Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2026), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it C.
What their own earnings claim actually says
2025 revenues for 38 Traditional locations open all 12 months. Top tier avg $894,874, Mid $513,658, Lower $362,638. No expense/profit data provided.
What a Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $30,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales | Item 6 — charged on revenue, not profit |
| Advertising fund | 2% of gross sales | Item 6 — brand marketing, spent at the franchisor's discretion |
| Total recurring fees | 8% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $193,820 – $460,270 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
6% royalty Traditional, 5% Non-Traditional; 2% ad fee Traditional; $100/mo technology; multiple performance penalties $100-$1,000/day.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 58 |
| Ceased operations | 3 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 0 |
| Transferred to new owners | 3 |
| Closure rate | 5.2% of outlets |
System declined from 65 to 58 franchised outlets 2023-2025; 14 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 Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop worth it? — how it compares to 22 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 8% of sales | lower than most (median 8.5%) |
| Startup cost | from $193,820 | cheaper than most (median $436,176) |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade C | typical for the category |
| Closure rate | 5.2% of outlets | worse than 74% of peers |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 2 | about average |
Benchmarked against every sandwich & sub shops franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop
The franchisor's framing: 2025 revenues for 38 Traditional locations open all 12 months. Top tier avg $894,874, Mid … 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
Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $193,820–$460,270, including a $30,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop franchise owners make?
- 2025 revenues for 38 Traditional locations open all 12 months. Top tier avg $894,874, Mid $513,658, Lower $362,638. No expense/profit data provided. We grade this disclosure C for honesty.
- What are the Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop franchise fees?
- Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop's FDD discloses a $30,000 initial franchise fee, a 6% royalty on gross sales, a 2% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 8% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. 6% royalty Traditional, 5% Non-Traditional; 2% ad fee Traditional; $100/mo technology; multiple performance penalties $100-$1,000/day.
- What is the Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop franchise profit margin?
- Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: 2025 revenues for 38 Traditional locations open all 12 months. Top tier avg $894,874, Mid $513,658, Lower $362,638. No expense/profit data provided. Recurring fees alone take about 8% 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 Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop franchise failure rate?
- System declined from 65 to 58 franchised outlets 2023-2025; 14 ceased operations.
- How many Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop locations are there?
- Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop's FDD reports 58 total outlets, with 3 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 3 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop have complaints or lawsuits?
- Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop discloses 2 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 Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop scores C on disclosure honesty, carries about 8% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 2 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Source: WI DFI Franchise Registration (2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Erbert & Gerbert's Sandwich Shop or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.