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Nothing Bundt Cakes

2025 FDD Diligence Memo

5 Warnings
52/ 10

Composite score based on six FDD-derived dimensions.

Gov FDD ✓

Sys Health

6

Fin Strength

7

Econ Burden

8

Support

7

Contract

7

Red Flags & Key Signals

△ Warning
System lost net unitsItem 20

Net unit loss of -6. Monitor whether this is a one-year anomaly or a trend.

△ Warning
Post-term non-compete — ?yr / ?miItem 17

After leaving the franchise, you cannot operate a competing business in this radius. Evaluate the real-world impact on your exit options.

△ Warning
No exclusive territoryItem 12

Franchisor is not obligated to protect your market area. Encroachment from company-owned units or other franchisees is possible.

△ Warning
Franchisor may compete in your territoryItem 12

The FDD explicitly reserves the franchisor's right to operate competing channels (e.g. online, other brands) within your market.

△ Warning
Recent leadership changes detectedItem 2

Item 2 shows multiple executives hired within 2 years of this FDD filing. Leadership instability can affect franchisee support quality during transitions.

✓ Positive
Revenue disclosed in FDDItem 19

Avg $981,990 from government-filed FDD. Transparent disclosure is a positive signal.

✓ Positive
Management has franchise system experienceItem 2

At least one key executive has disclosed prior franchise system experience — associated with better franchisee support and system discipline.

✓ Positive
Audited financials — no going concernItem 21

Franchisor financial statements are audited with no going concern warning.

Investment Overview

Items 5, 6, 7

Total investment range: $667,100 – $906,500. Initial fee: $45,000. Royalty: 6.0. Marketing fund: 0%.

Payback estimate: Investment-to-disclosed-revenue ratio: 0.80x. This is the ratio of midpoint investment ($786,800) to disclosed avg revenue ($981,990). No profit assumptions are applied.

Item 19 — Revenue

Item 19 — 2025 FDD (government-filed)

Item 19 discloses avg revenue of $981,990 (Annual).

Sample: Weak

The FDD does not specify how many units were included in this figure. Investment-to-disclosed-revenue ratio: 0.8x ($786,800 midpoint investment vs $981,990 avg revenue).

Item 20 — System Health

Item 20 — 2025 FDD

System contracting — net -6 units in reporting period.

↓ Contracting

6 more units closed or left the system than opened.

Total Units

0

Net Growth

-6

Turnover

0%

Year-over-Year Trends

2025 FDD
Unit Count↓ Down

Opened

+0

Closed

-0

Net

-6

Prior-year Item 19 revenue data not available. Unit data above covers the reporting period in the 2025 FDD.

Key Contract Terms

Item 17
Initial Term10 years
Royalty Rate6.0
Marketing Fund0%
Mandatory ArbitrationNo
Post-term Non-compete?yr / ?mi
Exclusive TerritoryNo

Item 19 Data Quality Flags

Item 19

Net sales (not gross)

This Item 19 reports net sales (after returns/discounts). Gross sales figures from other brands will appear higher — not directly comparable.

Profit not disclosed

Item 19 reports revenue only. No expense breakdown is provided. Profit cannot be determined from this disclosure alone.

Subset of units reported

Item 19 samples may be limited to defined subsets (geographic subset), which affects comparability.

Sample size not specified

The FDD does not state how many units contributed to this figure.

Data from 2024

Revenue covers 2024 — 2 years old. Reasonably current but worth confirming recent trends with existing franchisees.

Franchisee Interview Questions

Item 20 contacts

Use Item 20 to get current franchisee contact info. Call at least 3-5. Ask these questions:

importantItem 11 — training & support

How responsive is your franchisor rep — do they actually help when you have a problem, or are they just checking boxes?

Look for: Specific stories (not just vague positives). Ask about a time they needed help urgently — response time matters.

importantItem 17 — 2025 FDD

If you decided to sell your franchise tomorrow, how easy would that be? Has the franchisor ever blocked or delayed a transfer you wanted?

Look for: Transfer fee surprises, right-of-first-refusal complications, or franchisor demanding upgrades before approving a sale.

importantItem 2 — 2025 FDD (Business Experience)

Item 2 shows recent leadership changes. Ask current franchisees: has the change in leadership affected support quality, speed of decisions, or the culture of the system?

Look for: Whether the new leadership has franchise operations experience. Disruption in field support after leadership transitions is common.

What did your revenue look like in year 1 vs. year 2 vs. now? When did you reach breakeven?

Look for: Year 1 revenue is typically well below Item 19 averages (which often exclude ramp-up units). Expect 12-24 months to reach average.

What did the training actually cover vs. what you needed on day 1? What do you wish you'd learned before opening?

Look for: Gap between training content and operational reality. New franchisees often report the training covered theory but not real-world situations.

Management Team — Item 2 (Business Experience)

8/10Strong Management Signal

Leadership has prior franchise system experience; long-tenured executives (5+ years); recent leadership changes detected; 8 senior roles identified.

8 senior execsfranchise exp.stable leadershiprecent changes

Item 2 · 2025 FDD · confidence: medium

Territory — Item 12

0/10Critical Encroachment Risk

NO exclusive territory — encroachment risk exists; franchisor may operate competing channels in your market; franchisor reserves online/ecommerce sales; territory contingent on performance requirements.

✗ No exclusive territoryFranchisor may competeOnline sales reservedgeographic territory

Item 12 · 2025 FDD

Supplier Dependence — Item 8

Low Supplier Lock-In · 3/10

Franchisee may source freely if specifications are met.

Spec-based sourcing

Item 8 · 2025 FDD

Data sources: 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document filed with a state franchise regulator (government record). Source: Extracted from 2025 FDD filed with WI DFI (file #639014). Source: 639014-2025-Nothing-Bundt-Cakes.pdf. · Payback estimates and margin assumptions are editorial — not from the FDD. This memo does not constitute legal or financial advice. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing. Generated 2026-04-06 by Franchisel.com.

Important Notice:Franchisel provides franchise research and analysis for informational purposes only. This is not financial, legal, or investment advice. All financial data labeled “Estimated” is approximate and has not been verified against actual FDD filings. Data labeled “FDD Verified” or “State Filing” has been extracted directly from government-filed Franchise Disclosure Documents (MN CARDS, WI DFI, CA DFPI) but may not reflect the most recent filing. Unit counts, revenue figures, and other metrics change frequently. Always request and independently verify the current FDD from the franchisor before making any investment decision. Consult a qualified franchise attorney and accountant before investing. Franchisel is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any franchise system listed on this platform. Scores reflect our editorial analysis methodology and are not endorsed by any franchisor.