From the filed FDD — automated extraction, check the source
2026 FDD
Long John Silver's
Seafood · parent company: not identified
Long John Silver's is a fast-food restaurant chain specializing in battered and fried seafood, especially fish and shrimp, plus sides like hush puppies and fries. It serves an American take on a seaside fish-and-chips menu through counter and drive-through service. A franchisee operates a quick-service seafood restaurant with kitchen and front-counter staff.
Long John Silver's net unit count declined 24.6% over 2021–2025 per its FDD Item 20.
New to franchising? Start here
A franchise is a business where you (the franchisee) pay a company (the franchisor) for the right to open and run a location using their brand and system — think a local Anytime Fitness or Taco John's owned by a small-business owner, not the corporation.
Before you can buy in, U.S. law requires the franchisor to give you a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) — a long legal filing covering its fees, finances, and history. Most numbers on this page come from that document; others come from federal SBA loan records and labor and census data, each labelled with its source:
- Franchise fee — the one-time cost to buy in.
- Royalty — the ongoing cut of your sales you pay the franchisor.
- Item 20 — how many locations opened, transferred and left the system, the main basis for our verdict, which rates how strong the disclosed record is, or says when the system is too new, the filing too old, or the disclosure too thin to judge.
Our rating · opinion
Weaker disclosed record
Below our threshold on the operating record we compute from Item 20 — unit growth, the mix of exits, owner turnover and promise-keeping. What pulls it down: units fell 25% (2021–2025: 635 → 479); the system opened far fewer outlets than it projected (Item 20 Table 5); the fiscal 2025 exit rate was 8.9%, well above the 4.6% median across 133 comparable systems (food & dining). SBA loans to its franchisees approved FY1991–2020 charged off at a rate not clearly different from franchise loans of the same years (15 vs about 11 expected, 1.4×). This is our opinion of the filing, not a finding about the franchisor's finances.
Exit rate · fiscal 2025
8.9%
vs 4.6% median across 133 comparable systems (food & dining)
Cost to open
$1.1M–$4.2M
Item 7 total investment range
SBA loan losses · vs same-year loans
1.4×
15 of 55 charged off vs ~11 expected
Market density · Texas
Typical density
7% thinner than the national average
Email me when this brand’s record changes
A weekly check for new filings, changes to disclosed costs or earnings, SBA loan totals, and verified public-record events. Only changes to these 1 selected brand. No email when nothing changes. Coverage depends on when source data reaches our database.
Unsubscribe in any alert. We never sell your email.
Data as of 2026-10-29. Figures come from Long John Silver's's public FDD filings (latest: MN 2026, extracted 2026-07-22) and SBA FOIA loan records (through FY2026), extracted by us and possibly containing errors. The rating is our opinion, not investment, legal, or tax advice. Franchisor or owner and see something wrong? Report a correction — we review every request.
Buying an existing Long John Silver's? Transfer fee $5,000, resale record and asking-price check →
What each source says
FDD record · SBA loans · model · auditor
The sources broadly agree, and the verdict follows the FDD's operating record.
FDD record · Item 20
Weaker operating record
Units fell 25% (2021–2025: 635 → 479); exit rate 8.9% (fiscal 2025) vs 4.6% median.
SBA loans · vs same-year loans
About as expected (1.4×)
15 charge-offs among 55 resolved loans approved FY1991–2020; about 11 expected.
Modeled risk
Elevated
Directional only — too few seasoned loans to check it.
Auditor opinion · Item 21
Clean opinion
Unqualified audit, 2026 FDD. Says nothing about franchisee results.
Behind the verdict
the record, factor by factor · Item 20
latest consecutive years · Item 20 Table 1
terminations + ceased-ops vs. all exits · Table 3
transfers vs. base · Table 3
actual vs. projected openings · Table 5
Item 19 disclosure + completeness · shown, not counted in the verdict
Systemwide units
2021–2025
Survival record
FDD Item 20 · outlet status by year
In fiscal 2025, 25 of 281 franchised outlets left the system — an exit rate of 8.9% (fiscal 2025), vs a 4.6% median across 133 comparable systems (food & dining). An exit is not a failure: this counts terminations, non-renewals and "ceased — other reasons" as reported, and excludes transfers to new owners.
Show the outlet tables ↓Hide the evidence ↑
| Status (FTC) | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outlets at start | 674 | 635 | 589 | 539 | 502 |
| Opened | 0 | 1 | 22 | 1 | 5 |
| Transfers | 22 | 15 | 24 | 17 | 4 |
| Terminations | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-renewals | 0 | 1 | 15 | 7 | 6 |
| Reacquired by franchisor | 25 | 9 | 19 | 20 | 0 |
| Ceased — other reasons | 36 | 41 | 33 | 15 | 19 |
| Outlets at end | 635 | 587 | 539 | 502 | 479 |
| Net change | -39 | -48 | -50 | -37 | -23 |
The franchisor's own finances
FDD ITEM 21 · AUDITED STATEMENTS · 2026 FDD
Coulter & Justus, P.C. gave an unmodified (clean) opinion on the statements in the 2026 FDD; it reported a net loss in FY2023.
