212 Contender eSports Gaming Center Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
212 Contender eSports Gaming Center is a recreation franchise operating gaming centers with competitive esports, gaming stations, and events. Franchisees run the venues, managing gaming hardware, tournaments, and staffing.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A 212 Contender eSports Gaming Center franchise requires a total initial investment of $196K – $406K, including a $39K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2023 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2023 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $196K – $406K
- 23rd pct Retail
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 18th pct Retail
- Units
- 14
- 12th pct Retail
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Retail avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $196K – $406K including a $39K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 21 references audited financial statements for 2020-2022 in Exhibit D, but Exhibit D pages were not OCR-captured (image-only/blank in the text), so no balance sheet, income, revenue, or auditor figures are extractable. Franchisor: Contender eSports, LLC, a Wyoming LLC established Aug 2, 2018.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 50/100 (higher is better).
- DATANo Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Contender eSports, LLC
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Brett Payne
- Incorporated in
- Wyoming
- HQ
- 405 N Jefferson Avenue, Springfield, Missouri 65806
- Auditor
- Metwally CPA PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.2M
- vs $1.4M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Brett Payne
- Headquarters
- Missouri
- Founded
- 2018
- FDD year
- 2023
- States available
- 12
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 27% below the typical retail franchise.
Source: FDD 2023 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown13 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $39K | $39K | |
| Construction, Network Installation, and Leasehold Improvements | $17K | $40K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $85K | $210K | |
| Signage | $3K | $5K | |
| Point of Sale System | $1K | $2K | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $5K | $5K | |
| Initial Inventory | $5K | $11K | |
| Prepaid Rent and Lease Deposits | $12K | $26K | |
| Utility Deposits | $1K | $3K | |
| Insurance Deposits - Three Months | $2K | $4K | |
| Professional Fees | $5K | $15K | |
| Printing, Stationery and Office Supplies | $1K | $2K | |
| Additional Funds - Three Months | $20K | $45K | |
| Total initial investment | $196K | $406K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $196K – $406K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $45K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $39K – $39K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $400 |
| Training fee | $300 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $20 |
| Inventory (initial) | $5K – $11K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
212 Contender eSports Gaming Center did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one 212 Contender eSports Gaming Center unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
16%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2023 FDD
Financial Performance
Item 21 references audited financial statements for 2020-2022 in Exhibit D, but Exhibit D pages were not OCR-captured (image-only/blank in the text), so no balance sheet, income, revenue, or auditor figures are extractable. Franchisor: Contender eSports, LLC, a Wyoming LLC established Aug 2, 2018.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 8.0% (near the Retail average).
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System expanding at 100.0% CAGR over 3 years across 14 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Retail averages
How 212 Contender eSports Gaming Center Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2023 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 14
- Opened
- 5
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +100.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +100.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 5
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 14
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Termination rate
- 22.2%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 12 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
12
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 12
- Loan volume
- $3.1M
- Median loan
- $257K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- no resolved loans yet — rate needs a terminal outcome
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 0
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Early-stage eSports gaming franchisor with undisclosed financials, going concern issues, and opaque royalty structure presents high risk despite modest unit growth from minimal baseline.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Largest disclosed settlement: $39,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Metwally CPA PLLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 50 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNo average revenue or net income disclosure (Item 19) — impossible to validate ROI claims
- 02HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — suggests franchisor financial instability or legal/operational issues
- 03MINORMinimum Monthly Royalty Fee creates hidden cost burden on top of 6% royalty with unknown threshold
- 04MINOROnly 14 units system-wide with 55.6% YoY growth from extremely small base (grew ~5 units) — statistically volatile
- 05MEDHigh total investment range ($195k-$406k) relative to undisclosed profitability — risk/reward opaque
- 06MINOR10-year term locks franchisee into relationship with financially unstable franchisor
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2023 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 2 mi |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Green County, Missouri |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Missouri |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 54 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 39 hrs
- Training location
- Springfield, Missouri; or online (webinars / 212 Contender eSports Hub website)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 10 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Square
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Square
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
26 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
212 Contender eSports Gaming Center · FDD (2023) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a 212 Contender eSports Gaming Center franchise?
The total investment to open a 212 Contender eSports Gaming Center franchise ranges from $196K – $406K, with an initial franchise fee of $39K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do 212 Contender eSports Gaming Center franchise owners earn?
212 Contender eSports Gaming Center does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Item 19 in the 212 Contender eSports Gaming Center FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the 212 Contender eSports Gaming Center FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is 212 Contender eSports Gaming Center's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for 212 Contender eSports Gaming Center (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many 212 Contender eSports Gaming Center franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, 212 Contender eSports Gaming Center has 14 total units in the United States, including 14 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 5 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is 212 Contender eSports Gaming Center a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates 212 Contender eSports Gaming Center as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 50 out of 100 (higher is better), based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.