| FRANCHISEDEPTH FDD DATABASE: START HERE
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| Free sample (25 brands). Compiled 2026-11-01. 25 franchise brands.
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| Every figure comes from, or is calculated from, each brand's latest Franchise Disclosure
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| Document (FDD) as filed with a US state. Information only, not financial or legal advice.
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| 1. UNZIP THE FILE
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| Right-click the zip and choose "Extract all" (Windows) or double-click it (Mac).
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| Inside you'll find:
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| - franchisedepth.xlsx Excel workbook: every table as a tab, plus a Compare tab
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| - brand_summary.csv one row per brand with the key figures
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| - franchisedepth.sqlite the full database, for SQL and AI tools
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| - csv/ parquet/ each table as its own file
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| - profiles/ one readable page per brand
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| - profiles_by_industry/ the same pages, grouped by industry
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| - AI_GUIDE.md how to use the data with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and others
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| - AI_INSTRUCTIONS.txt instructions to paste into any AI assistant
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| - AGENTS.md what every column means and how each figure is calculated
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| - example_queries.sql ready-made SQL questions
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| - mcp/ connector for Claude Desktop and other MCP apps
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| - LICENSE.txt what your licence allows
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| Complete database only: alternatives (similar brands), peer_ranks (how each brand ranks against
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| its peers) and value_ratios (revenue relative to investment and royalty).
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| 2. LOOK AT IT IN EXCEL OR GOOGLE SHEETS
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| - Open franchisedepth.xlsx. Each tab is one table; brands is one row per brand.
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| - Compare tab: pick up to five brands from the drop-downs in row 2 (use the brand
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| codes shown in the brands tab, such as "subway"). The figures fill in below.
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| - Google Sheets: File > Import > Upload, and choose brand_summary.csv or
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| franchisedepth.xlsx.
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| 3. ASK AN AI ASSISTANT
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| - Upload brand_summary.csv to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Copilot or Perplexity.
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| - Paste the text of AI_INSTRUCTIONS.txt as your first message.
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| - Ask your question, for example: "Which food brands under $300,000 to open have the
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| lowest closure rate? Show a table with the FDD year for each."
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| - For a custom GPT, Gem or Project, and for which files to use, see AI_GUIDE.md.
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| 4. CONNECT IT TO CLAUDE DESKTOP (OPTIONAL, LIVE SQL)
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| a. Install uv: https://docs.astral.sh/uv/
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| b. In Claude Desktop open Settings > Developer > Edit config, and add (with your own
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| folder path):
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| {"mcpServers": {"franchisedepth": {"command": "uv", "args": ["run", "--with", "mcp", "python",
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| "C:/path/to/mcp/franchisedepth_mcp.py", "C:/path/to/franchisedepth.sqlite"]}}}
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| c. Restart Claude Desktop. Ask: "Using franchisedepth, which quick-service brands have
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| the highest comparable revenue?" The connector is read-only.
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| 5. USE SQL (OPTIONAL)
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| - Free app: DB Browser for SQLite (https://sqlitebrowser.org). Open franchisedepth.sqlite.
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| - Run the questions in example_queries.sql, or write your own. Join tables on brand_slug.
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| - SELECT * FROM column_docs; lists what every column means.
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| 6. GOOD TO KNOW
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| - Blank means not disclosed, not zero.
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| - older_fdd = 1 marks brands whose latest FDD on file is from 2022 or earlier.
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| - Rows with an edition_note are not the brand's standard unit-franchise offer.
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| - Revenue is not profit.
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| 7. UPDATES, LICENCE AND HELP
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| - Corrected files for this edition are free: download again from your Gumroad library
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| (gumroad.com/library) to get the latest.
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| - Your licence is shown on your receipt; LICENSE.txt has the terms.
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| - A damaged file or a question: message us through Gumroad.
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