Kilwins
Disclosure honesty
Kilwins discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it B.
What their own earnings claim actually says
Gross Sales data for 143 Full-Line franchised stores (2025): average $951,795, median $814,852. Cost of Sales 29% average, 30% median. Non-Owner Payroll 23% average, 22% median. Transaction value $18.11 average.
Is Kilwins worth it? — how it compares to 41 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 8% of sales | about average |
| Startup cost | from $484,638 | pricier than 95% of peers |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade B | more honest than 79% of retail & business services franchises |
| Closure rate | 2.1% of outlets | about average |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 1 | about average |
Benchmarked against every retail & business services franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a Kilwins
The franchisor's framing: Gross Sales data for 143 Full-Line franchised stores (2025): average $951,795, median $814… 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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Kilwins franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a Kilwins franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $484,638–$880,295, including a $45,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do Kilwins franchise owners make?
- Gross Sales data for 143 Full-Line franchised stores (2025): average $951,795, median $814,852. Cost of Sales 29% average, 30% median. Non-Owner Payroll 23% average, 22% median. Transaction value $18.11 average. We grade this disclosure B for honesty.
- What is the Kilwins franchise failure rate?
- 4 ceased operations in 2025; no terminations; 10 transfers in 2025 indicate some turnover.
- Is a Kilwins franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Kilwins scores B on disclosure honesty, carries about 8% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 1 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Compare Kilwins to similar franchises
See all franchises ranked by disclosure honesty →
Source: WI DFI Franchise Registration (2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Kilwins or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.