About Matchbox Franchise
Matchbox is an upscale casual restaurant franchise that has been franchising since 2020, backed by Thompson Matchbox Ventures, LLC.
The brand is known for its wood fired pizza, inventive American cuisine, and craft cocktails, served in a stylish, contemporary dining environment.
Matchbox restaurants have built a loyal following in the Washington, D.C.
Matchbox Franchise Cost & Fees
Minimum Investment
$1.1M
Average Investment
$1.7M
Maximum Investment
$2.3M
| Fee Type | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $60,000 | One-time payment upon signing |
| Royalty Fee | 6% of Gross Sales of gross sales | Ongoing; paid monthly |
| Marketing/Ad Fund | Currently, 1% of Gross Sales (may increase up to 3% of Gross Sales) | National brand fund |
| Total Investment Range | $1,112,500 – $2,318,500 | Includes build-out, inventory, working capital |
The investment range of $1.1M–$2.3M reflects variability in build-out costs, store size, lease terms, and market. The combined royalty (6% of Gross Sales) and marketing fee (Currently, 1% of Gross Sales (may increase up to 3% of Gross Sales)) are ongoing costs paid as a percentage of gross sales.
Investment Breakdown (Item 7)
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $60,000 | $60,000 |
| Travel Expenses to Attend Training | $1,000 | $10,000 |
| Rent | $35,000 | $75,000 |
| Build-Out/Construction | $787,500 | $1,622,500 |
| Fixture Package | $100,000 | $300,000 |
| Initial Inventory | $20,000 | $30,000 |
| Signage | $10,000 | $30,000 |
| Computer Hardware, Software, and POS System | $20,000 | $30,000 |
| Insurance | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| Licenses, Permits | $5,000 | $8,000 |
| Grand Opening Campaign | $5,000 | $20,000 |
| Legal & Accounting | $4,000 | $8,000 |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs | $10,000 | $15,000 |
| Additional Funds – 3 Months | $50,000 | $100,000 |
Additional Fees (Item 6)
| Fee Type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Transfer Fee | $15,000 |
| Renewal Fee | 25% of the then current initial franchise fee |
| Audit Fee | Cost of the audit if we discover you have underreported Gross Sales by more than 2%. |
| Cooperative Contributions | Up to 1% of Gross Sales (weekly) |
| Annual Conference Fee | $500 (upon demand) |
| Insurance | Cost of procuring insurance plus $2,500 (upon demand) |
| Interest on Late Payments | 1.5% per month or the maximum rate permitted by applicable law |
| Insufficient Funds Charge | $50 or maximum amount permitted by applicable law, whichever is less |
| Additional Training Fee | Our then-current fee (currently $2,000 per person) plus costs and expenses |
| Additional Onsite Training | Our then-current per diem fee (currently $1,000 per instructor per day) plus our expenses |
| Prohibited Product or Service Fee | $500 per day of use of unauthorized products or services |
| Costs and Attorneys’ Fees | Will vary under circumstances (upon request) |
| Securities Offering | Will vary under circumstances (upon request) |
| Indemnification | Will vary under circumstances (upon request) |
| Non-Compliance Fine | $1,000 for the first violation; additional $3,000 if violation is not corrected within 30 days |
| Supplier or Product Testing | Actual costs (at time of inspection) |
| Prohibited Product Fine | $500 per day |
| Violation of Non-competition Covenant | $3,000 per week |
| Promotional Expenses | $700 to $1,625 per month |
| Liquidated Damages | Amount equal to the average weekly Royalty Fees that you owed us during the 52 weeks preceding termination multiplied by the lesser of 104 weeks or the number of weeks remaining in the term of your Franchise Agreement |
| Relocation Fee | $15,000 |
Training Program (Item 11)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Total Duration | Approximately 156 hours |
| Classroom Training | 24 hours |
| On-the-Job Training | 148 hours |
| Training Location | Matchbox restaurant in Northern Virginia; Our Reston, Virginia Headquarters |
| Additional Training | Franchisee shall attend such periodic refresher and supplemental training programs, conferences, or meetings at such locations as Franchisor may from time to time direct. |
Territory Rights (Item 12)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Territory Type | Protected |
| Exclusive Territory | Yes |
| Territory Size | Up to a quarter of a mile radius in urban settings, up to a two-mile radius in suburban areas. |
| Description | Each Franchise Agreement is granted for the Franchised Restaurant premises (the “Approved Location”), which is a specific location that we accept. You must operate the Franchised Restaurant only at the Approved Location. During the term of the Franchise Agreement, we will not operate, or grant the right to any other party to operate, a Matchbox restaurant at any location within the “Protected Territory” designated in your Franchise Agreement. Your Protected Territory may overlap with the Protected Territory(ies) assigned to other Matchbox restaurants. The Protected Territory will be a smaller radius around the Franchised Restaurant if it is located in an urban setting. For locations in urban areas the Protected Territory will be the area within a radius of up to a quarter of a mile around the location approved for the Franchised Restaurant, and for locations in suburban areas the Protected Territory may be up to a two mile radius of the Franchised Restaurant. The exact Protected Territory around your Franchised Restaurant will be agreed upon before signing the Franchise Agreement. |
Renewal, Termination & Transfer (Item 17)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Initial Term | 10 years |
