As of December 31, 2024, how many company-owned Gold Star Restaurants were in operation?
Gold_Star Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
As of December 31, 2024, there were 48 franchised Restaurants and 9 company-owned Restaurants in operation in the United States. Officers, directors or shareholders of Gold Star and/or their relatives wholly or partly own a substantial number of Franchises. Gold Star defines "company owned" stores as those stores which are controlled by Gold Star directly through equity ownership. Gold Star does not enter into franchise agreements with any of its company owned outlets, but it is currently the practice of Gold Star to cause its company owned outlets to pay the same fees and comply with the same standards and obligations as it requires of its franchisees.
Source: Item 1 — The Franchisor and any Parents, Predecessors, and Affiliates (FDD pages 7–10)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Gold Star's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, as of December 31, 2024, there were 9 company-owned Gold Star Restaurants in operation within the United States. In addition to these company-owned locations, there were 48 franchised Gold Star Restaurants operating at that time.
Gold Star defines company-owned stores as those directly controlled through equity ownership. Although these company-owned outlets are not technically franchisees, Gold Star states that it is their current practice to ensure these locations adhere to the same fees, standards, and obligations required of its franchisees. This suggests a consistent operational model across both company-owned and franchised locations.
For a prospective franchisee, this information provides insight into the structure of the Gold Star franchise system, including the balance between company-owned and franchised locations. Understanding the operational standards applied to company-owned stores can help a franchisee anticipate the expectations and requirements they will need to meet.