Destination AthleteFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Destination Athlete franchise requires a total initial investment of $28K – $135K, including a $20K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: B. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $28K – $135K
- 2nd pct Health & Fitn…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 59th pct Health & Fitn…
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 1st pct Health & Fitn…
- Units
- 296
- 94th pct Health & Fitn…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Health & Fitness · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Health & Fitness 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
Bottom line
- Total investment $28K – $135K including a $20K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict B (Above Average) with a risk score of 56/100.
- No 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
- Legal entity
- Destination Athlete, LLC
- Parent company
- Harbor Endeavors, LLC
- Incorporated in
- NJ
- HQ
- 104 Main Street, Lebanon, NJ 08833
- Auditor
- Tropeano & McGrady, PC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $900K
- vs $1.3M prior year
Overview
About
Destination Athlete franchisees operate athletic retail or team/school athletic supply stores, selling equipment, apparel, and merchandise. They manage inventory, handle direct customer sales in-store, and fulfill orders through team stores and potentially e-commerce channels. Revenue models vary significantly depending on whether franchisees focus on brick-and-mortar retail, team partnerships, or online sales.
- CEO
- Douglas D. Dickison
- Headquarters
- NJ
- Founded
- 2008
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 29
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $20K | $20K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $6K | $36K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $2K | $79K |
| Total initial investment | $28K | $135K |
Source: Destination Athlete 2026 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $28K – $135K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $6K – $36K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $20K – $65K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- Gross Sales · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $2K |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Renewal fee | $15K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Health & Fitness averages
How Destination Athlete Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 296
- Opened
- 16
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +5.7%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +13.8%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 11
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 15 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 2 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 2
- Loan volume
- $1.2M
- Median loan
- $623K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
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
- 2
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Destination Athlete's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 2 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 2 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 2-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
High opacity on profitability, modest growth trajectory, and lack of financial disclosure make this a CAUTION-tier franchise with significant unknown risks.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Tropeano & McGrady, PC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 56 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosed (Item 19 missing) — impossible to assess profitability or ROI
- 02MINORSlow unit growth of 5.7% YoY suggests market saturation or franchisee underperformance in a 296-unit system
- 03MINORWide investment range ($28,300–$135,110) indicates inconsistent startup costs and unclear capital requirements
- 04MINORDual royalty structure (5% vs. 9%) creates complexity and incentivizes non-internet sales, limiting scalability
- 05MINOR10-year term is longer than industry standard (typically 5–7 years), reducing franchisee flexibility and exit options
- 06MINORProtected territory undefined in scope — risk of encroachment or unclear protected area boundaries
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 | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Territory type | County |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | New Jersey |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 40 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 80 hrs
- POS system
- QuickBooks and Franchise Management System (FMS)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: QuickBooks and Franchise Management System (FMS)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
20 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Destination Athlete · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Destination Athlete franchise?
The total investment to open a Destination Athlete franchise ranges from $28K – $135K, with an initial franchise fee of $20K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Destination Athlete franchise owners earn?
Destination Athlete 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 Destination Athlete's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Destination Athlete (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 Destination Athlete franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Destination Athlete has 296 total units in the United States, including 229 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 16 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Destination Athlete a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Destination Athlete as a B-grade franchise with a risk score of 56 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.