ERA Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a ERA franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2026), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
ERA discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it D.
What their own earnings claim actually says
Disclosed affiliate 2025 gross revenues ($1.8M–$99.6M) and 45 franchisee locations ($945K–$29.8M). Shows COGS only; omits operating expenses, labor, rent—critical for net income calculations.
What a ERA franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 4% of gross sales | Item 6 — charged on revenue, not profit |
| Total recurring fees | 4% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $504,950 – $898,250 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
Royalty 4–6% gross revenues; $2K monthly minimum; $750/mo IT fee; $40–$105/mo CRM; extensive pass-through and discretionary fees.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
ERA system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 65 |
| Ceased operations | 11 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 11 |
| Transferred to new owners | 4 |
| Closure rate | 16.9% of outlets |
11 terminations, 4 transfers in 2025; Louisiana lost all 4 locations; Michigan/Mississippi/Tennessee ceased operations.
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 ERA worth it? — how it compares to 436 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 4% of sales | lower than most (median 8%) |
| Startup cost | from $504,950 | pricier than 80% of peers |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade D | typical for the category |
| Closure rate | 16.9% of outlets | worse than 94% of peers |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 5 | more litigious than 83% of peers |
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 ERA
The franchisor's framing: Disclosed affiliate 2025 gross revenues ($1.8M–$99.6M) and 45 franchisee locations ($945K–… 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
ERA franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a ERA franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $504,950–$898,250, including a $50,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do ERA franchise owners make?
- Disclosed affiliate 2025 gross revenues ($1.8M–$99.6M) and 45 franchisee locations ($945K–$29.8M). Shows COGS only; omits operating expenses, labor, rent—critical for net income calculations. We grade this disclosure D for honesty.
- What are the ERA franchise fees?
- ERA's FDD discloses a $50,000 initial franchise fee, a 4% royalty on gross sales, for roughly 4% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. Royalty 4–6% gross revenues; $2K monthly minimum; $750/mo IT fee; $40–$105/mo CRM; extensive pass-through and discretionary fees.
- What is the ERA franchise profit margin?
- ERA does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: Disclosed affiliate 2025 gross revenues ($1.8M–$99.6M) and 45 franchisee locations ($945K–$29.8M). Shows COGS only; omits operating expenses, labor, rent—critical for net income calculations. Recurring fees alone take about 4% 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 ERA franchise failure rate?
- 11 terminations, 4 transfers in 2025; Louisiana lost all 4 locations; Michigan/Mississippi/Tennessee ceased operations.
- How many ERA locations are there?
- ERA's FDD reports 65 total outlets, with 11 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 4 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does ERA have complaints or lawsuits?
- ERA discloses 5 legal matters in Item 3 of its FDD. Item 3 covers the franchisor's litigation history, which is the closest thing to a public record of how it treats franchisees — read the case descriptions, not just the count.
- Is a ERA franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. ERA scores D on disclosure honesty, carries about 4% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 5 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Compare ERA to similar franchises
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Source: MN CARDS 35954-202604-07 (Clean FDD 2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with ERA or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.