FastframeFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A FASTFRAME franchise requires a total initial investment of $135K – $247K, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2024 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 27.0% charge-off rate across 102 loans[1]. Verdict grade: C. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $135K – $247K
- 14th pct Retail
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 21st pct Retail
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 17th pct Retail
- Units
- 39
- 16th pct Retail
- SBA default
- 27.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Retail 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
27.0% of SBA loans charged off across 102 loans, above the 16% franchise average.
Franchising since 1987. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $135K – $247K including a $35K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict C (Average) with a risk score of 68/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 27.0% across 102 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- Auditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- FASTFRAME U.S.A., INC.
- Ultimate parent
- None
- CEO title
- Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer
- John Fletcher
- CEO experience
- 1986 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 433 West Allen Avenue, #114, San Dimas, California 91773
- Auditor
- Assurance Dimensions
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.1M
- vs $982K prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2024
- Status as of 2024; may have been resolved in a later filing we don't yet have.
Overview
About
FASTFRAME franchisees operate custom picture framing shops that design and manufacture framed artwork, posters, and memorabilia for retail customers. Day-to-day operations include customer consultations on frame selection, mat cutting, glass fitting, and installation, along with inventory management, sales transactions, and order fulfillment.
- CEO
- John Fletcher
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 1986
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 14
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $35K | $35K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $10K | $15K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $90K | $197K |
| Total initial investment | $135K | $247K |
Source: FASTFRAME 2024 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
- $135K – $247K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $15K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $35K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- Gross Receipts · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $5 |
| Renewal fee | $9K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Retail averages
How Fastframe Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 39
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Terminated
- 1
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 1
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 5.1%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -2.5%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -17.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
- Projected new
- 1
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 2.6%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Termination rate
- 5.1%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 2.6%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 11 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 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 102
- Loan volume
- $11.8M
- Median loan
- $211K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 27.0%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 39
- Defaults
- 24
Vintage analysis
Fastframe charge-off rate by loan vintage
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Fastframe's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 5 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 3 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 7-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
A 27.0% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 4 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
FASTFRAME presents elevated risk due to contracting unit count, undisclosed financials, active litigation over royalties, and franchisor going concern status—suggesting both system weakness and franchisee profitability challenges.
Litigation (Item 3)
Two royalty collection lawsuits: (1) Fastframe U.S.A., Inc. v. Carlos Hernandez - Los Angeles County Superior Court Case No. 23STCP02355 filed July 6, 2023, petition to confirm arbitration award; (2) Fastframe U.S.A., Inc. v. James Quinn - AAA Western Case Management Center Case No. 01-21-0002-2829 filed March 12, 2021, royalty collection suit against franchisee.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Assurance Dimensions⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 68 / 100 rating
- 01MINORUnit count declining 2.5% YoY indicates shrinking system despite 39-unit base
- 02MINORTwo franchisor-initiated royalty collection lawsuits suggest payment disputes and cash flow stress among franchisees
- 03MEDNo disclosed average revenue or net income data prevents ROI validation and suggests weak unit economics
- 04MINORHigh initial investment range ($135K-$246K) paired with 6% royalty creates significant fixed cost burden
- 05HIGHGoing concern status indicates potential solvency questions at franchisor level
- 06MINORDeclining unit count contradicts the typical growth narrative needed to justify franchise expansion
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 | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Geographic |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 50,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | California |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Two royalty collection lawsuits: (1) Fastframe U.S.A., Inc. v. Carlos Hernandez - Los Angeles County Superior Court Case No. 23STCP02355 filed July 6, 2023, petition to confirm arbitration award; (2) Fastframe U.S.A., Inc. v. James Quinn - AAA Western Case Management Center Case No. 01-21-0002-2829 filed March 12, 2021, royalty collection suit against franchisee.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 80 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 48 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and franchisor location
- POS system
- LifeSaver Software
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: LifeSaver Software
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
15 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
FASTFRAME · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a FASTFRAME franchise?
The total investment to open a FASTFRAME franchise ranges from $135K – $247K, with an initial franchise fee of $35K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do FASTFRAME franchise owners earn?
FASTFRAME 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 FASTFRAME's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, FASTFRAME has a charge-off rate of 27.0% across 102 loans, meaning 27.0% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many FASTFRAME franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, FASTFRAME has 39 total units in the United States, including 39 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is FASTFRAME a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates FASTFRAME as a C-grade franchise with a risk score of 68 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.