Bella Bridesmaids Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Bella Bridesmaids is a boutique retail franchise specializing in bridesmaid dresses and wedding party attire by appointment. Franchisees run the showrooms, managing styling consultations, designer inventory, and alterations coordination.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Bella Bridesmaids franchise requires a total initial investment of $103K – $262K, including a $50K franchise fee. Per the 2024 FDD, average unit revenue was $363K[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $103K – $262K
- 37th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Avg gross sales
- $363K
- 13th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 45
- 40th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Cleaning & Maintenance · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Cleaning & Maintenance 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
- Total investment $103K – $262K including a $50K franchise fee.
- Average unit revenue of $363K/year (median $290K).
- Verdict C (Average), verdict score 43/100 (higher is better).
- System contracting at -28.1% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Bella Bridesmaids Franchise Group, LLC
- Predecessor
- Bella Bridesmaids Franchises, LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- Incorporated in
- IL
- HQ
- 1 East Delaware, Suite 301, Chicago, Illinois 60611
- Auditor
- Callero & Callero LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $973K
- vs $1.1M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Kathleen Casey
- Headquarters
- IL
- Founded
- 2012
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 27
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 42% below the typical cleaning & maintenance franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $20K | $40K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $33K | $172K |
| Total initial investment | $103K | $262K |
Source: Bella Bridesmaids 2024 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $103K – $262K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $40K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- Greater of 4% of gross monthly revenue or $600/month minimum
- Ad fund
- Tiered flat annual amounts based on prior year sales: $1,…
- Total fee load
- 4.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Technology fee | $125 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $6K |
| Inventory (initial) | $10K – $30K |
| Total fee load | 4.5% of rev |
A 4.5% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 63% below the cleaning & maintenance norm.
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 19
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$36K
10.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
17%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
5.8 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $363K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $290K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross_revenue
- Sample size
- 41 units
- vs category median 32
- Range (low → high)
- $84K→$1.0M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2023
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
Compared against 201 Cleaning & Maintenance brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $363K/year in gross sales. Median is $290K — top performers pull the average up, so a typical unit earns less. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 2.0x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 4.5% — below the Cleaning & Maintenance average of 9.7%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 4/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System contracting at -28.1% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
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 Cleaning & Maintenance averages
How Bella Bridesmaids Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 45
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 12
- Turnover rate
- 29.3%
- Company-owned
- 4
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 91%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -28.1%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -28.1%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- Closed (3yr)
- 11
- Terminated (3yr)
- 1
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 10
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 2
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 23 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.
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
- $1.9M
- Median loan
- $129K
- 50th percentile
- 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
- 6
- Defaults
- 1
- Typical loan rate
- 8.6%
- avg rate to borrowers
- vs industry
- 11.1%
- NAICS 458110
- Jobs supported
- 32
- 2.0 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 40%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 50% went to startups / new businesses, 50% to established operators
Top lenders financing Bella Bridesmaids franchisees
Showing 3 of 6 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Bella Bridesmaids's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 6 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 5 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 5-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
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
Declining unit base, hidden profitability metrics, and high capital requirements relative to average revenue create significant risk despite protected territories and absence of litigation.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Callero & Callero LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 43 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDUnit count declined 25.5% year-over-year (45 units down from ~60), indicating systemic franchisee struggles or exits
- 02MEDNet income not disclosed in FDD Item 19, preventing ROI assessment and hiding profitability reality
- 03MINORRoyalty structure with $600 minimum means franchisees at lower revenue ($363K avg) pay ~2% effective rate, but struggling locations may hit the floor — masking true cost burden
- 04MINORHigh investment-to-revenue ratio: $102.9K-$262K startup against $363K average revenue = 28-72% of first-year gross, creating extended breakeven periods
- 05MED5-year term is relatively short in franchise context; combined with unit decline, suggests confidence issues
- 06MINORWedding/bridesmaids market is seasonal, event-dependent, and highly sensitive to economic downturns affecting discretionary spending
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 4.5% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 50 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 10 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Chicago, Illinois |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | IL |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 15 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 11 hrs
- Training location
- Chicago, Illinois (existing Bella Bridesmaids showroom) or other location designated by franchisor
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 3 mo
- From signing to launch
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- QuickBooks Online
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: QuickBooks Online
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
69 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Bella Bridesmaids · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Bella Bridesmaids franchise?
The total investment to open a Bella Bridesmaids franchise ranges from $103K – $262K, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Bella Bridesmaids franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Bella Bridesmaids FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $363K. The median is $290K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Bella Bridesmaids's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Bella Bridesmaids (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 Bridesmaids franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Bella Bridesmaids has 45 total units in the United States, including 41 franchised units and 4 company-owned units.
Is Bella Bridesmaids a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Bella Bridesmaids as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 43 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?
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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.