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The real numbers on owning a Cousins Subs franchise
Quick Service Restaurant - Submarine Sandwiches · FDD 2026 · from public state filings
CDisclosure honesty
This franchisor discloses earnings (Item 19) — but read how.
Investment
$464,700–$1,164,500
Total fees
8% of sales
Outlets
92
Closure signals
2 ceased, 2 terminated
Lawsuits
0
What their own earnings claim actually says
Discloses affiliate-owned shop gross receipts and EBITDA by revenue tier (3 years). EBITDA data is company stores only—no royalties paid, no corporate overhead allocated—making profitability appear better than franchisee reality. No franchisee net income shown.
Failure & turnover reality (Item 20)
Franchised outlets shrank from 48 to 34 over three years; franchisor reacquired 8 shops, suggesting systemic franchisee distress.
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The franchisor won't put real owner profit in writing. We do — reconstructed from their own FDD.
Franchisor's framing: Discloses affiliate-owned shop gross receipts and EBITDA by revenue tier (3 years). EBITDA data…
🔒 Real estimated owner take-home (low / median / high) — unlocked in the report
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 $464,700–$1,164,500, including a $25,000 initial franchise fee.
How much do Cousins Subs franchise owners make?
Discloses affiliate-owned shop gross receipts and EBITDA by revenue tier (3 years). EBITDA data is company stores only—no royalties paid, no corporate overhead allocated—making profitability appear better than franchisee reality. No franchisee net income shown. We grade this disclosure C for honesty.
What is the Cousins Subs franchise failure rate?
Franchised outlets shrank from 48 to 34 over three years; franchisor reacquired 8 shops, suggesting systemic franchisee distress.
Is a Cousins Subs franchise worth it?
It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Cousins Subs scores C on disclosure honesty, carries about 8% of sales in ongoing fees. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Source: MN CARDS 35541-202603-01 (Clean FDD 2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Cousins Subs or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.