Ford’s Garage^®

Food & Beverage • Year: 2025

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What Is Ford’s Garage?

Ford’s Garage is a full-service restaurant and bar themed as a 1920s service station/prohibition bar and positioned as a modern prime burger and craft beer joint offering lunch, dinner and weekend brunch menus. The business model centers on full-service dine-in restaurant and bar operations, with the sale of beer and other alcoholic beverages identified as a required revenue stream. Restaurants typically occupy 6,000 to 9,000 square-foot spaces in stand-alone buildings or strip centers.

Ford’s Garage Franchise: Pros and Cons

A standout strength is the franchisor's exceptional onboarding-100 Training and Support score and 432 hours of initial training (top 5% in Food & Beverage)-but the biggest risk is steep capital needs, with startup costs up to $6.62M (min ~$2.83M) and Item 7 assets $1.24M–$1.67M and reserves $100k–$400k.

Pros

A 100 Training and Support score (well above typical for all systems) combined with 432 hours of initial training (top 5% for Food & Beverage) shows the franchisor invests heavily in operator preparation and delivers a thorough, field-tested onboarding program.

A territory protection score of 51 (top quarter for Food & Beverage) gives you stronger territorial defenses than most brands, reducing the likelihood the franchisor will open a competing location nearby.

No disclosed lawsuits, government penalties, franchisor enforcement actions, or franchisee-initiated judgments/settlements (all zero, bottom 5%) signals a clean legal and regulatory record, which lowers legal friction and indicates the system manages compliance without frequent formal disputes.

Cons

The $50,000 initial franchise fee is in the top quarter for Food & Beverage, so your upfront fee to join is higher than most peers and increases cash needed at signing.

A maximum estimated startup cost of $6.62M (top 5% for Food & Beverage), with a minimum around $2.83M and high Item 7 asset and reserve figures (assets $1.24M–$1.67M; reserves $100k–$400k), means significantly larger capital requirements and more cash on hand compared with typical F&B franchises.

Managers are not required to complete the franchisor's initial training (unusual-about 90% of F&B franchisors require this), so you'll need to take on the responsibility of ensuring managers meet brand standards before opening.

Lawsuits & Legal Risk

100

Excellent

Ford’s Garage reported no material legal proceedings,

Territory Protection

51/100

Good

Ford’s Garage grants a non‑exclusive Protected Territory/DMA (negotiated size, minimum ~100,000 population) per franchise, with single‑unit territories retained without sales quotas. The franchisor retains rights to sell via e‑commerce/alternative channels, operate at non‑traditional sites or nearby units, and territory rights for multi‑unit development are contingent on meeting performance quotas.

Training & Support

100

Excellent

The brand provides a comprehensive 432-hour training curriculum designed to prepare eight franchise personnel for launch. The program includes on-site launch support for operational readiness; franchisees are responsible for travel and living expenses, and on-site assistance may incur additional fees.

Franchisee Stability

74/100

Good

Ford’s Garage earns a Good Stability Score overall. Three-year turnover of 3.33% falls below the typical Food & Beverage franchise (around 5.4%) and sits nearer the lower-churn side of the industry range, though it is not in the lowest-churn 10%. Out of 2 total exits, ceased operations dominated with 2, alongside no terminations, no non-renewals, and no franchisor buybacks.

The dominance of ceased operations points to location-level economics: operators likely closed underperforming sites rather than franchisor enforcement, so the pattern looks like local market pressure more than systemic franchisee-franchisor conflict overall, clearly. This is built on a compact track record (roughly 60 franchisees averaged across three years); continued retention as the system grows would solidify the picture. For prospective franchisees, examine unit-level economics in the geographies where closures have concentrated.

How Much Does It Cost to Open a Ford’s Garage Franchise?

Opening a Ford’s Garage franchise requires a total initial investment of $2,833,800 to $6,618,000, according to the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. This range covers the franchise fee, real estate, equipment, training, and initial working capital needed to launch and operate through the early months.

Minimum Investment

$2,833,800

Franchise Fee

Real Estate

Equipment & Assets

Reserves

Training

Other

Maximum Investment

$6,618,000

Minimum Investment Breakdown

Franchise Fee$50,000

Real Estate$2,147,000

Equipment & Assets$1,240,000

Reserves$100,000

Training$50,000

Other$0

Maximum Investment Breakdown

Franchise Fee$50,000

Real Estate$3,950,000

Equipment & Assets$1,670,000

Reserves$400,000

Training$100,000

Other$448,000

Investment Analysis

This investment analysis is coming soon. Have ideas for other analyses you'd like us to add? Get in touch.

The initial investment amounts shown are estimates only. Actual costs may vary based on location size, business model, and multi-unit ownership arrangements. We recommend reviewing the full Franchise Disclosure Document for complete details.

How Much Do Ford’s Garage Franchise Owners Make?

Ford’s Garage franchise locations reported average gross sales of $5,730,457 and median gross sales of $5,533,454 in 2025, based on financial performance data disclosed in Item 19 of the Franchise Disclosure Document.

Average Gross Sales:

$5,730,457

Median Gross Sales:

$5,533,454

High Gross Sales:

$8,674,810

Low Gross Sales:

$3,474,315

Sample Size:

Percent Attaining Average:

41.7%

Audit Status:

Unaudited

Franchise vs Corporate Performance: The reported averages are derived primarily from franchised locations, with one company-owned restaurant included in the dataset and noted separately in the footnotes, and the company-owned unit's reported revenue and EBITDA fall within the Mid tier rather than materially skewing the top or bottom tiers.

Performance Variability Analysis: There is substantial variability across sites: average gross revenue ranges from about 3.47M at the Low tier up to 8.67M at the High tier, and only about 41.7% of locations exceeded the overall average, indicating a moderate skew toward higher-performing outliers.

Data Scope and Limitations: The Item 19 figures are based on franchised and one affiliate-owned location reports submitted to the franchisor and were not audited or independently verified, and detailed expense/P&L breakdowns are provided by revenue tier but not for the overall combined sample.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Ford’s Garage a good franchise to own?

Whether Ford’s Garage is a good franchise depends on your goals, experience, and local market. Key factors from the 2025 FDD: Ford’s Garage operates 29 locations, received a legal risk score of 100/100, a training and support score of 100/100. Financial performance data is disclosed in Item 19. Prospective franchisees should review the full Franchise Disclosure Document and consult with a franchise attorney before making any investment decision.

Is a Ford’s Garage franchise worth the investment?

The value of a Ford’s Garage franchise investment depends on factors such as location, operator experience, and market demand. The initial investment ranges from $2,833,800 to $6,618,000. Ford’s Garage disclosed average gross sales of $5,730,457 in 2025. Franchise investments carry inherent risk, and prospective buyers should conduct thorough due diligence before committing capital.

How long does it take to break even with a Ford’s Garage franchise?

Break-even timelines for Ford’s Garage franchises are not disclosed in the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. Break-even periods vary significantly based on initial investment level, local market conditions, operating costs, and revenue ramp-up speed. Prospective franchisees should build a pro forma financial model using Item 7 cost estimates and, where available, Item 19 financial performance data from the FDD.

Is Ford’s Garage a franchise or a corporate-owned business?

As of the 2025 FDD, Ford’s Garage operates 28 franchised locations and 1 company-owned locations. Franchise opportunities are available through the franchisor's disclosure process.

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