FerncrestFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Ferncrest franchise requires a total initial investment of $501K – $1.8M, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $4K[2]. Verdict grade: C. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $501K – $1.8M
- 29th pct Recreation & …
- Avg gross sales
- $4K
- 0th pct Recreation & …
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 18th pct Recreation & …
- Units
- 3
- 11th pct Recreation & …
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Recreation & Entertainment · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Recreation & Entertainment 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
At 0.0x revenue per dollar invested, this system underperforms the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
Started franchising in 2024. Newer systems carry more uncertainty but may offer better territories.
Bottom line
- Total investment $501K – $1.8M including a $50K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $4K/year.
- Verdict C (Average) with a risk score of 67/100.
- Revenue data based on only 1 reporting unit. Treat as directional, not definitive. Ask franchisees directly for current unit economics.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- FERNCREST FRANCHISING LLC
- Incorporated in
- FL
- HQ
- 3127 W. Waverly Avenue, Tampa, Florida, 33629
- Franchisor revenue
- $141K
- Most recent fiscal year
Affiliated brands
- a Ferncrest campground in Promised Land
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Ferncrest franchisees operate [BUSINESS MODEL UNCLEAR FROM PROVIDED DATA]. Without disclosed revenue figures or operational details, the day-to-day responsibilities, profit drivers, and business model cannot be determined. This represents a fundamental gap in franchise transparency.
- CEO
- Brian Linton
- Founded
- 2024
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 2
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing · 17 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $50K | $50K | |
| Training Expensesnot refundable | $1K | $4K | |
| Premises Deposits | $3K | $10K | |
| Construction Servicesnot refundable | $150K | $600K | |
| Signagenot refundable | $6K | $12K | |
| Tent, Wellness Equipment, and Prefabricated Structuresnot refundable | $150K | $800K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures & Equipmentnot refundable | $60K | $100K | |
| Golf Carts - Linen, Utility, and Guest Cartsnot refundable | $50K | $100K | |
| Computer Systemsnot refundable | $575 | $1K | |
| Office Suppliesnot refundable | $250 | $1K | |
| Initial Inventorynot refundable | $3K | $10K | |
| Camp Store Opening Packagenot refundable | $5K | $8K | |
| Grand Opening Marketingnot refundable | $5K | $10K | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $2K | $20K | |
| Licenses and Permitsnot refundable | $1K | $5K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $5K | $15K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 monthsnot refundable | $10K | $45K | |
| Total initial investment | $501K | $1.8M |
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.
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
$489
13.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
0%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
2398.3 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $501K – $1.8M
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $45K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- Gross Revenue · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 10.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $700 |
| Transfer fee | $25K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 10.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $4K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- N/A
- Item 19 type
- Historical performance of dome units at company-owned location
- Sample size
- 1 units
- vs category median 5 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $2K→$5K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 0 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · below
Compared against 176 Recreation & Entertainment brands
Revenue is only 0.0x the investment. This means each unit may take 5+ years to recoup the initial outlay at typical margins.
vs Recreation & Entertainment averages
How Ferncrest Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 3
- Opened
- 2
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 67%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 18 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 1 7(a) loan on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 1
- Loan volume
- $840K
- Median loan
- $840K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- 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)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 1
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Ferncrest's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 1 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 1 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 1-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Ferncrest exhibits critical warning signs including going concern issues, extreme information opacity, a 3-unit system with unknown growth, and no financial performance data—making this a high-risk investment unsuitable for due diligence without substantial additional disclosure.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 67 / 100 rating
- 01HIGHGoing Concern Warning: Franchisor marked 'False' indicating potential financial distress or viability questions
- 02MEDExtreme Information Opacity: No average revenue, net income, or growth metrics disclosed—impossible to validate ROI on $501K-$1.79M investment
- 03MINORMicroscopic System Size: Only 3 units operating with unknown growth trajectory suggests either pre-revenue concept or contraction
- 04MEDHigh Capital Requirement with Hidden Economics: $501K minimum investment + 7% royalty on undisclosed revenues creates unquantifiable risk
- 05MINORNo Performance Benchmarks: Absence of Item 19 financial performance representations prevents any legitimate financial modeling
- 06MINORRapid Scaling Red Flag: $1.79M maximum investment suggests franchisor expects significant growth, but 3-unit base cannot support claims
- 07MINORFranchise Fee Structure: $50K fee is moderate, but trivial compared to total investment—suggests low franchisor capital commitment
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 | 1 |
| Territory type | Radius |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 5 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Florida |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 20 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 11 hrs
- Training location
- Franchisor location and on-site
- POS system
- Square POS
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Square POS
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
21 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Ferncrest · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Ferncrest franchise?
The total investment to open a Ferncrest franchise ranges from $501K – $1.8M, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Ferncrest franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Ferncrest FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $4K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Ferncrest's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Ferncrest (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 Ferncrest franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Ferncrest has 3 total units in the United States, including 0 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Ferncrest a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Ferncrest as a C-grade franchise with a risk score of 67 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.