This is the company selling the franchise, not any franchisee. A clean opinion means the statements are fairly presented — not that the business is healthy.
Revenue · FY2025
not extracted
2026 FDD
Net income · FY2025
$8.7M
p. 291 · matched to statement
Where FY2025 revenue came from
Royalty share not extracted
initial-fee share not extracted
Show the statement figures ↓Hide the evidence ↑
| Fiscal year | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royalty revenue | $11.0Mp. 330 · matched to statement | $10.7Mp. 291 · matched to statement | $10.6Mp. 291 · matched to statement |
| Net income (loss) | −$1.2Mp. 330 · matched to statement | $9.2Mp. 291 · matched to statement | $8.7Mp. 291 · matched to statement |
| Cash at year end | not extracted | $4.7Mp. 290 | $7.6Mp. 290 |
The lender's view
SBA 7(a)/504 loan outcomes · compared with franchise loans of the same years
Banks have made 74 SBA-backed loans to Long John Silver's franchisees since 1991. Of the 55 approved FY1991–2020 that have resolved, 15 charged off — where about 11 would be expected for franchise loans made in the same years. That is 1.4× the expected rate: these loans defaulted at a rate not clearly different from comparable franchise loans (a gap this size on this many loans could be chance).
All-time, 15 of 55 resolved loans charged off (27.3%). That raw figure mixes every approval year since 1991 — loans made in 2006–08 failed at several times the rate of loans made in 2010–13 across all franchises — so it is shown as evidence, not as the score.
1.4×
15 of 55 resolved (FY1991–2020) vs ~11 expected
27.3%
15 of 55 resolved, every approval year
63.7%
charged-off $ ÷ approved $, defaulted loans
$900,000
what recent franchisees borrowed
88 mo
approval → charge-off, defaulted loans
—
distinct banks lending
Charge-off rate by loan approval year (%) · dashed line = all franchise loans that year
Loan performance by state
SOURCE: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA LOAN DATA (DATA.SBA.GOV), FY1991–PRESENT · MATCHED TO LONG JOHN SILVER'S BY SBA FRANCHISE NAME/CODE · RESOLVED = CHARGED-OFF + PAID-IN-FULL · EXPECTED = SAME-YEAR RATE ACROSS ALL SBA FRANCHISE LOANS, LOANS ≥ ~6 YEARS OLD
The owner's side of the deal
FDD × federal loan record
Who finances it
Fifth Third Bank
16.7% of this brand's loans
That lender charges off 27.8% of its resolved SBA loans to other franchise brands in the FOIA file, vs 14.8% nationally — a read on that lender's portfolio mix, not a finding about the bank.
Who buys it
85.3%
borrowers with no other franchise SBA loan on record
The rest already owned at least one other franchise. Across the corpus, brands bought mostly by repeat operators have charged off less often than brands sold mostly to newcomers (see methodology).
Does experience help here?
Not enough resolved loans to split
Computed from 74 SBA 7(a)/504 loans matched to Long John Silver's by SBA franchise code in the SBA FOIA file. Debt service assumes level amortization at the average disclosed term and rate. Owner-level splits rely on borrower-name matching and may misclassify. A lender's rate excludes its loans to this brand, so it reads the lender, not the brand.
What it costs — and what it drags
FDD Items 5–7 · fees, investment, royalty
Buying in means a $35,000 franchise fee (Item 5) and a total investment of $1.1M–$4.2M (Item 7). The franchisor publishes no earnings claim (Item 19) — ask current and former franchisees for real numbers.
To open (Item 7)
$1.1M–$4.2M
all-in investment range
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$35,000
upfront, one-time
Royalty (Item 6)
5%
of sales, ongoing
Starts at a placeholder of $900K — a round figure for the sector, not from Long John Silver'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
$45K
5% of sales, before profit
Over a 10-yr term
$450K
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 food and packaging cost, labor, rent, 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 Long John Silver's with a buyer-paid CPAModeled risk
FDD Risk Score · a prediction from disclosure and loan-file features
The model puts this brand in its elevated band — but this brand has too few seasoned SBA loans to check the score against, so read it as a band, not a number.
Observed · vs same-year loans
1.4×
15 of 55 seasoned loans charged off
Risk percentile
Elevated
Directional · no point estimate
Modeled · vs same-year loans
band only
too few seasoned loans to check
Top drivers: Item 20 exit rate (raises) · Share financed by high-loss lenders (raises) · No Item 19 disclosure (lowers) · Investment ceiling (log) (lowers). Too few seasoned SBA loans to check the score — read it as a band. A linear scorecard trained on brands' vintage-adjusted SBA loss records; full spec and cross-validated accuracy on the methodology page. A score is context, not a verdict.
Public records
Bankruptcy, closure & federal court records · coverage is selective · dockets are not scored
We have no verified public-record signals published for Long John Silver's. This is not evidence that no events exist. Check PACER, the FDD's Item 3 (litigation) and Item 4 (bankruptcy), and recent news yourself.
