Blank Mason Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Blank Mason is a creative studio franchise offering a custom candle-bar experience where guests pour their own candles. Franchisees run the studios, managing candle-making sessions, retail, and events.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Blank Mason franchise requires a total initial investment of $231K – $596K, including a $28K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: D (Below average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $231K – $596K
- 27th pct Retail
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 1 outlet
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 26th pct Retail
- Units
- 1
- 1st pct Retail
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Retail 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 $231K – $596K including a $28K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSFranchisor (Blank Mason Development LLC) reported $0 operating revenue for FY2024; it commenced franchising in 2024 and received no initial franchise fees that year. FY2024 net loss of $(40,450); audited opinion covers the year ended Dec 31, 2024 only.
- RISKVerdict D (Below average), verdict score 35/100 (higher is better).
- DATAItem 19 reports gross sales and expense breakdown 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
- Blank Mason Development LLC
- CEO title
- Manager
- Sara Jennetten
- CEO experience
- 6 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Incorporated in
- IL
- HQ
- 8712 Callie Avenue, Morton Grove, Illinois 60053
- Auditor
- Kezos & Dunlavy
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $0
- vs $0 prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Sara Jennetten
- Headquarters
- IL
- Founded
- 2023
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 1
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost is about average for a retail franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown18 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $28K | $28K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses and Employee Wages During Training | $4K | $8K | |
| Initial Inventory | $15K | $45K | |
| Lease Security Deposit and Utility Deposits | $4K | $14K | |
| Rent (Initial 3 months) | $15K | $36K | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $60K | $300K | |
| POS & Computer Equipment | $3K | $5K | |
| Office Equipment & Supplies | $500 | $2K | |
| Tools and Equipment | $10K | $15K | |
| Furniture & Fixtures | $28K | $35K | |
| Signage | $3K | $6K | |
| Business Licenses & Permits | $500 | $2K | |
| Design and Architect Fees | $10K | $28K | |
| Professional Fees | $2K | $3K | |
| Business Insurance | $2K | $8K | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $2K | $3K | |
| Fees for Background Check and Candidate Evaluation for Two Personsnot refundable | $350 | $350 | |
| Additional Funds for First 3 Months | $45K | $60K | |
| Total initial investment | $231K | $596K |
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
- $231K – $596K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $45K – $60K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $28K – $28K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- 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 | $2K |
| Training fee | $300 |
| Transfer fee | $21K |
| Renewal fee | $3K |
| Inventory (initial) | $15K – $45K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Blank Mason 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 Blank Mason unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
11%
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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
Franchisor (Blank Mason Development LLC) reported $0 operating revenue for FY2024; it commenced franchising in 2024 and received no initial franchise fees that year. FY2024 net loss of $(40,450); audited opinion covers the year ended Dec 31, 2024 only.
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 8.0% (near the Retail average).
Disclosure
Item 19 reports gross sales and expense breakdown rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
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 Retail averages
How Blank Mason Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 1
- Opened
- 0
- 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
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 0%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 7.1%
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- 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
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 1 state 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.
1
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
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
Blank Mason presents extreme risk: Going Concern status, single operating unit, undisclosed profitability, and unclear growth trajectory make this an unvalidated system with questionable franchisor viability.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Kezos & Dunlavy
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: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 35 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — indicates potential financial instability or structural viability issues at franchisor level
- 02MINOROnly 1 unit operating — severe lack of system validation; impossible to assess replicability or franchisee success patterns
- 03MEDNet Income not disclosed — unable to evaluate actual profitability; $494K revenue tells nothing about margins or sustainability
- 04MINORWide investment range ($231K–$596K) without clear cost breakdown — suggests inconsistent site requirements or undefined buildout standards
- 05MINOR7% royalty on gross sales (not net) — franchisees pay royalties even during unprofitable periods; combined with unknown margins, creates cash flow risk
- 06MINORSingle unit with unknown growth trajectory — no evidence of system expansion, replication success, or franchisee satisfaction
- 07MEDLimited franchise term (5 years) — shorter commitment window suggests franchisor uncertainty or higher exit risk at renewal
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% 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 | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 3 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 3 mi |
| Territory population | 50,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 3 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 15 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 10 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Skokie/Chicago, Illinois |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | IL |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 38 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 42 hrs
- Training location
- Skokie, Illinois
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 7 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Square
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Square
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
1 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Blank Mason · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Blank Mason franchise?
The total investment to open a Blank Mason franchise ranges from $231K – $596K, with an initial franchise fee of $28K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Blank Mason franchise owners earn?
Blank Mason 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 Blank Mason 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 Blank Mason FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Blank Mason's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Blank Mason (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 Blank Mason franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Blank Mason has 1 total units in the United States, including 0 franchised units and 1 company-owned units.
Is Blank Mason a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Blank Mason as a D-grade franchise with a verdict score of 35 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.