Brand Dossier

Griswold

FDD-based analysis. Item-level data. No franchisor input.

Rank #304 on Entrepreneur 2026Personal-Care BusinessesFDD issued April 20, 2026
Ranking ContextRanking from Entrepreneur Media's 2026 Franchise 500. Zorzee is independent and not affiliated with Entrepreneur Media.
Source File2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. Measurement period: Item 19 Measurement Period: Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2025.
About the Brand

About Griswold

Griswold International, LLC franchises Griswold Home Care agencies that identify people in need of assistance and match them with screened, trained, licensed, insured, bonded, and credentialed caregivers who provide personal care, homemaking, companion care, incidental transportation, and other supportive services. Owners operate under an Agency Business Model in which caregivers are treated as employees, serving clients who pay for care on behalf of care recipients such as older or disabled adults needing help with daily activities like bathing, medication prompts, meal preparation, and shopping, as well as companionship for cognitively-impaired individuals. Griswold Home Care franchises compete against other home care companies, home health agencies, staffing companies, assisted living and skilled nursing facilities, and private individuals offering similar services.

Source: Entrepreneur 2026 ranking/profile data and Franchise Disclosure Document, rewritten by Zorzee

Investment Summary

The Numbers At a Glance

Total Investment Range
$185,600 to $185,600
FDD Item 7
Franchise Fee
$49,500
Development fee: None. No separate multi-unit development fee disclosed in Item 5; a second territory simply requires a separate Franchise Agreement at the discounted then-current Initial Franchise Fee.
FDD Item 5
Royalty + Fees
6%
Roughly 6% of Gross Receipts ongoing (5% royalty + 1% General Marketing Fee) plus a local marketing spend minimum of...
FDD Item 6
Earnings Claim
Disclosed (operator-level metric)
The disclosed metric, coverage, ranges, and read are included in Pro.
FDD Item 19

Every value here comes straight from the FDD; anything not yet source-verified stays blank rather than estimated. The Pro figures and full interpretation unlock with a Pro membership.

The FDD Data Table

Everything the 2026 Filing Discloses

Every data point Zorzee tracks for this brand, in FDD Item order. Missing source data stays blank; Pro-only interpretation remains locked.

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ItemData PointValueSource
Item 3Litigation Actions (total) 5 actions disclosed FDD Item 3
Item 5Initial Franchise Fee The Initial Franchise Fee is $49,500. FDD Item 5
Item 5Development Fee None. No separate multi-unit development fee disclosed in Item 5; a second territory simply requires a separate Franchise Agreement at the discounted then-current Initial Franchise Fee. FDD Item 5
Item 6Royalty Fee Royalty is the greater of 5% of Gross Receipts or the Minimum Performance Requirement. FDD Item 6
Item 6National Media Fund Pro FDD Item 6
Item 6Corporate Ad & Development Fund Pro FDD Item 6
Item 6Total Ongoing Fee Burden Pro Calculated (Item 6)
Item 7Total Investment (low) $185,600 FDD Item 7
Item 7Total Investment (high) $185,600 FDD Item 7
Item 8Required Purchases (food/supplies) Pro FDD Item 8
Item 11Franchisor Assistance Pro FDD Item 11
Item 12Exclusive Territory Pro FDD Item 12
Item 12Territory Size Pro FDD Item 12
Item 15Operating Participation Pro FDD Item 15
Item 17Initial Term Length Pro FDD Item 17(a)
Item 17Renewal Terms Pro FDD Item 17(b)-(c)
Item 17Required Remodel at Renewal Pro FDD Item 17(c)
Item 17Termination Triggers Pro FDD Item 17(f)-(h)
Item 17Transfer Fee Pro FDD Item 17(m), Item 6
Item 17ROFR Provisions Pro FDD Item 17(n)
Item 17Post-Termination Non-Compete Pro FDD Item 17(r)
Item 19Revenue Metric Disclosed Pro FDD Item 19
Item 20Total Franchised Units (2025) 198 (135 Agency Model + 63 Registry legacy) as of 12/31/2025 FDD Item 20
Item 20Company-Owned Units (2025) 11 (all Agency Model) FDD Item 20
Item 20Total System Net Unit Growth (YoY) +30 total outlets over 2023-2025 (179 -> 193 -> 209), driven by Agency Model growth net of Registry legacy wind-down. FDD Item 20
Item 20Terminations Pro FDD Item 20
Item 20Agreements Signed, Not Yet Open Pro FDD Item 20
Item 21Audited Financials Pro FDD Item 21
Pro Data Points Locked
The free table maps every data point to its FDD source. Pro fills in the values and interpretation that require the full read.
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The Signal Tracker

Five Signals From the 2026 Filing

Each signal turns one part of the filing into a read a buyer can act on. Strength means the disclosed data is favorable. In Line means it is typical for the category. Deal-Specific means the term is populated but you still have to model it against your own deal. Concern means the disclosed data is a real risk. The read is free. The reasoning behind it is the Pro read.

Fee Structure
In Line
FDD Item 6
The Pro Read

Fee load is source-backed from Item 5 and Item 6: a mid-five-figure initial franchise fee plus an ongoing royalty and a general marketing fee, layered with escalating annual sales quotas and a local-marketing spend minimum.

