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The real numbers on owning a Smashburger franchise
Fast Casual Burger Restaurant · FDD 2026 · from public state filings
FDisclosure honesty
This franchisor discloses little to no earnings data (Item 19).
Investment
$1,239,500–$2,255,500
Total fees
7.75% of sales
Outlets
172
Closure signals
11 ceased, 0 terminated
Lawsuits
2
What their own earnings claim actually says
No financial performance representations made whatsoever. Zero revenue, sales, or profit data disclosed. Complete blackout — franchisee cannot estimate any financial outcome from this FDD alone.
Honesty grade F: the disclosed numbers are incomplete or framed to look better than an owner's real take-home.
Failure & turnover reality (Item 20)
Franchised units shrank from 82 to 53 over three years; system lost 22 total units in 2025 alone.
Legal history (Item 3)
2 matters disclosed.
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The franchisor won't put real owner profit in writing. We do — reconstructed from their own FDD.
Franchisor's framing: No financial performance representations made whatsoever. Zero revenue, sales, or profit data d…
🔒 Real estimated owner take-home (low / median / high) — unlocked in the report
Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI on your investment
Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
Decoded real failure / closure rate
How it ranks vs comparable franchises
Validation-call playbook — who to call + the exact questions
The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $1,239,500–$2,255,500, including a $40,000 initial franchise fee.
How much do Smashburger franchise owners make?
Smashburger discloses little or no earnings data (Item 19) — meaning the franchisor won't put real owner profit in writing. That's a red flag worth questioning.
What is the Smashburger franchise failure rate?
Franchised units shrank from 82 to 53 over three years; system lost 22 total units in 2025 alone.
Is a Smashburger franchise worth it?
It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Smashburger scores F on disclosure honesty, carries about 7.75% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 2 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Source: MN CARDS 36069-202604-07 (Clean FDD 2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Smashburger or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.