Plato's Closet franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a Plato's Closet franchise takes $355,700 – $467,900 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $48,200 – $55,900. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 5% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 3%. To qualify, Plato's Closet asks for $75,000 in liquid cash and a $250,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Plato's Closet franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $48,200 | $55,900 | $48,200 to $55,900 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $355,700 | $467,900 | $355,700 to $467,900 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $250,000 | $250,000 | $250,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $75,000 | $75,000 | $75,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $355,700 | $467,900 | $355,700 to $467,900 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 5% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 3% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 10 years |
See the full Plato's Closet cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How Plato's Closet's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Plato's Closet's disclosed cost sits against the Retail category:
- Minimum startup cost of $355,700 — about 2.2× the Retail median of $165,000.
- Initial franchise fee of $48,200 — about 1.3× the Retail median of $36,750.
Category medians are computed from the Retail brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Retail franchises
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How Plato's Closet's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2012–2021: began the window at 320 units; 168 units opened, 20 closed, ending at 489 units. (partial records: 2018 is not in the source data — totals span the reported years only.)
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Plato's Closet or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask Plato's Closet for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What this data can't tell you
Everything on this page comes from disclosure filings — fees, ranges, and unit counts. Four questions that matter just as much are not in any filing we can source, so we say so instead of guessing:
- The hours and the labor
- No dataset field says whether Plato's Closet is a manage-from-a-laptop business or a 60-hour week in disguise. Item 15 of the FDD states whether you're obligated to run the business personally, and Item 11 lists what the franchisor actually does for you — then ask current owners what their week looks like (validation calls), not the sales team.
- How hands-on the ownership really is
- "Semi-absentee" is a pitch, not a filing field. Treat any hands-off claim as unverified until it's consistent with Item 15 and with what multiple current franchisees tell you — what absentee ownership actually means.
- Your territory — whether it's protected, and whether it's open
- Two territory questions sit outside our data. Whether Plato's Closet grants a protected or exclusive area is set in Item 12 of the FDD and varies brand to brand — some grant none, and the carve-outs (online sales, national accounts) matter as much as the map. And filing data can't say what's open in your market this month; only Plato's Closet can confirm current availability. Ask both before you inquire, and get the answer in writing.
- What owners earn
- Covered honestly above: our dataset has no earnings fields, the only primary source is the brand's own Item 19, and here is how to read that evidence.
About the Plato's Closet franchise
Plato's Closet is a retail franchisor with 489 units at the end of 2021 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2012 and 2021, it began the window at 320 units; its filings record 168 unit openings and 20 closures, ending at 489 units (partial records: 2018 is not in the source data — totals span the reported years only). The filings indicate financing options are available; terms come from the franchisor, not from us.
Disclosure filings report 1 franchise-related lawsuit. Review Item 3 of the FDD. (as of 2026-05)
From the franchisor's materials
The franchisee will own and operate a Plato’s Closet retail store from which the franchisee will sell quality used and new brand name teen and young adult clothing and accessories.
Plato's Closet franchise: quick answers
- How much does a Plato's Closet franchise cost?
- $355,700 – $467,900 all-in to open, per Plato's Closet's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many Plato's Closet units are there?
- 489 units at the end of 2021 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).
- How have Plato's Closet's units held up?
- 99% of units at risk between 2019 and 2021 did not close, per our metric recomputed from FDD Item 20-style unit history (methodology published on our verification page).