Midas vs. Meineke Car Care Centers vs. Christian Brothers Automotive
Three general automotive repair concepts: two legacy systems and one landlord-model newcomer. Every figure below comes from each brand’s own Franchise Disclosure Document, with its evidence tier. Where a brand did not disclose something, the cell says so.
Midas (2026 FDD) lists a total initial investment of $385,450 to $940,050. Its royalty is not a simple percent of sales (see profile). Item 19 is present but discloses no single annual average. Franchised outlets moved from 971 to 889 between 2023 and 2025 (-82), with 57 openings, 139 exits and 156 transfers. Evidence confidence: High.
Meineke Car Care Centers (2025 FDD) lists a total initial investment of $224,898 to $1,200,818. Royalty plus ad fund total 11% of sales. Item 19 reports average unit sales of $971,221 across 549 units for FY2024. Franchised outlets moved from 706 to 716 between 2022 and 2024 (+10), with 87 openings, 77 exits and 184 transfers. Evidence confidence: High.
Christian Brothers Automotive (2026 FDD) lists a total initial investment of $515,250 to $650,400. Its royalty is not a simple percent of sales (see profile). Item 19 reports average unit sales of $2,865,872 across 302 units for 2025-12-31. Franchised outlets moved from 265 to 326 between 2023 and 2025 (+61), with 61 openings, 0 exits and 47 transfers. Evidence confidence: High.
| Metric | Midas | Meineke Car Care Centers | Christian Brothers Automotive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Category | Automotive FDD | Automotive FDD | Automotive FDD |
| FDD year | 2026 FDD | 2025 FDD | 2026 FDD |
| Total outlets (latest FY) | 1,000 FDD | 716 FDD | 326 FDD |
| Investment | |||
| Total investment (Item 7) | $385,450 – $940,050 FDD | $224,898 – $1,200,818 FDD | $515,250 – $650,400 FDD |
| Initial franchise fee (named Item 5 fee only) | $35,000 FDD | $45,000 FDD | $85,000 FDD |
| Fees | |||
| Royalty | 10% FDD | 3% FDD | Other basis: 50% (see basis) FDD |
| Ad / brand fund | Not disclosed N/D | 8% FDD | Not disclosed N/D |
| Royalty + ad fund Sum where both are a percent of sales |
Not comparable N/D | 11% Derived | Not comparable N/D |
| Disclosed performance | |||
| Item 19 present | Yes FDD | Yes FDD | Yes FDD |
| Average unit sales (annual) Populations differ by brand — read each profile |
No annual average disclosed N/D | $971,221 FDD | $2,865,872 FDD |
| Median unit sales | Not disclosed N/D | $913,607 FDD | $2,702,696 FDD |
| Cost / profit data in Item 19 | No FDD | Yes (see profile for population) FDD | Yes (see profile for population) FDD |
| AUV ÷ midpoint investment | Not enough evidence N/D | 1.36× Derived | 4.92× Derived |
| System health (Item 20) | |||
| Franchised unit change | -82 (-8.4%) 2023–2025 Derived | +10 (+1.4%) 2022–2024 Derived | +61 (+23.0%) 2023–2025 Derived |
| Openings (period) | 57 FDD | 87 FDD | 61 FDD |
| Exits (period) Terminations + non-renewals + reacquisitions + ceased-other |
139 Derived | 77 Derived | 0 Derived |
| Avg. annual attrition | 4.8% Derived | 3.6% Derived | 0% Derived |
| Transfers (period) | 156 FDD | 184 FDD | 47 FDD |
| Operations | |||
| Owner involvement (Item 15) | Owner-operator required FDD | Manager-run permitted FDD | Owner-operator required FDD |
| Multi-unit program disclosed | Not disclosed / not offered N/D | Yes FDD | Not disclosed / not offered N/D |
| Estimates | |||
| Economics model available | No (insufficient disclosure) | Yes — model estimate on profile | Yes — model estimate on profile |
| Ratings | |||
| Financial Disclosure Quality | 3 / 5 Derived | 5 / 5 Derived | 5 / 5 Derived |
| System Growth | 1 / 5 Derived | 3 / 5 Derived | 5 / 5 Derived |
| Unit Stability | 3 / 5 Derived | 4 / 5 Derived | 5 / 5 Derived |
| Investment Efficiency | Not enough evidence Derived | 3 / 5 Derived | 5 / 5 Derived |
| Evidence Confidence | High Derived | High Derived | High Derived |
Populations behind AUV figures differ (mature units, all units, gross vs. net sales). Growth and attrition are our arithmetic on Item 20. Open each profile for citations, caveats and the full Item 19 and Item 20 tables. Edit this comparison to swap brands.