Made in the Shade Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a Made in the Shade franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2026), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
Made in the Shade discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it C.
What their own earnings claim actually says
Survey of 69 franchisees (65% response rate). Average revenue $730,016; median $496,655. Only 33% met/exceeded average revenue. High variability: low $40K, high $3.07M.
What a Made in the Shade franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $67,500 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Advertising fund | 4% of gross sales | Item 6 — brand marketing, spent at the franchisor's discretion |
| Total recurring fees | 4% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $78,000 – $107,700 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
Monthly: Marketing $100, Technology $150, Accounting $100+$5/employee. 5% fee non-designated suppliers; $75K min annual product purchases required.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
Made in the Shade system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 131 |
| Ceased operations | 3 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 2 |
| Transferred to new owners | 3 |
| Closure rate | 2.3% of outlets |
3 ceased 2025; 2 terminations 2025; wide revenue variance signals risk
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 Made in the Shade worth it? — how it compares to 85 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 4% of sales | lower than most (median 8%) |
| Startup cost | from $78,000 | cheaper than most (median $119,850) |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade C | less honest than most of the category |
| Closure rate | 2.3% of outlets | about average |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 0 | fewer than most |
Benchmarked against every home & trade services franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a Made in the Shade
The franchisor's framing: Survey of 69 franchisees (65% response rate). Average revenue $730,016; median $496,655. O… 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
Made in the Shade franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a Made in the Shade franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $78,000–$107,700, including a $67,500 initial franchise fee.
- How much do Made in the Shade franchise owners make?
- Survey of 69 franchisees (65% response rate). Average revenue $730,016; median $496,655. Only 33% met/exceeded average revenue. High variability: low $40K, high $3.07M. We grade this disclosure C for honesty.
- What are the Made in the Shade franchise fees?
- Made in the Shade's FDD discloses a $67,500 initial franchise fee, a 4% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 4% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. Monthly: Marketing $100, Technology $150, Accounting $100+$5/employee. 5% fee non-designated suppliers; $75K min annual product purchases required.
- What is the Made in the Shade franchise profit margin?
- Made in the Shade does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: Survey of 69 franchisees (65% response rate). Average revenue $730,016; median $496,655. Only 33% met/exceeded average revenue. High variability: low $40K, high $3.07M. 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 Made in the Shade franchise failure rate?
- 3 ceased 2025; 2 terminations 2025; wide revenue variance signals risk
- How many Made in the Shade locations are there?
- Made in the Shade's FDD reports 131 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 Made in the Shade have complaints or lawsuits?
- Made in the Shade 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 Made in the Shade franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Made in the Shade scores C on disclosure honesty, carries about 4% of sales in ongoing fees. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Compare Made in the Shade to similar franchises
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Source: WI DFI Franchise Registration (2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Made in the Shade or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.