Unit Economics
In Line
FDD Item 19
The Pro Read

Per-owner / single-territory-owner metric; label it as owner-level, not generic unit AUV. Item 19 discloses average, median, high, low, and share above average for single-territory operators and for several larger cohorts, but all figures are gross receipts rather than profit and the broadest average is inflated by multi-territory owners.

Litigation History
Concern
FDD Item 3
The Pro Read

FDD Item 3 discloses 5 actions. Case names, allegations, procedural posture, and source quotes are locked in Pro.

Operator Validation
Strength
FDD Item 20
The Pro Read

Item 20 shows the offered Agency Model growing steadily with minimal terminations, while a legacy model is being converted rather than closed.

Term & Exit Terms
Deal-Specific
FDD Item 17
The Pro Read

Item 17 gives a ten-year initial term with no-cost five-year renewals, but pairs a franchisor right of first offer, an asset-purchase option, and an estate-marketing clause on the owner's death with a post-term non-compete.

Five Reads In. The Reasoning Is Locked.
You can see where each signal lands. Pro gives you the why: the math, the source detail, and what to validate before you act.
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Item 19: Earnings Disclosure

What the Earnings Claim Says, and What It Does Not

Griswold has an Item 19 disclosure, but it does not provide one standard combined unit figure for Free to display. The disclosed metric, coverage, ranges, and read are included in Pro.

Disclosed (operator-level metric)

The disclosed metric, coverage, ranges, and read are included in Pro. No combined figure is invented or exposed on Free.

What the Number Doesn't Tell You
Free, because misreading Item 19 is one of the costliest mistakes a first-time buyer can make.
  • Item 19 reports the disclosed sales or revenue metric. That is not profit, and not a forecast of what you would personally take home.
  • An average and a median are not the same number. Know which you are shown and how far apart they sit.
  • What reaches you is whatever survives operating costs and debt service. Item 19 never shows that figure.
Earnings Detail Locked
Pro reveals the filing's actual disclosure shape, coverage, ranges, and the Zorzee read without inventing a combined unit average.
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Unit Count and Trajectory

A System Still Expanding

Total Units
209 (Agency Model 146 + Registry legacy 63)
Latest sourced FDD year
Franchised
198 (135 Agency Model + 63 Registry legacy) as of 12/31/2025
FDD Item 20
Company-Owned
11 (all Agency Model)
FDD Item 20
Total System Net Change (YoY)
+16
Latest total-system change
Total System Units, Latest Available FDD Years
179
2023
193
2024
209
2025

Griswold trajectory is shown only where source-backed. Missing Item 20 fields stay blank inside the locked layout instead of removing the section.

Source: FDD Item 20 where present. Total system units, franchised plus company-owned. Not financial advice.

Beyond the Net Number
A net unit count is not the same as healthy stores. Pro breaks out openings, closures, terminations, and what the trajectory signals.
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Litigation History

What FDD Item 3 Discloses

5 actions disclosed in FDD Item 3. Case-level detail remains locked in Pro.

Case 01
Item 3 action disclosed
Case-level detail locked in Pro
The Read · Pro
Case 02
Item 3 action disclosed
Case-level detail locked in Pro
The Read · Pro
Case 03
Item 3 action disclosed
Case-level detail locked in Pro
The Read · Pro
What a Litigation Count Doesn't Tell You
Free, because a raw lawsuit count is one of the most misread lines in any FDD.
  • A count means nothing without scale and time. Always compare it to system size and years covered.
  • The pattern matters more than the total. Repeated allegations matter more than isolated disputes.
  • Concluded and open matters are not the same weight. Open matters require different diligence than old resolved matters.
Litigation Read Locked
Pro gives the case-by-case read: allegations, status, scale context, and whether any pattern matters before signing.
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Editorial Analysis

The Zorzee Read

The Zorzee Take
The editor's synthesis: what the filing actually means once the numbers, diligence, and operator reality are weighed against each other. The Take names what matters, what does not, and what must be validated before any decision.
The Read · Pro
The Inversion
Charlie Munger's rule: to understand a thing, study how it fails. Zorzee stress-tests every brand against forecasting, site selection, management depth, and exit math. The framework is free. Which modes bite hardest for this brand, and the fix for each, is the read.
The Failure-Mode Read · Pro
The Editorial Read Is Locked
Pro unlocks the full Zorzee read on Griswold: the editorial synthesis, the math behind the numbers, and the failure modes the filing reveals. Zorzee briefs the decision; you make it.
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Zorzee editorial. Independent analysis. No franchisor review or approval. Not financial advice.

The Decision

You've Seen the Filing. The Read Is Still the Missing Piece.

The filing tells you what Griswold costs to open. Pro adds the read on whether the numbers work for you, in your market, and whether this brand is a business or a job you bought.

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This Dossier
  • The full read behind all five Signal Tracker verdicts
  • Pro FDD data points from fee burden through Item 17 and audited financials
  • The Item 19 earnings read where disclosed
  • The litigation and system-health read
  • The Zorzee Take and failure-mode analysis
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