How much does a The Growler Guys franchise cost?
Opening a The Growler Guys franchise takes a total initial investment of $211,900 to $448,500, according to the brand's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. That FDD makes no Item 19 financial performance representation, so it discloses no earnings figures at all.
The Growler Guys franchises growler filling businesses. Category: Food & Beverage.
Item 7
What it costs to open a The Growler Guys franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2025 FDD. The total is $211,900 to $448,500. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Equipment, Furniture & Fixtures ($87,700 to $160,695), Leasehold Improvements ($13,000 to $108,000), and Working Capital ($27,000 to $52,000). Together they make up about 72% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $30,000, about 14% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $30,000 | $30,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Leasehold Improvements2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 13 | $13,000 | $108,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 13 |
| Equipment, Furniture & Fixtures2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 13 | $87,700 | $160,695 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 13 |
| Construction Site Manager2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 13 | $7,000 | $7,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 13 |
| Misc. Business Start-up Expenses2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 13 | $8,500 | $20,605 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 13 |
| Working Capital2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 13 | $27,000 | $52,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 13 |
| Travel Lodging and Meals for Initial Training2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 13 | $1,000 | $1,800 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 13 |
| Grand Opening2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 13 | $6,000 | $7,500 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 13 |
| Insurance Deposits and Premiums for First Year2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $1,200 | $3,600 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Initial Inventory2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $28,000 | $44,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Business Supplies2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $200 | $500 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Business Licenses and Permits for First Year2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $300 | $2,800 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Signage2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 | $2,000 | $10,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 14 |
| Total estimated initial investment2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 12-14 | $211,900 | $448,500 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 12-14 |
Source The Growler Guys, 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 12-14, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-15.
Item 19
What The Growler Guys 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 The Growler Guys, 2025 FDD, Item 19, p. 44, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-15.
Item 20
How many The Growler Guys outlets there are, and how many closed
The Growler Guys ended 2024 with 7 franchised outlets and 2 company-owned outlets. In that year no franchised outlets opened and 1 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2022 through 2024, The Growler Guys opened 0 franchised outlets and 3 outlets left the system. That is a net loss of 3, from 10 to 7 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 3 closed for other reasons.
With fewer than 10 outlets, one closure moves the numbers a lot, so we do not calculate a yearly rate.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 47 |
| 2023 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 47 |
| 2022 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 47 |
Source The Growler Guys, 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 47, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-15.
Compare
How The Growler Guys 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 The Growler Guys' estimated range is $330,200. It costs less to open than 83% of Food & Beverage franchises here.
- Three-year growth. The Growler Guys' franchised system shrank 30%. 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. The Growler Guys 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 The Growler Guys files a new FDD
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