bloomington, IL) generated $2.125M annual gross sales (2023). Five affiliate-owned units ranged $756K-$2.532M. Cherry-picking: only mature affiliates shown; excludes one affiliate unit; location/size variations noted but limited baseline. We grade this disclosure D for honesty.
What is the Barrel House franchise failure rate?
One affiliate unit closed 2023. Single franchisee unit with minimal operating history (15 months). Limited system maturity.
Is a Barrel House franchise worth it?
It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Barrel House scores D on disclosure honesty, carries about 6% of sales in ongoing fees. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Source: MN CARDS 31822-202405-06 (Clean FDD 2024). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Barrel House or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.