BaselineBaseline
Mandatoryeting and advertising services from LT, a full-service marketing firm based in Phoenix, AZ. You must also purchase the BaseCamp Software Suite, which currently includes the IMAP™, Baseline™ point-of-s
From the filings
+14.73% units YoYHQ-led decisions
Uptown Cheapskate
Retail non foodUptown Cheapskate runs 162 units generating $1,290,000 in average unit volume, up 14.73% year over year, led by Co-CEOs Zach Gordon and Tyler Gordon at the Utah headquarters. Item 8 mandates Baseline as a required system, while Intuit and QuickBooks by Intuit are in use as incumbent financial software.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
162
148 franchised
Unit growth YoY
+14.73%
vs prior filing
AUV
$1.29M
Item 19, 2025
Royalty
—
of gross sales
Ad fund
0.5%
national + local
Initial fee
$35K
per unit
Investment range
$364K–$682K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing. It is a floor, not a total — the filing discloses one of the two headline fees.
0.5%+of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
1 of these are mandated in the franchise agreement. Each is named in Item 11 of the filing, the incumbents a challenger must displace or integrate with.
FacebookMeta
e activities associated with your Franchise. You may, however, publicize your Store and activities associated with your Franchise via pages on third-party sites, including Google, Facebook, Instagram,
Google AdsGoogle
rt. It typically takes place over four (4) days each year. Advertising You may advertise and promote your store through the following media: digital marketing (such as Instagram®, Google Ads®, Twitter
InstagramMeta
es associated with your Franchise. You may, however, publicize your Store and activities associated with your Franchise via pages on third-party sites, including Google, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, a
IntuitIntuit
Fifty Dollars ($50) per hour, with a minimum Twenty-Five Dollar ($25) charge per session. The hourly rate and minimum fee may increase by up to Twenty-Five Dollars ($25) per year. Intuit®, (P.O. Box 1
LMNLMN
A %C#'E)"*C"#'"*H#IE"-I.L M*N.E"OP4 -IE'*.E RES7*N %*8E) 9 ! :#X <7.= >?@ARB !"#AA%C'EFA%G+I -..LMN2P -.4NM++R PNNSNT + 8NSNT %%%%%%828ML8. %%%%%%49.MN8L :#A;%#<%!##=A%C#E=%G9I -+.LMN+9 -+..ML4L RNSPT
PinterestPinterest
days each year. Advertising You may advertise and promote your store through the following media: digital marketing (such as Instagram®, Google Ads®, Twitter®, Facebook®, TikTok®, Pinterest®), email,
QuickBooksIntuit
ge per session. The hourly rate and minimum fee may increase by up to Twenty-Five Dollars ($25) per year. Intuit®, (P.O. Box 1420, Downers Grove, Illinois, 60515), the provider of QuickBooks®, also pr
TikTokTikTok
ed with your Franchise. You may, however, publicize your Store and activities associated with your Franchise via pages on third-party sites, including Google, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and others (
TwitterX
lly takes place over four (4) days each year. Advertising You may advertise and promote your store through the following media: digital marketing (such as Instagram®, Google Ads®, Twitter®, Facebook®,
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
22 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 4 explicit no's; 8 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You shall promptly and accurately complete such reports and forms, and establish a bookkeeping, accounting and record system as we prescribe
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
An Office Computer provides us with direct access to your sales, inventory, and accounting data.
How the franchisor buys
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 11
franchise owners have an Advisory Association in which you must participate (see Franchise Agreement - Section 4.10).
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 11
C. Implementing potential modifications and improvements to the Uptown Cheapskate System, which we may make from time to time at our sole discretion (see Franchise Agreement - Sections 4.01 and 4.03);
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesFranchise agreement
We further advise you that we and our affiliates periodically may receive consideration from suppliers and manufacturers respecting sales of goods, products or services to you or in consideration for services provided or rights licensed to such persons.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
2Item 8
The estimated proportion of these required purchases to all purchases of goods and services is between twenty-four percent (24%) and thirty-six percent (36%) in establishing your business and between two percent (2%) and four percent (4%) in operating it.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
Any other supplier for these trade fixtures and other hardware components that you wish to utilize must be reviewed and approved by us.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
You shall cease using all telephone numbers, email and social media accounts or listings used in connection with the Franchise, transfer all such numbers, accounts and listings to us or another party we designate
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You agree to comply with all Uptown Cheapskate, BaseCamp, and vendor credit card policies, as well as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (“PCI DSS”) as they may be revised and modified by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council or its successor organization, FACTA and any other card…
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
We and our representatives shall have the right to audit and copy or cause to be audited or copied all business records
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
We reserve the right to add to, delete, and modify the Training and Operations Tools from time to time to improve the standards of service, product quality, or the efficient operation of the Franchise, and to protect or maintain the goodwill associated with the Marks or to meet competition, provided that no such…
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesFranchise agreement
Note that your lease or sublease for the Store Location must be reviewed by us before its execution and must include certain standard language that we provide.
