The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. vs Giordano's® Restaurants
Compare FDD disclosures, investment range, royalty and ad fund burden, SBA lending outcomes, Item 20-style unit movement, Item 19 transparency, and data-confidence caveats with a permanent shareable URL.
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The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.
Casual Dining
Investment
$1.6M to $2.7M
Franchise fee
$45,000
Item 19 status
Confidence
High Confidence
Units
89
Giordano's® Restaurants
Casual Dining
Investment
$645K to $1.8M
Franchise fee
$40,000
Item 19 status
Limited Data
Confidence
Medium Confidence
Units
N/A
Lower entry cost
Leans right
Based on disclosed minimum initial investment only; buyer cash needs may be higher after working capital, lease, and financing assumptions.
Better disclosed economics
Giordano's® Restaurants
Uses the same Item 19 transparency hierarchy shown on franchise pages and rankings.
Lower SBA default risk
Even
Treat low-loan brands carefully; sample size and SBA borrower mix matter.
| Metric | The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. | Giordano's® Restaurants |
|---|---|---|
Franchise Fee From disclosed FDD fee data when available; excludes buyer-specific legal, diligence, and financing costs. | $45,000 | $40,000 |
Min Investment Lower bound of disclosed initial investment range, not a recommended capital budget. | $1.6M | $645K |
Max Investment Upper end of FDD range; still reconcile to site, lease, buildout, and working-capital assumptions. | $2.7M | $1.8M |
Royalty Rate Ongoing royalty burden before local store economics and owner salary. | 5.0% | 6.0% |
Ad Fund Rate National/brand fund rate when disclosed; local marketing may be additive. | 2.2% | 3.0% |
Total Ongoing Burden Royalty plus ad fund when available. | 7.2% | 9.0% |
Median Revenue (Item 19) Only meaningful when the franchisor provides an Item 19 financial-performance representation. | $1.9M | N/A |
Cash-on-Cash Return Estimated when revenue and margin assumptions are available. | 2.5% | N/A |
Payback Period | 40.4 yrs | N/A |
Revenue per Dollar Invested | 0.88x | N/A |
Franchised Units Latest disclosed franchised-unit count in the corpus. | 89 | N/A |
1-Year Net Unit Change Item 20-style system movement signal; investigate transfers, closures, and refranchising before assuming organic growth. | -3 | N/A |
Net Unit Growth Rate | -3.3% | N/A |
Net Closure Rate Net closure proxy based on disclosed unit change. | 3.3% | N/A |
SBA Default Rate Historical SBA performance for matched loans, not a prediction for a new buyer or location. | 0.0% | N/A |
SBA Loan Count Use this to judge whether SBA default data is statistically meaningful. | 31 | N/A |
Average SBA Loan Size | $955K | N/A |
Item 19 Status Canonical transparency badge used across franchise, ranking, and compare surfaces. | Limited Data | |
Has Item 19 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Data Confidence Derived from the same data-quality thresholds used on franchise pages. | High Confidence · 100/100 | Medium Confidence · 60/100 |
What stands out
- • The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. discloses an initial investment range of $1.6M to $2.7M, while Giordano's® Restaurants discloses $645K to $1.8M. Treat these as FDD ranges, not a full purchase budget.
- • The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. shows an Item 19 financial-performance disclosure; Giordano's® Restaurants shows an Item 19 financial-performance disclosure. Missing Item 19 data should narrow confidence, not automatically kill a brand.
- • The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. has 89 franchised units versus N/A for Giordano's® Restaurants; use one-year net unit movement and closure proxies as early diligence signals, not final underwriting.
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Last updated: May 2026