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Gordo's Bubble Waffles
Gordo’s Bubble Waffles operates a franchise system for retail dessert shops that offer fresh-to-order bubble waffles loaded with indulgent ingredients, along with mini pancakes, waffle sticks, ice cream, coffee, and other authorized menu items. Franchisees develop and operate these businesses in 2,000-2,500 sq ft locations using the franchisor's proprietary system, marks, recipes, and operations manual. The business model involves granting single-unit or multi-unit franchises to qualified operators targeting consumers seeking unique, indulgent desserts in freestanding or strip mall settings.
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Franchise Costs
6% royalty + 1% brand fund + $500/mo software licenses + $60/wk ($260/mo) technology fee
Financial Performance
Item 19 Financial Performance
Data Based On: Financial performance is based on two affiliate-owned Gordo's Bubble Waffles businesses (Bayview and Marquette) for the period of January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024. Marquette location operated for eight months in this period.
* Calculated average gross revenue, average gross profit, and average adjusted net income from the two reporting businesses (Bayview and Marquette). The adjusted profit margin (0.3722) was derived by dividing the average adjusted net income by the average gross revenue. The best guess profit range uses the minimum and maximum adjusted net income of the two businesses.
Extracted Item 19 Section
Avg. Revenue: $501,065
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Unlock financial performance dataGordo's Bubble Waffles Franchise Analysis
Bubble waffles—those crispy, pearl-filled treats straight from Hong Kong street food—are infiltrating U.S. dessert scenes, and Gordo's Bubble Waffles brings a franchised twist from Milwaukee. As a 2025 FDD newcomer with just a handful of spots, Item 19 drops rare early revenue insights while explosive growth hints at momentum. But in a crowded sweets market, does this fresh face deliver the dough—or just the hype?
Item 7 lays out a $179,400-$468,500 initial investment for 2,000-2,500 sq ft shops in strip malls or freestanding spots, including a $35,000 franchise fee. On costs, expect 6% royalties plus 1% brand fund, layered with $500/month software licenses and $260/month tech fees—ongoing bites that add up to about $1,300 monthly extras at scale. Item 19 shines for such a young system: average gross revenue hits $501,064 across limited units, though EBITDA margin sits at 0%, with estimated profits ranging $154,052-$218,942; these figures from two corporate locations suggest solid top-line pull from indulgent waffles, mini pancakes, and ice cream, but razor-thin margins flag high food/labor pressures in desserts.
System health screams startup risk-reward: grew from 1 location in 2023 to 2 in 2024 (+100%), with 2 more projected, and zero terminations/transfers yet—clean slate for a 2025 launch. No SBA loan data due to newness, but that $501K average on tiny footprint beats many ice cream peers if scalable. Buyers eyeing trendy desserts get a proprietary recipe edge, yet prove viability with few comps; probe validation calls on those margins before betting on bubble mania.
Analysis based on the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. All figures should be independently verified before making investment decisions.
How Gordo's Bubble Waffles Compares
Key Insights
- Lower investment than 75% of Desserts & Ice Cream franchises
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Royalty | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Gordo's Bubble Waffles Current | $179K – $469K | $35K | 6.0% | 0 |
| RITA'S FRANCHISE COMPANY, LLC; RITA'S ICE-CUSTARD-HAPPINESS | $315K – $713K | $35K | 6.5% | 569 |
| MENCHIE'S | $180K – $515K | $54K | 6.0% | 295 |
| DIPPIN' DOTS | $139K – $399K | $35K | 6.0% | 260 |
| MARBLE SLAB CREAMERY | $355K – $477K | $25K | 6.0% | 249 |
| BRUSTER'S | $415K – $1.1M | $40K | 5.0% | 219 |
Desserts & Ice Cream Average 28 franchises | $326K – $656K | $37K | 7.0% | – |
* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 28 Desserts & Ice Cream franchises by location count.
Locations & Growth
Outlet Growth Over Time
Total outlets at end of each year
Geographic Distribution (2024)
Outlets by state across the United States
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Unlock location growth dataFranchisee Contacts
7 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.
7 Contacts Available
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Unlock contactsDue Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
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Unlock due diligence reportsFrequently Asked Questions
The total initial investment to open a Gordo's Bubble Waffles franchise ranges from $179,400 to $468,500. This includes a franchise fee of $35,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 6.0% of gross sales.