Brain Balance Achievement Centers Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Brain Balance Achievement Centers is an education franchise offering a drug-free cognitive and sensory-motor program for children with attention, learning, and behavioral challenges. Franchisees run a center delivering the assessment-based program with coaches and managing enrollment.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Brain Balance Achievement Centers franchise requires a total initial investment of $50K – $134K, including a $0 – $15K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $687K[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $50K – $134K
- 12th pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- $687K
- 28th pct Education
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 34th pct Education
- Units
- 203
- 65th pct Education
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Education · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Education 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 $50K – $134K including a $15K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $687K/year (median $559K).
- Verdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 79/100 (higher is better).
- System growing at 64.8% CAGR over 3 years with 203 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Best Brains, Inc.
- Parent company
- Brain Balance Holdings, Inc.
- Ultimate parent
- BB InvestCo, L.P.
- Predecessor
- Brain Balance, Inc. (BBI)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Director and President
- Ajay Sunkara
- Incorporated in
- Illinois
- HQ
- 135 E. Algonquin Road, Suite B, Arlington Heights, Illinois 60005
- Auditor
- Accutax Bizsolutions LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $8.7M
- vs $6.1M prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchisee Advisory Board
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Affiliated brands
- BB
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Ajay Sunkara
- Headquarters
- Illinois
- Founded
- 2011
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 29
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 85% below the typical education franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown22 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $45K | $45K | |
| Computer Software Program License Fee | $15K | $15K | |
| In Center Program Kits | $2K | $2K | |
| Virtual Program Kits | $1K | $1K | |
| Business License, Incorporation, etc. | $500 | $3K | |
| Commercial Space (2-4 months security) | $4K | $21K | |
| Utility Deposits and Fees | $3K | $3K | |
| Insurance | $4K | $6K | |
| Construction and Remodeling, including Architect Design | $10K | $175K | |
| Furniture, Inventory, and Equipment (lease deposit and installation) | $40K | $55K | |
| Technology Costs | $36K | $39K | |
| Start-up Supplies | $4K | $4K | |
| Signage | $0 | $13K | |
| Call Center | $0 | $2K | |
| Brain Balance Program CRM System and Annual Maintenance | $2K | $2K | |
| Credit Card System | $0 | $400 | |
| Email and Other Collaboration Tools | $0 | $746 | |
| Organization Productivity and Collaboration Tools | $70 | $105 | |
| Accounting Software & Bookkeeping | $2K | $2K | |
| Additional Funds for Three (3) Months | $30K | $50K | |
| Total initial investment | $215K | $464K |
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
- $50K – $134K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $0 – $6K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- tiered · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 10.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $40 |
| Training fee | $4K |
| Transfer fee | $3K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Inventory (initial) | $1K – $11K |
| Total fee load | 10.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 21% below the education norm.
Source: FDD 2026 · 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
$89K
13.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
94%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
13 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $687K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $559K
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_sales
- Sample size
- 61 units
- vs category median 14 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $187K→$2.4M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $350K→$1.1M
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Transparency tier
- full
- Categorical assessment of disclosure depth
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
Compared against 234 Education brands
Revenue is 7.5x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
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 $687K/year in gross sales. Median is $559K — top performers pull the average up, so a typical unit earns less. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 7.5x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 10.0% (near the Education average).
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 expanding at 64.8% CAGR over 3 years across 203 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
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 Education averages
How Brain Balance Achievement Centers Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 203
- Opened
- 39
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 1
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.5%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 99%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +64.8%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +64.8%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 39
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 1
- Transfers (3yr)
- 6
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 11
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Termination rate
- 3.1%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 12.3%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 30 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 loan disclosures. This brand has only 3 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 3
- Loan volume
- $331K
- Median loan
- $110K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (3 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
- 0
- 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
Brain Balance shows concerning unit contraction (-5.8% YoY), lacks profitability transparency (no net income disclosed), and carries high investment/fee burden relative to revenue, warranting caution before committing $214K-$463K.
Litigation (Item 3)
None disclosed.
Largest disclosed settlement: $480,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Accutax Bizsolutions 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: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 79 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDUnit count declined 5.8% YoY (65 → ~61 units), indicating system contraction and potential market saturation or franchisee dissatisfaction
- 02MEDNo Item 19 (Average Unit Volume) disclosed despite $686,778 reported average revenue — opacity on actual profitability and whether franchisees hit this benchmark
- 03MEDHigh initial investment range ($214K-$463K) relative to disclosed average revenue ($686K) creates thin margin for error; 8% royalty on $686K = $54.9K annual fee
- 04MINORNo going concern statement is positive, but absence of net income disclosure raises questions about actual unit-level profitability and sustainability
- 05MINORCompetitive market (children's learning/neuro development) with established players; no clear differentiation metrics provided
- 06MINOR10-year term with $45K franchise fee suggests moderate-to-long commitment; declining unit count suggests franchisees may not be renewing or expanding
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 10.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · 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 | 1 |
| Territory type | none |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Not allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| 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 |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Cook County, Illinois |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Illinois |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
None disclosed.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 34 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 10 hrs
- Training location
- Chicagoland area, Illinois
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 7 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee_with_franchisor_approval
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Brain Balance Program CRM (currently Salesforce-hosted)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Brain Balance Program CRM (currently Salesforce-hosted)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
77 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Brain Balance Achievement Centers · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Brain Balance Achievement Centers franchise?
The total investment to open a Brain Balance Achievement Centers franchise ranges from $50K – $134K, with an initial franchise fee of $15K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Brain Balance Achievement Centers franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Brain Balance Achievement Centers FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $687K. The median is $559K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Brain Balance Achievement Centers's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Brain Balance Achievement Centers (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 Brain Balance Achievement Centers franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Brain Balance Achievement Centers has 203 total units in the United States, including 201 franchised units and 2 company-owned units. 39 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Brain Balance Achievement Centers a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Brain Balance Achievement Centers as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 79 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 Brain Balance Achievement Centers, 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.