| Renewal Term | One additional 10-year term |
| Renewal Fee | 25% of the then current initial franchise fee |
| Renewal Conditions | You must be in good standing, provide notice of intent to renew, remodel the Franchised Restaurant, sign our then-current form of Franchise Agreement, sign a general release (subject to state law), comply with our then-current training and qualification requirements; and pay a transfer fee. The renewal franchise agreement may contain terms that are materially different from your expiring Franchise Agreement, such as different fee requirements, but will not include an initial franchise fee. |
| Transfer Fee | $15,000 |
| Transfer Conditions | Transferee qualifies, all amounts due are paid in full, you sign a general release in our favor, transferee completes training, transfer fee paid, then-current contract signed. |
| Termination for Cause | Franchisee ceases to operate for 3 consecutive business days or 5 individual business days within 12 months; imminent danger to public health or safety; loss of premises due to fault; business with third parties in violation of Anti-Terrorism Laws; default on indebtedness of $100,000+; felony conviction or crime involving moral turpitude; detrimental conduct to franchisor's goodwill; fraud upon consumers; material misrepresentation to franchisor; temporary/permanent suspension/revocation of permits/licenses; material breach of non-compete; falsifying reports; unauthorized transfer; two or more default notices within 12 months; two or more health code violations within 12 months; understatement of Gross Sales by 2% or more three or more times in 18 months or by 5% on one occasion; repeatedly fails to comply with requirements; default under other agreements. |
| Non-Compete Period | 2 years |
| Non-Compete Details | No involvement with any Competitive Business for two years within ten miles of the Approved Location or within ten miles of any other Matchbox restaurant. |
Operations & Supply (Items 8 & 15)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Owner-Operator Required | Yes |
| Participation Details | You must designate an owner of a legal or beneficial interest of 10% or more in your company as your Operating Principal who will be the person with whom we communicate and whom will have the authority to bind you with respect to all financial, operational and legal matters related to the Franchised Restaurant and the Franchise Agreement. Your Operating Principal may also serve as the general manager of the Franchised Restaurant. Your Operating Principal must successfully complete the initial training program and any additional training that Franchisor requires. Your Operating Principal must devote full time and best efforts to supervising the operation of the Franchised Restaurant and shall not engage in any other business or activity, directly or indirectly, that requires substantial management responsibility or time commitments or otherwise may conflict with your obligations under the Franchise Agreement. |
| Required Suppliers | You must purchase certain foods, beverages and products that satisfy the written standards and specifications established by us. You must purchase or lease certain foods, beverages, products, equipment, containers, packaging supplies, paper goods and other product service items for the preparation and service of all menu items required for your Franchised Restaurant from suppliers approved by us. |
| Supply Restrictions | You must purchase certain foods, beverages and products that satisfy the written standards and specifications established by us. You must purchase or lease certain foods, beverages, products, equipment, containers, packaging supplies, paper goods and other product service items for the preparation and service of all menu items required for your Franchised Restaurant from suppliers approved by us. If you want to purchase products subject to our approved supplier requirements from a supplier who has not been previously approved by us, then you must, at your expense, send to us representative samples or specifications of that supplier’s products or services, and certain other information about the supplier’s products and business that we may request. We will also have the right to inspect the supplier’s facilities and otherwise evaluate the proposed supplier and its products or services, and you must reimburse us for the expenses we incur to inspect and evaluate the supplier. |
| Franchisor Revenue from Suppliers | Neither we nor any of our affiliates currently sells or leases any products or services to you. However, we or our affiliate may be a designated or approved supplier in the future. None of our officers own any ownership interests in any unaffiliated, designated, or approved suppliers. In our last fiscal year, we and our affiliates did not receive any rebates or payments from approved suppliers on account of franchisee purchases or leases of required and approved items from those suppliers. |
Financing (Item 10)
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Financing Available | No |
| Description | We do not offer direct or indirect financing. We do not guarantee your note, lease or other obligations. |
Matchbox Franchise Earnings — Item 19
Matchbox does not make an Item 19 financial performance representation in their FDD. This means they do not disclose revenue, profit, or earnings data for franchised locations. Before investing, ask the franchisor directly for franchisee contact information so you can speak with existing owners about their actual financial performance.
