Discovery Map Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Discovery Map is a franchise publishing illustrated local tourist maps funded by advertising from area businesses. Franchisees run a local edition selling ad space and managing map production and distribution, typically home-based.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A DISCOVERY MAP franchise requires a total initial investment of $29K – $36K, including a $25K franchise fee and an ongoing 10.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $58K[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $29K – $36K
- 7th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- $58K
- 1st pct Business Serv…
- Royalty
- 10.0%
- 32nd pct Business Serv…
- Units
- 116
- 50th pct Business Serv…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Business Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Business Services 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 $29K – $36K including a $25K franchise fee, 10.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $58K/year (median $53K).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 68/100 (higher is better).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- DISCOVERY MAP INTERNATIONAL, INC.
- Predecessor
- Murphy Holdings, Inc. (formerly Resort Maps Franchise, Inc.)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President
- Peter L. Hans
- Incorporated in
- Vermont
- HQ
- 5197 Main Street, Suite 8, P.O. Box 726, Waitsfield, VT 05673
- Auditor
- Murphy Gaudreau Hoskinson, Inc.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.2M
- vs $1.0M prior year
Affiliated brands
- Discovery Digital Services
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Peter L. Hans
- Headquarters
- VT
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 29
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 88% below the typical business services franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown9 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $25K | $25K | |
| Map Coloring | $1K | $2K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses while Training | $500 | $2K | |
| Map Racks and related equipment | $2K | $3K | |
| Computer System | $500 | $1K | |
| Licenses/Deposits | $0 | $250 | |
| Supplies & Misc. Expense | $250 | $1K | |
| Insurance | $250 | $500 | |
| Additional Funds | $0 | $2K | |
| Total initial investment | $29K | $36K |
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
- $29K – $36K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $0 – $2K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 10.0%
- tiered · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 11.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 10.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $2K |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Inventory (initial) | $250 – $1K |
| Total fee load | 11.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 96% below the business services norm.
Source: FDD 2025 · 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
$7K
12.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
21%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
4.8 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
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. The target band for an attractive franchise is 30–60% ROIC. Below that and a passive index fund likely outperforms; above that and the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses. It's the top line only. Operating costs below are category estimates. Override them to match your real lease quote, labor market, and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one DISCOVERY MAP unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
21%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
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%.
Levered LBO scenario · Yale Crease Capital framing
What would 25 DISCOVERY MAP units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
49.9%
7.57× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
1.88×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$58K
on $291K purchase
Total debt
$233K
SBA $0.1M + senior + seller note
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
- $58K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $53K
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
- 102
- vs category median 35 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $10K→$215K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency tier
- revenue_only
- Categorical assessment of disclosure depth
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- The FDD edition these figures were read from
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · above
Compared against 296 Business Services 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 $58K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.8x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 11.0% (near the Business Services 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 roughly stable (+0.9% 3-year CAGR) with 116 units.
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 Business Services averages
How Discovery Map Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 116
- Opened
- 4
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 6
- Turnover rate
- 5.2%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -1.7%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +0.9%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 4
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 6
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 6
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 24 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.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- South Dakota
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
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
Declining franchise system with going concern issues, undisclosed profitability, aggressive fee structure, and minimal Item 19 transparency creates substantial risk.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Murphy Gaudreau Hoskinson, Inc.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 68 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORUnit count declining 2.5% YoY (116 → ~113 units) indicates shrinking system
- 02MINORNo net income disclosure despite $58k average revenue — profitability opaque
- 03HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — suggests franchisor financial distress or instability
- 04MINORInitial investment ($29-36k) requires $25k franchise fee (86% of low-end capital) — leaves minimal working capital
- 05MINORAverage revenue of $58,171 is modest; unclear if this sustains franchisee after 10% + 25% royalties
- 06MINORNo litigation disclosure provided; cannot verify clean legal history
- 07MEDItem 19 (financial performance) not disclosed — unable to validate realistic earnings claims
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 11.0% 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 | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | exclusive |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 60 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Vermont |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Vermont |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 17 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Waitsfield, Vermont (some elements via video conference)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 3 mo
- From signing to launch
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- AdWiz
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: AdWiz
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
78 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
DISCOVERY MAP · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a DISCOVERY MAP franchise?
The total investment to open a DISCOVERY MAP franchise ranges from $29K – $36K, 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 DISCOVERY MAP franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the DISCOVERY MAP FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $58K. The median is $53K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the DISCOVERY MAP 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 DISCOVERY MAP FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is DISCOVERY MAP's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for DISCOVERY MAP (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 DISCOVERY MAP franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, DISCOVERY MAP has 116 total units in the United States, including 116 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 4 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is DISCOVERY MAP a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates DISCOVERY MAP as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 68 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
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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.