Board & Brush Creative Studio Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Board & Brush is an entertainment franchise running DIY wood-sign workshops where guests build and paint their own decor in a social, BYOB setting. Franchisees run a studio managing class schedules, instructors, and private events.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Board & Brush Creative Studio franchise requires a total initial investment of $75K – $100K, including a $25K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $116K[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $75K – $100K
- 6th pct Recreation & …
- Avg gross sales
- $116K
- 0th pct Recreation & …
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 9th pct Recreation & …
- Units
- 194
- 50th pct Recreation & …
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Recreation & Entertainment · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Recreation & Entertainment 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 $75K – $100K including a $25K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $116K/year (median $110K).
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 49/100 (higher is better).
- FLAG19 units terminated last reporting year (9.8% of the system). Ask existing franchisees why.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Board and Brush Creative Studio Franchising LLC
- Parent company
- None
- Predecessor
- company
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Founder and Owner
- Julie Selby
- Incorporated in
- WI
- HQ
- 117 Hill Street, Hartland, Wisconsin, 53029
- Auditor
- CBH (Elgin, Illinois)
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $2.5M
- vs $3.0M prior year
Affiliated brands
- Board and Brush
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Julie Selby
- Headquarters
- WI
- Founded
- 2016
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 41
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 93% below the typical recreation & entertainment franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $25K | $25K | |
| Training Expenses | $1K | $5K | |
| Premises Lease Deposits | $2K | $3K | |
| Utilities Deposits | $0 | $250 | |
| Leasehold Improvements, Construction and/or Remodeling | $9K | $12K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $10K | $12K | |
| Signage | $800 | $800 | |
| Business Licenses and Permits | $1K | $2K | |
| Computer Systems | $2K | $2K | |
| Initial Inventory to Begin Operating | $10K | $14K | |
| Office Supplies | $250 | $500 | |
| Professional Fees | $1K | $3K | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $2K | $2K | |
| Insurance | $400 | $500 | |
| Operating Expenses / Additional Funds - 3 months | $11K | $18K | |
| Total initial investment | $75K | $100K |
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
- $75K – $100K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $11K – $18K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $157 |
| Transfer fee | $19K |
| Renewal fee | $3K |
| Inventory (initial) | $10K – $14K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 89% below the recreation & entertainment norm.
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for Board & Brush Creative Studio until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for 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.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$102K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Board & Brush Creative Studio 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 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.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for 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.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
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
- Avg gross sales
- $116K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $110K
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
- 176 outlets
- vs category median 5 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $27K→$339K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
Compared against 165 Recreation & Entertainment 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 $116K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.3x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 7.0% — below the Recreation & Entertainment average of 8.8%.
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 -25.2% 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 Recreation & Entertainment averages
How Board & Brush Creative Studio Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 194
- Opened
- 7
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 40
- Terminated
- 19
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 21
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 20.6%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -25.2%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -25.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 7
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 19
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 21
- Transfers (3yr)
- 15
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 41 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.
41
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
A system losing more than 10% of its units year-over-year is a red flag. Check whether closures are concentrated in specific regions.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 2 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 2
- Loan volume
- $60K
- Median loan
- $30K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (2 loans) — rate not shown below 10
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
- 1
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
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
Board & Brush shows contraction risk with declining unit growth, undisclosed profitability metrics, and high minimum royalty burdens that may compress already-thin margins on modest average revenues.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · CBH (Elgin, Illinois)
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Combined audited revenue for FY ending Dec 31, 2024 for Board and Brush Creative Studio Franchising LLC and Affiliate. Revenue components: franchise fees $677,919; royalties $1,308,660; gift card breakage $230,333; brand fund contributions $176,673; other revenue $86,197. Total Revenue $2,479,782 (down from $3,038,443 in 2023).
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- 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 49 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDUnit count declined 14.6% YoY (194 units), signaling potential system contraction or franchisee exits
- 02MEDNet income not disclosed in Item 19 — unable to validate profitability claims against $75K-$100K investment
- 03MINORHigh royalty floor of $400/month minimum creates cash flow pressure; requires ~$80K monthly revenue just to break even on royalties alone
- 04MINORAverage revenue of $116K is modest relative to investment size — payback period potentially 8-12 months before operating expenses
- 05MED5-year term is relatively short; limited runway to recoup investment and scale
- 06MINORNo going concern statement suggests franchisor stability concerns or recent financial restructuring
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 7.0% 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 | 5 mi |
| Territory population | 50,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 20 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 5 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Hartland, Wisconsin (mediation at headquarters) |
| Governing law | WI |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 28 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 18 hrs
- Training location
- Hartland, Wisconsin; remotely via teleconference/web-based applications
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 4 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- web-based payment, digital loyalty, and marketing application
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: web-based payment, digital loyalty, and marketing application
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
223 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Board & Brush Creative Studio · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Board & Brush Creative Studio franchise?
The total investment to open a Board & Brush Creative Studio franchise ranges from $75K – $100K, with an initial franchise fee of $25K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Board & Brush Creative Studio franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Board & Brush Creative Studio FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $116K. The median is $110K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the Board & Brush Creative Studio 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 Board & Brush Creative Studio FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Board & Brush Creative Studio's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Board & Brush Creative Studio (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 Board & Brush Creative Studio franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Board & Brush Creative Studio has 194 total units in the United States, including 193 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 7 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Board & Brush Creative Studio a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Board & Brush Creative Studio as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 49 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 Board & Brush Creative Studio, 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.