FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

ITEMS 5–7 · 2026 FDD

How much is a DOC POPCORN franchise?

Per DOC POPCORN's 2026 FDD, the initial franchise fee is $15,000 (Item 5) and the total initial investment runs $135K–$393K (Item 7); once open, you pay an ongoing royalty of 6.0% of gross sales (Item 6).

Franchise fee · Item 5

$15,000

one-time, to buy in

Royalty · Item 6

6.0%

of gross sales, ongoing

Total investment · Item 7

$135K–$393K

franchisor's own estimate

DOC POPCORN vs food & dining medians186 systems benchmarked
Cost lineDOC POPCORNSector median
Initial franchise fee ITEM 5$15,000$35,000
Ongoing royalty ITEM 66.0%5.5%
Total initial investment ITEM 7$135K–$393K$375K–$957K

MEDIANS: LATEST FDD FILINGS (≤24 MONTHS OLD) OF 186 FOOD & DINING SYSTEMS · FULL FOOD & DINING BENCHMARK →

Breakeven framingwhat it costs · what it drags

The buy-in is the smaller number. The larger one is the drag: 6.0% of every sale leaves before rent, labor, or your salary — so breakeven depends on volume you cannot know from the FDD, and this brand publishes no Item 19 earnings data to anchor it.

To open (Item 7)

$135K–$393K

all-in investment range

Franchise fee (Item 5)

$15,000

upfront, one-time

Royalty (Item 6)

6%

of sales, ongoing

If a unit does this in annual sales…$500K/yr

Starts at a placeholder of $500K — a round figure for the sector, not from DOC POPCORN’s filings. This brand's FDD makes no Item 19 earnings claim; set your own figure and check it with current and former owners.

Royalty you'd pay / yr

$30K

6% of sales, before profit

Over a 10-yr term

$300K

royalties alone, excl. ad fund

This estimate is computed by software from the brand's public filings and any inputs you enter. No CPA prepared it for you and no assurance is provided on it. Actual results will differ, and the differences may be material.

This is not profit. It covers what the FDD fixes: what you put in, and the royalty you owe on sales. Your take-home depends on labor, rent, supplies, and the months to breakeven, none of which the FDD fixes for your unit (some Item 19s include cost data — read it).

Build a real pro-forma for DOC POPCORN with a buyer-paid CPA

DOC POPCORN cost questions, answered from the filing

How much is a DOC POPCORN franchise?

Per DOC POPCORN's 2026 FDD, opening a franchise requires an initial franchise fee of $15,000 (Item 5) and a total initial investment of $135K–$393K (Item 7). Item 7 is the franchisor's own estimate — treat the low end as a floor, not a budget.

What royalty does DOC POPCORN charge?

DOC POPCORN charges an ongoing royalty of 6.0% of gross sales, per Item 6 of its 2026 FDD. The median across 186 food & dining systems tracked here is 5.5%.

Does DOC POPCORN tell you what franchisees earn?

No — DOC POPCORN's 2026 FDD makes no Item 19 earnings claim, so any revenue figure you hear comes from sales conversations, not disclosure documents. Validate with current and former franchisees.

The DOC POPCORN validation checklist

questions built from this brand's own filings · read them all on the profile

Want this as a checklist you can take to the calls?

I'll email you the printable version, and tell you if DOC POPCORN’s numbers move — a new filing, a rising exit rate, a distress signal. Unsubscribe in one click.

Before you sign anythingfree · 30 min · no commission

A broker is usually paid by the franchisor to place you. I'm paid only by you, never by a franchisor you're considering — and the job is pressure-testing DOC POPCORN’s numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.

Don Drummond, CPA — Virginia #43775 · what I charge

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