Matchbox does not include an Item 19 financial performance representation in their FDD. Contact information for current and former franchisees is listed in Item 20 of the FDD.
Matchbox Litigation & Risk Flags
Clean Litigation RecordMatchbox has no pending litigation actions listed in their FDD.
Bankruptcy History DisclosedA bankruptcy disclosure is present in this FDD.
Litigation and bankruptcy data is sourced from Items 3 and 4 of the FDD. Always verify current status directly from the most recent FDD.
Matchbox System Growth
Total Units
14
Franchised
1
Company-Owned
13
Matchbox currently operates 1 franchised locations and 13 company-owned units. Unit count data is sourced from Item 20 of the FDD.
Unit History (Item 20)
| Year | Opened | Closed | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 12 |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | 14 |
Transfers: 0 | Closures: 0
State Registrations
Registered in 14 states: CA, HI, IL, IN, MD, MI, MN, NY, ND, RI, SD, VA, WA, WI
Franchisor Financials (Item 21)
Revenue
$86K
Net Income
$60K
Total Assets
$134K
Audited by BDO USA, LLP for year ending Last Sunday of December.
Matchbox Franchise — FAQ
The total investment to open a Matchbox franchise ranges from $1,112,500 to $2,318,500, per their Franchise Disclosure Document. This includes the initial franchise fee of $60,000. The investment covers build-out, inventory, equipment, signage, working capital, and other startup costs.
Matchbox charges a royalty fee of 6% of Gross Sales of gross sales, plus a Currently, 1% of Gross Sales (may increase up to 3% of Gross Sales) contribution to the marketing/advertising fund. These fees are paid on an ongoing basis.
You can download the Matchbox Franchise Disclosure Document free on this page. The FDD is a public document filed with state franchise registries. Always also request the current FDD directly from Matchbox to ensure you have the most up-to-date version.
Matchbox does not provide an Item 19 financial performance representation in their FDD, which means they do not disclose franchisee revenue or earnings data. Prospective investors should contact existing franchisees directly (listed in Item 20 of the FDD) to gather real-world financial performance information.
Matchbox has been franchising since 2020. The FDD shows an investment range of $1,112,500-$2,318,500, a 6% of Gross Sales royalty, and no Item 19 earnings disclosure. There is no pending litigation. Review the full FDD and contact current franchisees listed in Item 20 before making any investment decision.
The franchise fee is $60,000 and the total investment ranges from $1,112,500 to $2,318,500 depending on location size and market. Contact the franchisor directly for current net worth and liquid capital requirements, territory availability, and application details.
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Data Source & Disclaimer: This website is for informational purposes only. It is not an offer to sell or buy a franchise. This profile is based on publicly available FDD data sourced from state franchise registry filings. All information is for research purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or investment advice. Data may be outdated or contain errors. Always obtain the current FDD directly from Matchbox and consult a qualified franchise attorney before making any investment decision. FranchiseOverview.com is operated by Franchising Compliance, LLC and is not affiliated with Matchbox or any of its subsidiaries. To report an inaccuracy: info@franchiseoverview.com