10 questions to ask a Long John Silver's franchisee
Built from this brand's own disclosures · take it to your validation calls
The franchisor will give you a list of owners to call. Most buyers ask whether they like it. These questions come from what Long John Silver's has disclosed. Each one carries the number it came from, so you can check the answer against the record.
- 01
Long John Silver's own Item 20 shows 25 of 281 franchised outlets left the system in fiscal 2025 — about 8.9%. Do you know any of those owners, and do you know why they left?
A franchisor will call these “transitions.” An owner three doors down usually knows whether they sold at a profit or handed the keys back.
FDD Item 20 · FY2025
- 02
4 units transferred to new owners in fiscal 2025. When you look at those, were they people cashing out a good business — or getting out of a bad one?
Item 20 counts transfers as neutral, but a transfer can be a good sale or a reluctant exit — the filing does not say which.
FDD Item 20 · FY2025
- 03
The system went from 635 units to 479 over 5 disclosed years. What's the explanation you've been given, and do you believe it?
A shrinking system means fewer owners funding the ad fund and support staff you're paying for.
FDD Item 20 · FY2021–FY2025
- 04
SBA loans to Long John Silver's franchisees approved 1991–2020 defaulted at a rate not clearly different from franchise loans made in the same years: 15 charge-offs among 55 resolved loans, where about 11 would be expected (1.4×). Did you finance with an SBA loan, and how close did your first two years come to trouble?
This is the lender's view of how these loans ended, from public federal records matched by SBA franchise code — independent of anything the franchisor discloses — compared with franchise loans made in the same years. A charge-off is a loan outcome, not proof the business closed.
SBA 7(a)/504 loan record, seasoned loans FY1991–FY2020 · 1.4× of same-vintage franchise loans
- 05
You pay 5.0% royalty on gross sales, plus the ad fund, before any of your own costs. On your actual revenue last year, what did you take home as the owner — not revenue, take-home?
Royalty is charged on sales, not profit. This is the number the brochure never shows and the one your life actually runs on.
FDD Item 6
- 06
Long John Silver's FDD makes no financial performance representation at all — legally, they've told buyers nothing about earnings. What did your first 24 months actually look like, month by month?
When a franchisor won't publish numbers, existing owners are the only source. Silence in Item 19 is a choice, not a requirement.
FDD Item 19 · 2026
- 07
How many months did it take to cover your own costs, and how much cash did you burn getting there?
Ramp-to-breakeven working capital is the most underestimated line in any franchise purchase, and the most common reason otherwise-good units fail.
Not disclosed in any FDD — ask an owner
- 08
What does the franchisor charge for that you didn't expect — required tech fees, mandatory remodels, approved-supplier pricing?
Required spending appears across Items 6, 8 and 11 rather than in one place, so buyers routinely miss the total.
FDD Items 6, 8, 11
- 09
If your agreement came up for renewal tomorrow at current terms, would you sign again?
The single most predictive question you can ask. A hesitation is the answer.
Ask every owner you speak to
- 10
Who else should I call — including someone who left?
The franchisor's list is curated by definition. Former franchisees are where the unflattering truth lives, and current owners usually know how to reach them.
Ask every owner you speak to
Want this as a checklist you can take to the calls?
I'll email you the printable version, and tell you if Long John Silver's numbers move — a new filing, a rising exit rate, a distress signal. Unsubscribe in one click.
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 Long John Silver's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
This page is what buyers see before they call you for validation. If the record above is wrong — or right in a way the numbers can't show — say so. Franchisors: send corrections with the page reference and we will review them against the filing and update or annotate the page. Corrections are checked against the filings; nothing you write is published with your name unless you agree to it.
Long John Silver's franchise questions, answered from the filings
How many Long John Silver's franchised outlets left the system last year?
In Long John Silver's's latest FDD Item 20 (fiscal 2025), 25 of 281 franchised outlets left the system — an exit rate of 8.9% — compared with a 4.6% median across 133 comparable systems (food & dining) tracked here. That counts terminations, non-renewals, and "ceased operations — other reasons" as the franchisor reported them; it excludes transfers to new owners. The FDD does not say why each outlet left, and an exit is not the same as a failure.
How much does a Long John Silver's franchise cost?
Per Long John Silver's's 2026 FDD, buying in requires an initial franchise fee of $35,000 (Item 5) and a total initial investment of $1.1M–$4.2M (Item 7).
What royalty does Long John Silver's charge?
Long John Silver's charges an ongoing royalty of 5.0% of gross sales, per Item 6 of its 2026 FDD.
Does Long John Silver's disclose earnings (Item 19)?
No — Long John Silver's's 2026 FDD makes no financial performance representation in Item 19. That is legal and common, but it means the franchisor publishes no earnings claim; ask current franchisees for real numbers.
How often do SBA loans for Long John Silver's franchises default?
SBA loans to Long John Silver's franchisees approved 1991–2020 defaulted at a rate not clearly different from franchise loans made in the same years: 15 charge-offs among 55 resolved loans, where about 11 would be expected (1.4×). All-time, 15 of 55 resolved loans since 1991 charged off (27.3%); that raw figure mixes every approval year, so we compare with same-year loans instead. A charge-off is a loan loss, not proof the business closed. Source: public SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA data.