Camp Margaritaville® Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Camp Margaritaville is a hospitality franchise operating RV resorts and outdoor lodging themed to the Margaritaville lifestyle. Franchisees own and operate the resorts, managing RV sites, amenities, and guest programming.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A CAMP MARGARITAVILLE® franchise does not disclose total investment in its current FDD and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. The 2024 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). 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
- $4.5M
- 32nd pct Lodging
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 3rd pct Lodging
- Units
- 5
- 17th pct Lodging
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Lodging · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Lodging 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 $4.5M, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAudited consolidated financial statements are those of parent Margaritaville Holdings LLC (audited by Ernst & Young LLP) for years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. The franchisor Margaritaville RV Resorts, LLC reports a total partners' deficit of $(101,014,475); the FDD cover page includes an Item 3 financial-condition risk that the franchisor's financial condition calls into question its ability to provide services and support. Revenue is primarily royalties (resort, restaurant, residential/timeshare, consumer products) plus restaurant/retail merchandise sales.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 46/100 (higher is better).
- DATANo Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Margaritaville RV Resorts, LLC
- Parent company
- Margaritaville Enterprises, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- Margaritaville Holdings LLC
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer and President (of parent Margaritaville Enterprises)
- John Cohlan
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 6900 Turkey Lake Road, Suite 200, Orlando, Florida 32819
- Auditor
- Ernst & Young LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $92.5M
- vs $74.9M prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Overview
About
- CEO
- John Cohlan
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 2019
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 5
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown23 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application Feenot refundable | $75K | $75K | |
| PIP fee (Property Improvement Plan)not refundable | $0 | $5K | |
| TIP fee (Technology Improvement Plan)not refundable | $0 | $10K | |
| Professional services fees (architect, design, market study, engineering, etc.)not refundable | $100K | $800K | |
| Insurance and Permits, licenses, deposits, and related feesnot refundable | $50K | $150K | |
| Training expenses, vendor and brand trainingnot refundable | $25K | $100K | |
| Construction, improvements, remodeling, and decorating costsnot refundable | $1.0M | $50.0M | |
| Technologynot refundable | $750K | $1.3M | |
| Website Set-Upnot refundable | $9K | $30K | |
| CRS Set-Upnot refundable | $4K | $4K | |
| CRM Set-Upnot refundable | $3K | $3K | |
| Loyalty Program Set-Upnot refundable | $3K | $3K | |
| Furniture, fixtures, other fixed assets, and equipment (FF&E)not refundable | $500K | $3.0M | |
| Operational Supplies and Equipment (OSE)not refundable | $250K | $500K | |
| Exterior signsnot refundable | $300K | $400K | |
| Financial, tax, and legal costsnot refundable | $600K | $750K | |
| Preopening Sales and Marketingnot refundable | $125K | $225K | |
| Photography and Videographynot refundable | $45K | $125K | |
| Medallia Set-Upnot refundable | $3K | $3K | |
| Financial Reporting System Set-Upnot refundable | $10K | $16K | |
| Total initial investment | $4.5M | $58.5M |
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
- $4.5M
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $300K – $500K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- N/A
- Paid to franchisor at signing
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.5%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.5% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $75K |
| Renewal fee | $30K |
| Inventory (initial) | $250K – $500K |
| Total fee load | 6.5% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
CAMP MARGARITAVILLE® 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 CAMP MARGARITAVILLE® unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
2%
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: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
Audited consolidated financial statements are those of parent Margaritaville Holdings LLC (audited by Ernst & Young LLP) for years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. The franchisor Margaritaville RV Resorts, LLC reports a total partners' deficit of $(101,014,475); the FDD cover page includes an Item 3 financial-condition risk that the franchisor's financial condition calls into question its ability to provide services and support. Revenue is primarily royalties (resort, restaurant, residential/timeshare, consumer products) plus restaurant/retail merchandise sales.
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 6.5% — below the Lodging average of 10.4%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
Net unit growth of +150.0% over 3 years (1 opened, 0 closed).
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 Lodging averages
How Camp Margaritaville® Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 5
- Opened
- 1
- 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
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +150.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +150.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 1
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 5 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.
5
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
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
Camp Margaritaville presents HIGH RISK due to going concern status, withheld financial disclosures, multiple lawsuits, microscopic unit count, and unprotected territory — fundamentally unsuitable for $4.5M+ capital deployment.
Litigation (Item 3)
1) Boss Investments Ltd. v. Margaritaville of Bahamas LLC et al. (trademark sub-license dispute, settled Dec 2020 with defendants paying 50% of future royalties). 2) Shultz/Koptieff Trusts v. Margaritaville Enterprises et al. (cottage owners fraud/tort claims, settled April 2023 mutual walk-away). 3) CA Commissioner of Financial Protection and Innovation v. Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts LLC (failure to file franchise exemption notices for 3 CA sales 2019-2020, consent order March 2020, $7,500 penalty).
Largest disclosed settlement: $7,500
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Ernst & Young LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 46 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHGoing concern status is FALSE — indicates potential financial instability or viability concerns at corporate level
- 02MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosed — impossible to validate ROI; suggests weak unit economics or reluctance to disclose underperformance
- 03HIGHMultiple active litigation matters including trademark disputes, property/tort claims, and regulatory violations — indicates operational and legal governance issues
- 04MINOROnly 5 total units with 25% YoY growth insufficient to validate system stability — extremely small franchise base makes failure catastrophic
- 05MINORTerritory is unprotected — franchisees face direct competition from other company franchisees with no geographic exclusivity
- 06MEDHigh initial investment ($4.5M+) combined with undisclosed returns creates acute financial risk exposure
- 07MINORRegulatory filing violations in California demonstrate compliance failures at franchisor level
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 6.5% 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 | 20 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | none |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 12 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | DE |
| Litigation count | 3 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
1) Boss Investments Ltd. v. Margaritaville of Bahamas LLC et al. (trademark sub-license dispute, settled Dec 2020 with defendants paying 50% of future royalties). 2) Shultz/Koptieff Trusts v. Margaritaville Enterprises et al. (cottage owners fraud/tort claims, settled April 2023 mutual walk-away). 3) CA Commissioner of Financial Protection and Innovation v. Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts LLC (failure to file franchise exemption notices for 3 CA sales 2019-2020, consent order March 2020, $7,500 penalty).
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 7 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 33 hrs
- Training location
- Franchisor-selected Margaritaville-branded venue (offsite); Resort (onsite task force)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 18 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects; franchisor approves
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- InfoGenesis
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: InfoGenesis
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What do CAMP MARGARITAVILLE® franchise owners earn?
CAMP MARGARITAVILLE® 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 CAMP MARGARITAVILLE® 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 CAMP MARGARITAVILLE® FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is CAMP MARGARITAVILLE®'s franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for CAMP MARGARITAVILLE® (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 CAMP MARGARITAVILLE® franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, CAMP MARGARITAVILLE® has 5 total units in the United States, including 5 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is CAMP MARGARITAVILLE® a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates CAMP MARGARITAVILLE® as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 46 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.