How much does an Uptown Cheapskate franchise cost?
Opening an Uptown Cheapskate franchise takes a total initial investment of $328,002 to $596,502, according to the brand's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports median of $1,251,476 across 121 outlets.
Uptown Cheapskate franchises single outlets. Category: Retail.
Item 7
What it costs to open an Uptown Cheapskate franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2025 FDD. The total is $328,002 to $596,502. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Real Estate Improvements ($35,000 to $150,000), Trade Fixtures ($67,500 to $94,500), and Opening Inventory ($70,000 to $90,000). Together they make up about 56% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $25,000, about 7.6% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise Fee2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $25,000 | $25,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Travel and Lodging Expenses while Training2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $1,500 | $5,500 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Real Estate Deposit2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $4,500 | $22,500 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Real Estate Improvements2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $35,000 | $150,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Exterior Signs and Graphics2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $13,500 | $18,500 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Interior Signs2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $2,000 | $5,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Trade Fixtures2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $67,500 | $94,500 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Computers, Scanners, Cash Drawers, Printers, Credit Card Machines, Routers, Cables, I-Pads, etc.2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $18,502 | $18,502 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| BaseCamp Software Suite2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $15,000 | $15,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Security Camera System2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $2,000 | $5,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Grand Opening Promotion2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 | $20,000 | $20,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10 |
| Opening Inventory2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $70,000 | $90,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Incorporation Documents2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $500 | $1,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Loan Fees2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $0 | $27,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Licenses, Permits, Utility Deposits2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $1,000 | $2,500 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Supplies, Hangers, Misc. Expenses2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $12,000 | $29,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Additional Funds [initial period] 3 months2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 | $40,000 | $67,500 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 11 |
| Total estimated initial investment2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10-11 | $328,002 | $596,502 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10-11 |
Source Uptown Cheapskate, 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 10-11, 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 Uptown Cheapskate franchisees actually report earning
Median
$1,251,476
Uptown Cheapskate's 2025 FDD, Item 19, for the November 1, 2023 through October 31, 2024. Basis: 121 Uptown Cheapskate stores that operated in the United States during the period.
Sample size: 121 outlets. The FDD also reports average of $1,278,688. We lead with the median because an average is pulled upward by the strongest outlets; the median is the middle outlet.
What the franchisor excluded from this figure
- Of the 137 stores that were in operation, 16 stores were excluded from the consideration set.
- Of the 16 stores that were excluded, 11 stores were open for less than 12 months.
- Of the 16 stores that were excluded, 3 stores did not submit complete financial reports.
- Of the 16 stores that were excluded, 2 stores underwent an ownership transfer during that period.
This is a disclosure of what some existing outlets reported, not a projection of what a new Uptown Cheapskate outlet would earn. Your results will differ.
Source Uptown Cheapskate, 2025 FDD, Item 19, p. 49, 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 Uptown Cheapskate outlets there are, and how many closed
Uptown Cheapskate ended 2024 with 129 franchised outlets and 14 company-owned outlets. In that year 13 franchised outlets opened and none left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2022 through 2024, Uptown Cheapskate opened 50 franchised outlets and 4 outlets left the system. That is a net gain of 46, from 83 to 129 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 1 was bought back by the franchisor and 3 closed for other reasons.
On average, about 1.3% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 75.
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 | 116 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 129 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 55 |
| 2023 | 99 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 116 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 55 |
| 2022 | 83 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 99 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 55 |
Source Uptown Cheapskate, 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 54-55, 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 Uptown Cheapskate compares with other Retail franchises
Measured against the 39 Retail franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of Uptown Cheapskate's estimated range is $462,252. It costs more to open than 71% of Retail franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 1.3% for Uptown Cheapskate. That is lower than 86% of the 37 Retail franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Uptown Cheapskate's franchised system grew 55%. The typical Retail franchise here shrank 1.2%.
- Earnings disclosure. 25 of the 39 Retail franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Uptown Cheapskate 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 Retail franchise side by side.
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