Ford’s Garage^®

Food & Beverage • Year: 2025

All product and company names mentioned are trademarks™ or registered® trademarks of their respective holders. Use of these names does not imply any affiliation with, sponsorship by, or endorsement by them.

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

The franchisor's unusually clean legal and regulatory record—zero disclosed lawsuits, zero franchisor enforcement actions, zero government penalties and zero franchisee-initiated settlements—offers rare stability for a food & beverage system, but startup costs are very high, estimated at $2.83M–$6.62M, raising capital and financing needs.

Pros

Zero disclosed lawsuits, zero franchisor enforcement actions, zero government penalties and zero franchisee-initiated settlements—an unusually clean legal and regulatory record for food & beverage systems.

A perfect 100 training and support score and 432 hours of initial training—both well above industry norms—indicate the franchisor invests heavily in preparing new operators, which should shorten the learning curve and improve early operating consistency.

The franchisor grants a right of first refusal—an uncommon benefit in this sector (only ~11% of food & beverage franchisors offer it)—giving you first opportunity to buy adjacent or company-owned locations and better control over local expansion.

Cons

Estimated startup costs range from $2.83M (minimum) to $6.62M (maximum), both well above typical for food & beverage—this materially increases the capital and financing you'll need to open.

The initial franchise fee is $50,000 (top quarter), training cost estimates run $50k–$100k, and reserve requirements can be $100k–$400k—these line-item expenses push the cash required before opening significantly higher than peers.

Managers are not required to complete initial training—an unusual absence (about 90% of F&B franchisors require manager training) that may leave you responsible for ensuring competent day-to-day management.

Lawsuits & Legal Risk

100

Excellent

The franchise reported no material legal proceedings.

Territory Protection

53/100

Good

Grants a protected operating area where the franchisor will not place other physical units. The franchisor retains the right to sell via e-commerce and alternative distribution channels, to acquire/convert locations and use alternate trademarks, and conditions this protection on performance contingencies while preserving site-specific rights, including franchisee relocation.

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.

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$-753,200

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%

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

How much does it cost to open a Ford’s Garage franchise?

The total initial investment for a Ford’s Garage franchise ranges from $2,833,800 to $6,618,000, according to the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. This includes the franchise fee, real estate, equipment, training, and working capital.

What is the Ford’s Garage initial franchise fee?

The initial franchise fee for Ford’s Garage is $50,000, as stated in the 2025 FDD. This fee is paid upon signing the Franchise Agreement.

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 Item 19 of the Franchise Disclosure Document. Actual earnings vary by location, market, and operator experience.

Does Ford’s Garage have any franchise lawsuits or legal issues?

Ford’s Garage received a legal risk score of 100 out of 100 in the 2025 FDD analysis. The franchise reported no material legal proceedings.

Does Ford’s Garage offer exclusive franchise territories?

Ford’s Garage received a territory protection score of 53 out of 100. Grants a protected operating area where the franchisor will not place other physical units.

What training does Ford’s Garage provide to new franchisees?

Ford’s Garage received a training and support score of 100 out of 100. The brand provides a comprehensive 432-hour training curriculum designed to prepare eight franchise personnel for launch.

How many Ford’s Garage franchise locations are there?

Ford’s Garage had 29 total locations as of the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document.

What type of business is Ford’s Garage?

Interested in Ford’s Garage?

Get more information and connect with the franchise directly.