FDD-based analysis. Item-level data. No franchisor input.
Tide Cleaners franchises retail dry cleaning businesses that provide premium dry cleaning, laundering, and related fabric and garment care services and products to the general public. The brand offers four store formats: Plant Stores, which perform on-site garment treatment and handling; Central Plant Stores, which are non-consumer-facing production facilities; Drop Stores, which serve as customer drop-off and pick-up points for garments processed elsewhere; and Virtual Stores, which provide delivery services without a physical retail premises. Each Tide Cleaners Outlet operates within a designated development area, competing with other dry cleaning, laundry, and garment care providers, including home laundry facilities and laundromats.
Source: Entrepreneur 2026 ranking/profile data and Franchise Disclosure Document, rewritten by Zorzee
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.
Every data point Zorzee tracks for this brand, in FDD Item order. Missing source data stays blank; Pro-only interpretation remains locked.
| Item | Data Point | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Item 3 | Litigation Actions (total) | 0 actions disclosed | FDD Item 3 |
| Item 5 | Initial Franchise Fee | The Initial Franchise Fee is $50,000 (Item 5, p.12). | FDD Item 5 |
| Item 5 | Development Fee | 0 - no separate development fee disclosed in Item 5 | FDD Item 5 |
| Item 6 | Royalty Fee | Continuing Service and Royalty is 6.5% of weekly Net Sales, due on or before Thursday each week for the previous week. | FDD Item 6 |
| Item 6 | National Media Fund | Pro | FDD Item 6 |
| Item 6 | Corporate Ad & Development Fund | Pro | FDD Item 6 |
| Item 6 | Total Ongoing Fee Burden | Pro | Calculated (Item 6) |
| Item 7 | Total Investment (low) | $40,320 | FDD Item 7 |
| Item 7 | Total Investment (high) | $2,517,300 | FDD Item 7 |
| Item 8 | Required Purchases (food/supplies) | Pro | FDD Item 8 |
| Item 11 | Franchisor Assistance | Pro | FDD Item 11 |
| Item 12 | Exclusive Territory | Pro | FDD Item 12 |
| Item 12 | Territory Size | Pro | FDD Item 12 |
| Item 15 | Operating Participation | Pro | FDD Item 15 |
| Item 17 | Initial Term Length | Pro | FDD Item 17(a) |
| Item 17 | Renewal Terms | Pro | FDD Item 17(b)-(c) |
| Item 17 | Required Remodel at Renewal | Pro | FDD Item 17(c) |
| Item 17 | Termination Triggers | Pro | FDD Item 17(f)-(h) |
| Item 17 | Transfer Fee | Pro | FDD Item 17(m), Item 6 |
| Item 17 | ROFR Provisions | Pro | FDD Item 17(n) |
| Item 17 | Post-Termination Non-Compete | Pro | FDD Item 17(r) |
| Item 19 | Revenue Metric Disclosed | Yes: Average Unit Metric $1,225,693 / Median Unit Metric $1,300,961 | FDD Item 19 |
| Item 20 | Total Franchised Units (2025) | 265 | FDD Item 20 |
| Item 20 | Company-Owned Units (2025) | 0 | FDD Item 20 |
| Item 20 | Total System Net Unit Growth (YoY) | +10 | FDD Item 20 |
| Item 20 | Terminations | Pro | FDD Item 20 |
| Item 20 | Agreements Signed, Not Yet Open | Pro | FDD Item 20 |
| Item 21 | Audited Financials | Pro | FDD Item 21 |
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.
Item 19 earnings data is disclosed for Tide Cleaners. The full disclosure is free below; Zorzee's read of what it means stays in Pro.
Tide Cleaners 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.
0 actions disclosed in source-reviewed FDD Item 3.
Zorzee editorial. Independent analysis. No franchisor review or approval. Not financial advice.
The filing tells you what Tide Cleaners 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.
Four months of research and more confused than when you started?
You've seen the filings and the numbers. What none of it tells you is whether this is a business that fits your money and your life. That is what fifteen minutes with a Zorzee-approved independent Franchise Consultant is for: whether this brand belongs on your shortlist, and what to validate before it does. Working with one costs you nothing and carries no obligation. Your franchise fee is the same whether you use one or not.
A Zorzee-approved Franchise Consultant never charges you. A franchisor pays the consultant a commission only if and when you decide to invest in a franchise they introduced you to. The analysis on this page earned nothing the moment you read it, no matter what you do next. That firewall is structural, not a promise: Zorzee's editorial earns no commission from franchise placements.
Zorzee earns no commission from franchise placements.
More for Pro readers: Browse the Signal Tracker library and get The Zorzee Report Pro.
A Tide Cleaners franchise costs $40,320 to $2,517,300 to open, disclosed in FDD Item 7 of the 2025 filing, covering the franchise fee, buildout, equipment, and working capital to breakeven. No commissions, no franchisor revenue, independent analysis only.
Tide Cleaners uses a Variable fee model fee structure, disclosed in FDD Item 6.
Item 19 for Tide Cleaners discloses an average unit volume of $1,225,693 (median $1,300,961) in the 2025 FDD. The figure is gross sales, not profit. Zorzee's read of what it excludes is in the Pro dossier.
Tide Cleaners's average unit volume is $1,225,693 (median $1,300,961) in the 2025 FDD. The figure is gross sales, not profit. Zorzee's read of what it excludes is in the Pro dossier.
Tide Cleaners's FDD Item 3 discloses no legal actions in the 2025 filing.
Zorzee does not rate franchises good or bad; it reports what the filing discloses so you can judge fit. Tide Cleaners shows Deal-Specific reads on Fee Structure and Term & Exit Terms, Strength on Unit Economics, In Line on Litigation History and Operator Validation. Whether it fits depends on your capital, your market, and your operating style. Independent analysis, no franchisor revenue.