Bella Ballerina Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Bella Ballerina is a children's dance franchise offering ballet and creative movement classes for young kids. Franchisees run the studios, managing instructors, class scheduling, and enrollment.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Bella Ballerina franchise requires a total initial investment of $116K – $196K, including a $42K franchise fee. The 2024 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 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $116K – $196K
- 21st pct Health & Fitn…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Incl. company outlets
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 14
- 41st pct Health & Fitn…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Health & Fitness · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Health & Fitness 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 $116K – $196K including a $42K franchise fee.
- RETURNSRevenue comprised of royalty fees $130,042, franchise fees $101,366, and product sales $76,936 for FY2023 (year ended Dec 31, 2023).
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 50/100 (higher is better).
- DATAItem 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Bella Ballerina Franchising, Inc.
- CEO title
- Founder and President
- Natalie Perkins
- CEO experience
- 9 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- VA
- HQ
- 1053 Edwards Ferry Road, Leesburg, Virginia 20176
- Auditor
- Reese CPA LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $308K
- vs $250K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Natalie Perkins
- Headquarters
- VA
- Founded
- 2016
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 4
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 73% below the typical health & fitness franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $42K | $42K | |
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements | $20K | $60K | |
| Lease Deposits - Three Months | $4K | $14K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment | $14K | $20K | |
| Signage | $8K | $12K | |
| Computer, Software, and Point of Sale System | $500 | $1K | |
| Grand Opening Marketing Expense | $3K | $3K | |
| Initial Inventory | $9K | $10K | |
| Utility Deposits | $500 | $1K | |
| Insurance Deposits - Three Months | $2K | $3K | |
| Travel for Initial Training | $500 | $2K | |
| Professional Fees | $3K | $8K | |
| Business Licenses and Permits | $250 | $750 | |
| Printing, Stationery, and Office Supplies | $250 | $500 | |
| Additional Funds - Three Months | $10K | $20K | |
| Total initial investment | $116K | $196K |
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
- $116K – $196K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $20K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $42K – $42K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- $0/month months 1-2; $495/month months 3-6; $740/month mo…
- Ad fund
- Up to $250/month; currently $0 months 1-17, $150/month mo…
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty (flat) | Fixed monthly royalty escalating over time: $0 (months 1-2), $495 (months 3-6), $740 (months 7-12), $989 (month 13+) |
| Technology fee | $50 |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $9K – $10K |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Bella Ballerina 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 Bella Ballerina unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
127%
Above the 30–60% band. Verify revenue is per-unit average
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: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
Revenue comprised of royalty fees $130,042, franchise fees $101,366, and product sales $76,936 for FY2023 (year ended Dec 31, 2023).
Includes company-owned outlets
- Median gross sales
- $222K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
No system-wide average is published for this brand. The median and range below are what Item 19 supports; we show an average only where it reconciles against them.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 12
- vs category median 12
- Range (low → high)
- $104K→$481K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2023
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2024
- Disclosed in the 2024 filing, covering 2023
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
Compared against 173 Health & Fitness brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
Operator retention
System expanding at 175.0% CAGR over 3 years across 14 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Multi-unit rate
67% of franchisees own multiple units — high repeat-buyer rate signals strong unit economics and operator satisfaction.
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 Health & Fitness averages
How Bella Ballerina Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 14
- Opened
- 3
- 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
- 3
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 79%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 66.7%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +175.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +175.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 3
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 2
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Ceased ops
- 7.1%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 4 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.
4
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.
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
Bella Ballerina presents moderate-to-cautious risk due to missing profitability disclosure, prior regulatory violations, high investment relative to unclear net returns, and rapid expansion that may strain franchise support infrastructure.
Litigation (Item 3)
Virginia SCC investigation (Case No. SEC-2018-00023) for offering franchise without registration; settled August 2018 with $4,000 penalty and $2,500 investigation costs, offered rescission to Virginia licensee who declined.
Largest disclosed settlement: $4,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Reese CPA LLC
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 50 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDNet income not disclosed in FDD Item 19 — unable to assess actual profitability despite $269,865 average revenue
- 02MINOR2018 Virginia regulatory settlement for registration/disclosure violations suggests compliance weaknesses
- 03MEDHigh initial investment ($115,500–$196,250) relative to undisclosed net income creates ROI uncertainty
- 04MINORScaling royalty structure ($0–$989/month) lacks transparency on when fees trigger and how they impact unit economics
- 05MINORRapid YoY growth (37.5%) with only 14 units raises sustainability and support quality concerns
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Source: FDD 2024 · 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 | 1 mi |
| Territory population | 250,000 |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| 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 | Loudoun, Virginia |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | VA |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Virginia SCC investigation (Case No. SEC-2018-00023) for offering franchise without registration; settled August 2018 with $4,000 penalty and $2,500 investigation costs, offered rescission to Virginia licensee who declined.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 19 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 175 hrs
- Training location
- Leesburg, Virginia
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 6 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Sawyer
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Sawyer
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
12 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Bella Ballerina · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Bella Ballerina franchise?
The total investment to open a Bella Ballerina franchise ranges from $116K – $196K, with an initial franchise fee of $42K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Bella Ballerina franchise owners earn?
Bella Ballerina 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 Bella Ballerina 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 Bella Ballerina FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Bella Ballerina's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Bella Ballerina (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 Bella Ballerina franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Bella Ballerina has 14 total units in the United States, including 11 franchised units and 3 company-owned units. 3 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Bella Ballerina a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Bella Ballerina 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
Are you the franchisor?
If you represent Bella Ballerina, 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.