How much does a Giordano's franchise cost?
Opening a Giordano's franchise takes a total initial investment of $633,000 to $1,012,000, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports median of $2,580,438 across 1 outlet.
Giordano’s franchises Giordano’s Restaurants operated as either Full-Service Restaurants or Limited-Service Restaurants. Category: Food & Beverage.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Giordano's franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $633,000 to $1,012,000. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Leasehold Improvements ($300,000 to $503,000), Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment & Fees ($227,000 to $374,000), and Miscellaneous Start-Up Costs ($30,000 to $40,000). Together they make up about 91% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $40,000, about 6.3% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $40,000 | $40,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Leasehold Improvements2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $300,000 | $503,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment & Fees2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $227,000 | $374,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Initial Inventory2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $5,000 | $9,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Security Deposits and Advance Rent2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $10,000 | $20,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Grand Opening Advertising2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $15,000 | $15,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Miscellaneous Start-Up Costs2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $30,000 | $40,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Additional Funds - 3 Months2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $6,000 | $11,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $633,000 | $1,012,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
Source Giordano's, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 11, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 19
What Giordano's franchisees actually report earning
Median
$2,580,438
Giordano's' 2026 FDD, Item 19, for the 2025 Calendar Year. Basis: Franchised Restaurants Continuously Open for at least 12 Months as of December 31, 2025.
Sample size: 1 outlet. The FDD also reports average of $2,580,438.
What the franchisor excluded from this figure
- Of the 32 franchised Restaurants, three were excluded because they were not open and operating on a full-time basis throughout all of 2025 (one of which opened in 2025).
- One franchised Restaurant that ceased operations in 2025 (which had been open for more than 12 months) was also excluded.
- One other franchised Restaurant was excluded from Part II because it did not report its financial information for the 2024 calendar year.
This is a disclosure of what some existing outlets reported, not a projection of what a new Giordano's outlet would earn. Your results will differ.
Source Giordano's, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 40, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 20
How many Giordano's outlets there are, and how many closed
Giordano's ended 2025 with 32 franchised outlets and 24 company-owned outlets. In that year 1 franchised outlet opened and 1 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, Giordano's opened 3 franchised outlets and 7 outlets left the system. That is a net loss of 4, from 36 to 32 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 7 were terminated.
On average, about 6.9% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 14.
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 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 44 |
| 2024 | 33 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 44 |
| 2023 | 36 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 44 |
Source Giordano's, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 44, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Compare
How Giordano's 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 Giordano's' estimated range is $822,500. It costs more to open than 67% of Food & Beverage franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 6.9% for Giordano's. That is higher than 58% of the 165 Food & Beverage franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Giordano's' franchised system shrank 11%. 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. Giordano's is 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 Giordano's 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 Giordano's' updated numbers when the next document is published, plus the brand-comparison worksheet.
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