Gecko Hospitality Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Gecko Hospitality is a recruiting franchise specializing in placing managers and staff for restaurants, hotels, and hospitality businesses. Franchisees run a recruiting practice sourcing candidates, working with employers, and earning placement fees.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Gecko Hospitality franchise requires a total initial investment of $59K – $85K, including a $40K – $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 10.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). 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
- $59K – $85K
- 17th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 10.0%
- 32nd pct Business Serv…
- Units
- 106
- 49th 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 $59K – $85K including a $40K franchise fee, 10.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 21 states audited financial statements of franchisor GDC (Gecko Development Corp.) for FYE Dec 31, 2023/2022/2021 are attached as Exhibit A, but Exhibit A is not present as extractable text in this OCR file (scanned/omitted), so no balance sheet, income, or revenue figures are available. The $13,547,897 'total revenues' at the start of the document belongs to affiliate Gecko Hospitality, Inc. in an Item 8 rebate disclosure, not the franchisor's audited statements, and was deliberately not used.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 75/100 (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
- Gecko Development Corporation
- Parent company
- Triumph Talent Solutions, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- Triumph Higher Education Group, LLC
- Predecessor
- Gecko Development Corporation (Illinois predecessor, formed 2003)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Director/Chief Executive Officer
- John M. Larson
- Incorporated in
- FL
- HQ
- 13379 McGregor Blvd., Suite 1, Fort Myers, Florida 33919
- Auditor
- CDM Financials, LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $702K
- vs $742K prior year
Affiliated brands
- Gecko Hospitality
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- John M. Larson
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 2003
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 50
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 74% below the typical business services franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown20 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $40K | $50K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses while Training | $2K | $3K | |
| Real Estate and Improvements | — | — | |
| Office Furniture | $300 | $500 | |
| Office Equipment including computer equipment | $2K | $3K | |
| Certified Professional Consultant (CPC) Services Certification | $550 | $550 | |
| Office Supplies | $500 | $750 | |
| High-Speed Internet Access Service (first 3 months) | $250 | $375 | |
| Licenses/Deposits | $1K | $2K | |
| Applicant Tracking System Software and Brand Marketing Software (first 3 months) | $599 | $660 | |
| Legal & Miscellaneous Expenses | $2K | $2K | |
| Advertising/Promotion/Grand Opening Materials | $500 | $1K | |
| Insurance | $950 | $2K | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $10K | $20K | |
| Multiple Unit Development Fee (per additional Territory)not refundable | $10K | $10K | |
| Initial Franchise Fee (Gecko Executive Hospitality)not refundable | $35K | $45K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses while Training (Gecko Executive Hospitality) | $2K | $3K | |
| Real Estate and Improvements (Gecko Executive Hospitality) | — | — | |
| Office Furniture (Gecko Executive Hospitality) | $300 | $500 | |
| Office Equipment (Gecko Executive Hospitality) | $2K | — | |
| Total initial investment | $108K | $143K |
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
- $59K – $85K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $20K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 10.0%
- percentage · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 4.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 14.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 10.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 4.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $145 |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Renewal fee | $4K |
| Total fee load | 14.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Gecko Hospitality 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 Gecko Hospitality unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
77%
Above the 30–60% band. Verify revenue is per-unit average
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
Item 21 states audited financial statements of franchisor GDC (Gecko Development Corp.) for FYE Dec 31, 2023/2022/2021 are attached as Exhibit A, but Exhibit A is not present as extractable text in this OCR file (scanned/omitted), so no balance sheet, income, or revenue figures are available. The $13,547,897 'total revenues' at the start of the document belongs to affiliate Gecko Hospitality, Inc. in an Item 8 rebate disclosure, not the franchisor's audited statements, and was deliberately not used.
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 14.0% — above the Business Services average of 11.9%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System expanding at 11.6% CAGR over 3 years across 106 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
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 Gecko Hospitality Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 106
- Opened
- 6
- 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
- 1.9%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +11.6%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +11.6%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 14
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 2
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 20
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 50 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.
50
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 3 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 3
- Loan volume
- $500K
- Median loan
- $208K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (3 loans) — rate not shown below 10
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
- 3
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
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
Gecko Hospitality presents meaningful financial opacity and unit growth concerns, offset only by lack of litigation and territory protection.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · CDM Financials, LLC
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: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 75 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDNo Item 19 (Average Unit Volume) disclosed — impossible to assess ROI on $54k-$85k investment plus $40k fee
- 02MINORSlow unit growth of 6.0% YoY suggests market saturation or franchisee dissatisfaction in staffing/hospitality sector
- 03MINOR10% monthly royalty on gross sales (not net) is aggressive and eats into margins before profitability
- 04MINORHigh franchise fee ($40k) relative to total investment cap suggests front-loaded revenue model favoring franchisor over franchisee success
- 05MED8-year term is longer than industry standard (5-7 years) with no renewal clarity disclosed
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 14.0% 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 | 8 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | none |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 2,000,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 50 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 60 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 10 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 8 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Fort Myers, Florida (AAA office nearest to franchisor's principal place of business) |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | FL |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 49 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 32 hrs
- Training location
- Fort Myers, FL (affiliate corporate office) and franchisee's office (OJT)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 2 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
56 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Gecko Hospitality · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Gecko Hospitality franchise?
The total investment to open a Gecko Hospitality franchise ranges from $59K – $85K, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Gecko Hospitality franchise owners earn?
Gecko Hospitality 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 Gecko Hospitality 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 Gecko Hospitality FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Gecko Hospitality's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Gecko Hospitality (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 Gecko Hospitality franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Gecko Hospitality has 106 total units in the United States, including 106 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 6 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Gecko Hospitality a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Gecko Hospitality as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 75 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.