ITEMS 5–7 · FDD 2026
How much is a C12 franchise?
Per C12's 2026 FDD, the initial franchise fee is $25K (Item 5) and the total initial investment runs $38K–$68K (Item 7).
$25K
one-time, to buy in
$38K–$68K
franchisor's own estimate
The buy-in is the smaller number. The larger one is the drag: royalties and fees leaves before rent, labor, or your salary — so breakeven depends on volume you cannot know from the FDD; use the Item 19 figures as a starting point, not a promise.
To open (Item 7)
$38K–$68K
all-in investment range
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$25K
upfront, one-time
Royalty (Item 6)
—
of sales, ongoing
Your figure — cross-check against this brand's Item 19 and current-owner validation.
Royalty you'd pay / yr
$0
0% of sales, before profit
Over a 10-yr term
$0
royalties alone, excl. ad fund
This is not profit. It's the only money the FDD actually pins down — what you put in, and the royalty you owe on every dollar of sales. Your real take-home depends on labor, rent, food cost, and ramp-to-breakeven, none of which any FDD discloses.
Build a real pro-forma for C12 with an independent CPAC12 cost questions, answered from the filing
How much is a C12 franchise?
Per C12's 2026 FDD, opening a franchise requires an initial franchise fee of $25K (Item 5) and a total initial investment of $38K–$68K (Item 7). Item 7 is the franchisor's own estimate — treat the low end as a floor, not a budget.
Does C12 tell you what franchisees earn?
Partly — C12 makes a financial performance representation in Item 19 of its 2026 FDD, reporting a median unit volume of $490K. Unit revenue is not owner profit: subtract royalties, ad fund, rent, labor, and debt service.
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing C12's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →