How much does a Blimpie franchise cost?
Opening a Blimpie franchise takes a total initial investment of $307,550 to $601,250, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. That FDD makes no Item 19 financial performance representation, so it discloses no earnings figures at all.
The Blimpie franchise system franchises restaurants. Category: Food & Beverage.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Blimpie franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $307,550 to $601,250. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Construction Costs / Leasehold Improvements ($150,000 to $320,850), Restaurant Equipment, Furniture, Small Wares, Menu Boards and Interior Signage ($79,800 to $131,100), and Architectural Fees ($15,000 to $20,500).
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural Fees2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 | $15,000 | $20,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 |
| Construction Costs / | $150,000 | $320,850 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 |
| Restaurant Equipment, Furniture, Small Wares, Menu Boards and Interior Signage2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 | $79,800 | $131,100 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 |
| Exterior Signage2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 | $8,000 | $17,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 |
| Computer Hardware, Software (POS System)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 | $3,000 | $5,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 |
| PCI Compliance Costs2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 | $0 | $1,300 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 |
| Opening Inventory (food and paper)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 | $4,000 | $6,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 |
| Grand Opening Marketing Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 | $10,000 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 |
| Business Insurance2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 | $1,000 | $5,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 | $4,750 | $18,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 |
| Depository Account2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 | $3,000 | $3,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35 |
| Additional Funds - 3 month initial period2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 38 | $15,000 | $20,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 38 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35-38 | $307,550 | $601,250 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35-38 |
About this total: The pages provided begin mid-table; the printed total is $307,550 to $601,250 and is not the sum of the rows visible on these pages.
Source Blimpie, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 35-38, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-21. Read from a scanned copy of this FDD; figures and page citations were transcribed from the page images.
Item 19
What Blimpie franchisees actually report earning
This brand's FDD publishes no Item 19.
We do not make any representations about a franchisee’s future financial performance or the past financial performance of company-owned or franchised outlets. We also do not authorize our employees or representatives to make any such representations either orally or in writing. If you are purchasing an existing outlet, however, we may provide you with the actual records of that outlet.
Source Blimpie, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 77, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-21. Read from a scanned copy of this FDD; figures and page citations were transcribed from the page images.
Item 20
How many Blimpie outlets there are, and how many closed
Blimpie ended 2025 with 84 franchised outlets and 4 company-owned outlets. In that year 2 franchised outlets opened and 15 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, Blimpie opened 4 franchised outlets and 35 outlets left the system. That is a net loss of 30, from 114 to 84 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 15 were not renewed, 2 were bought back by the franchisor, and 18 closed for other reasons. Those openings and departures do not add up to that change, because the FDD's own Item 20 row for 2023 does not add up either. We publish the franchisor's figures exactly as printed; see the note under the table below.
On average, about 11% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 9.
Our arithmetic from the FDD's Item 20 table below. "Left the system" counts every outlet the franchisor reports as terminated, not renewed, bought back, or closed for other reasons.
| Year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Non-renewed | Reacquired | Ceased, other | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 97 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 84 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 84 |
| 2024 | 104 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 97 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 84 |
| 2023 | 114 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 1041 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 84 |
Source Blimpie, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 84, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-21. Read from a scanned copy of this FDD; figures and page citations were transcribed from the page images.
Compare
How Blimpie compares with other Food & Beverage franchises
Measured against the 256 Food & Beverage franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of Blimpie's estimated range is $454,400. It costs less to open than 65% of Food & Beverage franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 11% for Blimpie. That is higher than 77% of the 165 Food & Beverage franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Blimpie's franchised system shrank 26%. The typical Food & Beverage franchise here grew 5.0%.
- Earnings disclosure. 152 of the 256 Food & Beverage franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Blimpie is not one of them.
Our arithmetic from each brand's Item 7 and Item 20. Growth and departure comparisons leave out brands with fewer than 10 outlets, where one opening or closure distorts the figures. See every Food & Beverage franchise side by side.
Alert me when Blimpie files a new FDD
Franchisors reissue their FDD at least once a year, and the Item 7 and Item 19 figures move. Leave an email and we will send you Blimpie's updated numbers when the next document is published, plus the brand-comparison worksheet.
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