Amazing Explorers Academy Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Amazing Explorers Academy is an early education franchise offering STEAM-focused preschool and childcare. Franchisees run the centers, managing teachers, curriculum, enrollment, and licensing compliance.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Amazing Explorers Academy franchise requires a total initial investment of $543K – $5.1M, including a $100K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. The 2023 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2023 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $543K – $5.1M
- 65th pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Company-owned only
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 18th pct Education
- Units
- 5
- 19th pct Education
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Education · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Education 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 $543K – $5.1M including a $100K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSThe figure previously shown was the mean of four QUARTERLY per-academy averages for 2022 (Table 1, printed p.44) — roughly one quarter of an annual figure. No annual average is printed anywhere in Item 19, and a quarterly figure cannot responsibly be annualised. The cohort itself is franchised (Item 20 reports zero company-owned outlets in every year). This FDD is also issued by master franchisee AEA DEV LLC and covers its Florida territory rather than the national system.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 61/100 (higher is better).
- DATAItem 19 reports company and franchised units rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- AEA DEV LLC
- Parent company
- AEA Franchising LLC
- Ultimate parent
- Amazing Explorers LLC
- CEO title
- Founder and Principal
- Marcello Spinelli
- Incorporated in
- FL
- HQ
- 6555 Sanger Rd, Orlando FL 32827
- Auditor
- RGK Consulting, Inc.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $971K
- vs $475K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Marcello Spinelli
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 2016
- FDD year
- 2023
- States available
- 9
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 329% above the typical education franchise.
Source: FDD 2023 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown20 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise Feenot refundable | $100K | $100K | |
| Real Estate Feenot refundable | $25K | $25K | |
| Construction Management Feenot refundable | $150K | $500K | |
| Real Estate Acquisition or Lease Deposit | $30K | $520K | |
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements | $0 | $3.0M | |
| Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment | $25K | $400K | |
| Lease Guarantee | $0 | $20K | |
| Lease Guarantee Payment | $0 | $3K | |
| Development or Soft Costs | $80K | $350K | |
| Technology Fee | $0 | $5 | |
| Insurance | $2K | $5K | |
| Training (travel and living expenses) | $3K | $5K | |
| Signage | $20K | $30K | |
| Utility/Security Deposits | $2K | $5K | |
| Pre-Opening Advertising and Grand Opening Expenses | $25K | $30K | |
| Pre-Opening Operating Expenses | $25K | $30K | |
| Licenses and Permits | $2K | $10K | |
| Professional Fees (Legal, Accounting) | $5K | $10K | |
| Additional funds (Three months)not refundable | $50K | $100K | |
| Area Development Feenot refundable | $150K | $500K | |
| Total initial investment | $693K | $5.6M |
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
- $543K – $5.1M
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $50K – $100K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $100K – $100K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 13.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $0 |
| Training fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $25K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 13.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2023 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Amazing Explorers Academy 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 Amazing Explorers Academy unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
4%
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
The figure previously shown was the mean of four QUARTERLY per-academy averages for 2022 (Table 1, printed p.44) — roughly one quarter of an annual figure. No annual average is printed anywhere in Item 19, and a quarterly figure cannot responsibly be annualised. The cohort itself is franchised (Item 20 reports zero company-owned outlets in every year). This FDD is also issued by master franchisee AEA DEV LLC and covers its Florida territory rather than the national system.
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 13.0% — above the Education average of 10.6%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports company and franchised units rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
Operator retention
Net unit growth of +66.7% over 3 years (2 opened, 0 closed).
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 Education averages
How Amazing Explorers Academy Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2023 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 5
- Opened
- 2
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +66.7%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +66.7%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 1
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 4
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 4 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
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.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
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
Caution-to-High Risk: Undisclosed financials, franchisor going concern issues, tiny unit count, and extreme investment variance create visibility problems that prevent informed ROI assessment.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation or other dispute resolution required to be disclosed in Item 3, for either AEA DEV (master franchisee) or AEA Franchising (master franchisor).
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · RGK Consulting, Inc.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 61 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNo Item 19 financial disclosure (average revenue and net income not provided) — impossible to assess ROI or payback period
- 02HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — indicates potential financial instability at franchisor level, raising sustainability questions
- 03MINOROnly 13 total units with modest 18.2% YoY growth — small system size limits brand recognition and support infrastructure
- 04MED7% royalty on undisclosed revenue means franchisees cannot model profitability or compare against industry benchmarks
- 05MEDNo litigation disclosed is positive, but combined with other red flags suggests possible brand immaturity rather than strength
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 13.0% 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 | 15 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 5 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 30 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Florida |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | FL |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation or other dispute resolution required to be disclosed in Item 3, for either AEA DEV (master franchisee) or AEA Franchising (master franchisor).
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 80 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 24 hrs
- Training location
- NY Amazing Explorers Academy
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 40 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 18 mo
- From signing to launch
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- ProCare Software
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: ProCare Software
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
6 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Amazing Explorers Academy · FDD (2023) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Amazing Explorers Academy franchise?
The total investment to open a Amazing Explorers Academy franchise ranges from $543K – $5.1M, with an initial franchise fee of $100K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Amazing Explorers Academy franchise owners earn?
Amazing Explorers Academy 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 Amazing Explorers Academy 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 Amazing Explorers Academy FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Amazing Explorers Academy's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Amazing Explorers Academy (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 Amazing Explorers Academy franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Amazing Explorers Academy has 5 total units in the United States, including 5 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Amazing Explorers Academy a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Amazing Explorers Academy as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 61 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
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent Amazing Explorers Academy, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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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.