American Poolplayers Association (APA) Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $22K – $31K
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
The American Poolplayers Association (APA) is a franchise that runs recreational 8-ball and 9-ball pool leagues in bars and venues. Franchisees operate a local league recruiting players and teams, scheduling matches, and collecting dues within a territory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A American Poolplayers Association (APA) franchise requires a total initial investment of $22K – $31K, including a $10K – $14K franchise fee and an ongoing 20.0% royalty[2]. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium - issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✗ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored4 of 4 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $22K – $31K
- 2nd pct Recreation & …
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 20.0%
- 52nd pct Recreation & …
- Units
- 339
- 52nd pct Recreation & …
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Recreation & Entertainment · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Recreation & Entertainment median · 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 $22K – $31K including a $10K franchise fee, 20.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 74/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +9 franchised outlets in the latest year (13 opened, 1 closed) (Item 20).
- DATAThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- American Poolplayers Association, Inc.
- Predecessor
- or parent and have not offered or sold franchises in any other line of
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President
- Greg Fletcher
- CEO experience
- 1995 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Incorporated in
- Missouri
- HQ
- 1000 Lake Saint Louis Boulevard, Suite 325, Lake Saint Louis, Missouri 63367
- Auditor
- Anders Minkler Huber & Helm LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $25.2M
- vs $23.1M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Independent franchisee associations
- Independent Franchisee Association
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Greg Fletcher
- Headquarters
- MO
- Founded
- 1981
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 49
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 95% below the typical recreation & entertainment franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown9 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $10K | $14K | |
| Equipment / Computer Software and Hardwarenot refundable | $2K | $6K | |
| Broadband Internet Accessnot refundable | $300 | $300 | |
| Training Seminar I Expenses | $2K | $3K | |
| Real Estate & Improvements | — | — | |
| Initial Inventory | — | — | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $789 | $789 | |
| Attorney / Accountant Feesnot refundable | $4K | $4K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 monthsnot refundable | $3K | $3K | |
| Total initial investment | $22K | $31K |
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
- $22K – $31K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $3K – $3K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $10K – $14K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 20.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- No advertising fund is currently charged; APA may later p…
- Total fee load
- 25.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 20.0% |
| Technology fee | $388 |
| Training fee | $250 |
| Transfer fee | $2K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Inventory (initial) | $0 – $0 |
| Total fee load | 25.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
American Poolplayers Association (APA) makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one American Poolplayers Association (APA) unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for annual revenue, ad fund rate, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
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 25.0% — above the Recreation & Entertainment median of 8.0%.
Disclosure
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator retention
System expanding at 6.7% CAGR over 3 years across 339 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Multi-unit rate
Only 7% of franchisees own multiple units. Could indicate challenging economics or a young system where operators haven't had time to expand.
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 Recreation & Entertainment medians
How American Poolplayers Association (APA) Compares
Category median of published Recreation & Entertainment brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 339
- Opened
- 13
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Turnover rate
- 0.3%
- Company-owned
- 5
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 99%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 7.1%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +6.7%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +6.7%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Transfer rate
- 10.0%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Termination rate
- 0.3%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 0.9%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 17 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.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- Wisconsin
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
83 current owners across 17 states.
- FL 26
- CA 20
- CO 9
- AZ 6
- AL 5
- AR 3
- CT 3
- GA 2
- AK 1
- DE 1
- IL 1
- KY 1
- +5 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20; 1 entries carry no state. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
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
Stagnant growth, undisclosed financials, and opaque royalty structure create meaningful uncertainty around profitability and franchise sustainability despite protected territory.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
One disclosed case: John and Cynthia Devore v. Jeffrey and Michelle Duda, et al. (Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, PA, Docket No. 000579, filed May 4, 2016, dismissed Aug 7, 2017). A Member sued a franchisee and APA alleging defamation/tortious interference over a Facebook post; APA named via a single unsupported agency allegation. Settled by the insurer; APA denied liability.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Anders Minkler Huber & Helm LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 74 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORStagnant unit growth of only 2.8% YoY with 339 units suggests mature/declining system momentum
- 02MEDNo Item 19 (average revenue/income) disclosed prevents ROI validation and raises transparency concerns
- 03MINOR20% royalty on 'Basic Weekly Fee' structure is ambiguous—unclear what constitutes revenue base and actual take-home
- 04HIGH2016 litigation involving defamation/tortious interference indicates brand management and social media liability exposure
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 25.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 7 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 25,000 |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Not allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | No |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 120 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 4 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | MO |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
One disclosed case: John and Cynthia Devore v. Jeffrey and Michelle Duda, et al. (Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, PA, Docket No. 000579, filed May 4, 2016, dismissed Aug 7, 2017). A Member sued a franchisee and APA alleging defamation/tortious interference over a Facebook post; APA named via a single unsupported agency allegation. Settled by the insurer; APA denied liability.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 60 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 33 hrs
- Training location
- Lake Saint Louis, MO (headquarters); plus virtual sessions and in-market field training
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 2 mo
- From signing to launch
- POS system
- Nexus
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Nexus
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
84 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a American Poolplayers Association (APA) franchise?
The total investment to open a American Poolplayers Association (APA) franchise ranges from $22K – $31K, with an initial franchise fee of $10K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do American Poolplayers Association (APA) franchise owners earn?
American Poolplayers Association (APA) makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns American Poolplayers Association (APA)?
American Poolplayers Association (APA) is franchised by American Poolplayers Association, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the American Poolplayers Association (APA) 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 American Poolplayers Association (APA) FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is American Poolplayers Association (APA)'s franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for American Poolplayers Association (APA) (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 American Poolplayers Association (APA) franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, American Poolplayers Association (APA) has 339 total units in the United States, including 334 franchised units and 5 company-owned units. 13 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is American Poolplayers Association (APA) a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates American Poolplayers Association (APA) as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 74 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. 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 American Poolplayers Association (APA), you can request corrections or provide updated information.
Other Recreation & Entertainment franchises
Compare similar franchise opportunities in the Recreation & Entertainment category
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.