Marketing
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 11
You will be required to spend a minimum of Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000) via the NSS, which will cover the three phases of the opening process: (i) Coming Soon, commencing soon after you sign your lease; (ii) Open to Buy, aligning with the period during which you are accumulating inventory in your store; and…
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 6
May be year modified yearly Payable monthly on Only charged if you fail to spend the 10th day of the the required Advertising next month for the 6 1.0% of Gross Sales (from sales of Expenditure during a 6-month Advertising Penalty calendar months prior month) period; does not count toward following the the required…
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesFranchise agreement
You agree to implement required promotional programs, offers, and discounts as directed by the Franchise and promotional programs, offers, and discounts as agreed to by your Local Advertising Cooperative, if participation in one is required.
Operations
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
Required and Approved Suppliers You must purchase your computers and related equipment from Lenovo or Dell Computers or other suppliers, as we require and outline in the Computer Equipment List in Exhibit E.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
We will automatically withdraw the Royalty fees, as well as all other fees, via electronic funds transfer.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesFranchise agreement
Within forty-five (45) days after the Effective Date of this Agreement and through the remainder of the Term, you must designate a Manager for your Store.
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Qualifications, conduct, demeanor, dress, use and condition of uniforms, grooming, and general appearance of you and your team;
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
However, you must enter all such sales completed via third-party channels into the BaselineTM point-of-sale program by the end of the month in which they are completed.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We are not limited in the information we can extract from your computer and require independent access to the information generated and stored in the computer systems.
Training
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesItem 11
Once you have signed a lease, you are required to attend the annual meeting each year, if it is held.
The filing answers no to 4 questions
- Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?Item 8
- Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?Item 11
- Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?Item 11
- Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?Item 11
The vendor opportunity at Uptown Cheapskate
Uptown Cheapskate runs 162 units — 148 franchised, 14 company-owned — generating $1,290,000 in average unit volume, up 14.73% year over year. Item 19 of the FDD makes a financial performance representation. The franchisor is part of BaseCamp Franchising, alongside sibling brand Kid to Kid.
Who controls software purchasing
Zach Gordon and Tyler Gordon serve as Co-CEOs, with John Gordon, Brent Sloan and Chelsea Carroll named as Directors of BaseCamp. Item 8's mandate on Baseline confirms this leadership team keeps at least one core operating system under central control. The operator base is fully fragmented — 202 mapped operators across 202 located units, none running more than one location, concentrated in Texas, Georgia, Utah, North Carolina and Ohio.
Tech named in the FDD, and what is actually required
Baseline is mandated under Item 8 — franchisees are obliged to use it. Intuit and its QuickBooks product are in use per Item 11, the incumbent financial systems, though the filing describes them in use rather than contractually requiring them. Facebook and Instagram (Item 8), Google Ads and Pinterest (Item 11), and LMN (Item 19) are all named only, with no mandate attached to any of them.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 runs an approved-supplier list: franchisees must buy certain items from designated suppliers or an approved list, while other purchases can go to any supplier meeting the franchisor's specifications, and operators may propose a supplier for approval. Item 17 sets a 10-year initial term with a 5-year renewal available to franchisees in good standing who meet renewal requirements and sign the then-current agreement, which may carry materially different terms. With unit count up 14.73% year over year, new-location rollout is the stronger near-term signal for vendors to watch, alongside the shorter 5-year renewal cycle.
How to read the Uptown Cheapskate FDD
The FDD was filed with state franchise regulators in 2026. Use the embedded PDF viewer below to read Item 2 (officers), Item 8 (supplier restrictions), Item 11 (technology and training), Item 17 (renewal terms), Item 19 (financial performance) and Item 20 (outlets) directly. Talk to FranCloud for a ranked list of franchise systems that fit your product before you build the next pitch.
Questions vendors ask
Uptown Cheapskate, answered from the filing
Co-CEOs Zach Gordon and Tyler Gordon lead the headquarters, alongside BaseCamp Directors John Gordon, Brent Sloan and Chelsea Carroll. Item 8's mandate on Baseline shows this leadership team retains direct control over at least one core system.
Baseline is mandated under Item 8. Intuit and QuickBooks by Intuit are in use as incumbent systems per Item 11, without a contractual mandate. Facebook, Google Ads, Instagram, LMN and Pinterest are named only, with no mandate attached.
162 total units — 148 franchised and 14 company-owned — as of the 2026 FDD, up 14.73% year over year, concentrated in Texas, Georgia, Utah, North Carolina and Ohio.
An approved-supplier list under Item 8: franchisees must buy certain items from designated suppliers or an approved list, while other purchases can go to any supplier meeting specifications. Operators may also propose a supplier for approval.
The initial term runs 10 years, with a 5-year renewal available to franchisees in good standing who meet requirements and sign a then-current agreement. At 14.73% YoY growth, new-unit rollout is likely the stronger near-term signal.
The filing was submitted to state franchise regulators in 2026. Use the embedded PDF viewer below to read Items 2, 8, 11, 17, 19 and 20 directly.
Source
Read the filing itself
Every number on this page traces back to this document. Read it in full, page by page. Buy the original PDF to download, search, and annotate it.
View only A one-time purchase: the original filing, yours to keep.
FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Uptown Cheapskate files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
202 operators run 202 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit202
Top states by locations
| TX | 40 |
|---|---|
| GA | 16 |
| UT | 12 |
| NC | 9 |
| OH | 9 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind Uptown Cheapskate
holding_vehicle of BaseCamp Franchising.
Sibling brands
Related Retail non food brands
Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.