Gordo's Bubble Waffles Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a Gordo's Bubble Waffles franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2025), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
Gordo's Bubble Waffles discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it C.
What their own earnings claim actually says
Two affiliate-owned Milwaukee locations (Bayview/Marquette) show gross sales $484K-$517K with adjusted net income $154K-$219K. Excludes local marketing, depreciation, repairs. Based on unaudited data.
What a Gordo's Bubble Waffles franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $35,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 6% 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 | 7% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $179,400 – $468,500 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
6% royalty + 1% marketing fund + $500/month local marketing (recommended, may become mandatory). Multiple additional fees apply.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
Gordo's Bubble Waffles system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 2 |
| Ceased operations | 0 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 0 |
| Transferred to new owners | 0 |
| Closure rate | 0.0% of outlets |
Zero franchised outlets as of 2024; only 2 company-owned units. No franchise history data.
From Item 20 of the FDD 2025. Terminations and ceased operations are the franchisor's own count of owners who stopped — the number the sales pitch leaves out.
Is Gordo's Bubble Waffles worth it? — how it compares to 59 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 7% of sales | lower than most (median 7.5%) |
| Startup cost | from $179,400 | cheaper than most (median $209,354) |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade C | typical for the category |
| Closure rate | 0.0% of outlets | better than most (median 0.9%) |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 0 | fewer than most |
Benchmarked against every bakery, dessert & ice cream franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a Gordo's Bubble Waffles
The franchisor's framing: Two affiliate-owned Milwaukee locations (Bayview/Marquette) show gross sales $484K-$517K w… 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
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Gordo's Bubble Waffles franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a Gordo's Bubble Waffles franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $179,400–$468,500, including a $35,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do Gordo's Bubble Waffles franchise owners make?
- Two affiliate-owned Milwaukee locations (Bayview/Marquette) show gross sales $484K-$517K with adjusted net income $154K-$219K. Excludes local marketing, depreciation, repairs. Based on unaudited data. We grade this disclosure C for honesty.
- What are the Gordo's Bubble Waffles franchise fees?
- Gordo's Bubble Waffles' FDD discloses a $35,000 initial franchise fee, a 6% royalty on gross sales, a 1% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 7% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. 6% royalty + 1% marketing fund + $500/month local marketing (recommended, may become mandatory). Multiple additional fees apply.
- What is the Gordo's Bubble Waffles franchise profit margin?
- Gordo's Bubble Waffles does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: Two affiliate-owned Milwaukee locations (Bayview/Marquette) show gross sales $484K-$517K with adjusted net income $154K-$219K. Excludes local marketing, depreciation, repairs. Based on unaudited data. Recurring fees alone take about 7% 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 Gordo's Bubble Waffles franchise failure rate?
- Zero franchised outlets as of 2024; only 2 company-owned units. No franchise history data.
- How many Gordo's Bubble Waffles locations are there?
- Gordo's Bubble Waffles' FDD reports 2 total outlets, with 0 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 Gordo's Bubble Waffles have complaints or lawsuits?
- Gordo's Bubble Waffles 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 Gordo's Bubble Waffles franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Gordo's Bubble Waffles scores C on disclosure honesty, carries about 7% of sales in ongoing fees. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Source: MN CARDS 34606-202508-07 (Clean FDD 2025). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Gordo's Bubble Waffles or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.