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Franchise Intelligence

Blimpie.

Specialty Retail franchise. 476 outlets. Here's what opening a Blimpie franchise actually costs in 2026 — and what you can expect to earn.

Updated Apr 21, 2026
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Initial investment
$142K – $0.4M
Per unit, build-out incl.
Total outlets
476
Latest FDD
Royalty rate
6%
of gross revenue
Median unit revenue
Locked
Unlock in full report
The answer, up front

How much does a Blimpie franchise actually cost?

The published range is $142,870 to $400,400 all-in per unit, per the latest FDD filing.

Line itemAmountSource
Initial franchise fee$15,000FDD Item 5
Total initial investment — low$142,870FDD Item 7
Total initial investment — high$400,400FDD Item 7
Royalty rate (ongoing)6% of grossFDD Item 6
Marketing fee (ongoing)2% of grossFDD Item 6
Overview

About Blimpie.

Blimpie is a specialty retail franchise with 476 locations system-wide.

The brand has reached sufficient scale that operational playbooks are well-established and multi-unit franchisees drive the growth story. At this size, decisions about technology, marketing, and real estate are typically centralized at corporate while day-to-day operations are franchisee-led.

Initial investment ranges from $142,870 to $400,400. Detailed breakdown of where the capital goes is in the full FDD — unlock below.

The economics

What does a unit actually earn? Locked

Item 19 of the latest FDD reports median and quartile unit revenue. Unlock for the full distribution, breakeven timeline, and peer comparison.

MetricTop quartileMedianBottom quartile
Gross revenue$1,742,000$1,301,847$847,000
Unit count (reporting)812527294
Breakeven monthMo 14Mo 22Mo 34+

Unlock unit economics

Full Item 19 distribution, breakeven timelines, peer comparisons for Blimpie and specialty retail category.

Technology

Required tech stack. Locked

The systems Blimpie franchisees run — mandated vendors, approved alternatives, and annual cost benchmarks. If you sell into this vertical, this is your map.

SystemCategoryMandated?Annual cost
POS PlatformPaymentsApproved pair$1,800
Scheduling / CRMOperationsYes$6,000
Reporting SystemAnalyticsYes$2,400

Unlock the vendor map

Full required tech stack, franchisee spend benchmarks, and a displacement playbook if you sell into this vertical.

Frequently asked

The questions we hear.

How much does a Blimpie franchise cost?

Total initial investment ranges from $142,870 to $400,400 per unit, per the latest FDD filing. The initial franchise fee is $15,000.

What is the royalty rate for Blimpie?

Blimpie charges a 6% royalty on gross revenue, plus a 2% marketing fee.

How many Blimpie locations are there?

There are 476 Blimpie outlets system-wide as of the latest FDD filing. 473 are franchised and 3 are company-owned.

Compare

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