Bella BridesmaidsFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
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]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 25.0% charge-off rate across 12 loans[1]. Verdict grade: F. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $103K – $262K
- 36th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Avg gross sales
- $363K
- 11th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 45
- 40th pct Cleaning & Ma…
- SBA default
- 25.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Cleaning & Maintenance · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Cleaning & Maintenance avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
25.0% of SBA loans charged off across 12 loans, above the 16% franchise average.
Franchised units fell from 57 to 41 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $103K – $262K including a $50K franchise fee.
- Average unit revenue of $363K/year (median $290K).
- Verdict F (Bottom Quintile) with a risk score of 100/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 25.0% across 12 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- 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
- Legal entity
- Bella Bridesmaids Franchise Group, LLC
- Incorporated in
- IL
- HQ
- 1 East Delaware, Suite 301, Chicago, Illinois 60611
- Auditor
- Callero & Callero LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.1M
- vs $973K prior year
Overview
About
Bella Bridesmaids franchisees operate boutique retail locations specializing in bridesmaids' dresses, alterations, and wedding party attire. Day-to-day activities include client consultations, styling appointments, inventory management, seamstress coordination for alterations, and event sales management during peak wedding seasons (spring/summer). The model depends heavily on local wedding market density, repeat referrals, and prom/special occasion traffic.
- CEO
- Kathleen O. Casey
- Headquarters
- IL
- Founded
- 2012
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 27
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.
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
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $103K – $262K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $40K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- The greater of (A) 4% of gross monthly revenue or (B) $600
- Ad fund
- One half of one percent (0.5%) of monthly gross revenue f…
- Total fee load
- 4.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Technology fee | $125 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $6K |
| 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.
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $363K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $290K
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 41 units
- vs category median 31
- Range (low → high)
- $84K→$1.0M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 4 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · typical
Compared against 204 Cleaning & Maintenance brands
vs Cleaning & Maintenance averages
How Bella Bridesmaids Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 45
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 12
- Turnover rate
- 26.7%
- Company-owned
- 4
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 91%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -25.5%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -28.1%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 10
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
- 25.0%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 75.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 50.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 6
- Defaults
- 1
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.
A 25.0% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 4 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
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.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Callero & Callero LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 100 / 100 rating
- 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
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Defined area |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 10 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Illinois |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 15 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 11 hrs
- 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?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Bella Bridesmaids has a charge-off rate of 25.0% across 12 loans, meaning 25.0% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
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 57 franchised units and 4 company-owned units.
Is Bella Bridesmaids a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Bella Bridesmaids as a F-grade franchise with a risk score of 100 out of 100, 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.
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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.