Gecko HospitalityFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Gecko Hospitality franchise requires a total initial investment of $54K – $85K, including a $40K franchise fee and an ongoing 10.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 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 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $54K – $85K
- 12th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 29th pct Business Serv…
- Royalty
- 10.0%
- 28th pct Business Serv…
- Units
- 106
- 40th pct Business Serv…
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Business Services · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Business Services 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 $54K – $85K including a $40K franchise fee, 10.0% 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 58/100.
- 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
- Gecko Development Corporation
- Parent company
- Triumph Talent Solutions, LLC
- Predecessor
- Gecko Development Corporation
- Prior franchisor entity
- Incorporated in
- FL
- HQ
- 13379 McGregor Blvd., Suite 1, Fort Myers, Florida 33919
- Auditor
- CDM Financials, LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $742K
- vs $702K prior year
Affiliated brands
- Gecko Hospitality
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Gecko Hospitality is a staffing and recruitment franchise focused on hospitality industry placements. Franchisees operate as employment agencies, recruiting and placing hospitality workers (servers, bartenders, housekeeping, etc.) with hotels, restaurants, and event venues, earning commissions on placements while paying 10% royalties on gross revenue.
- CEO
- John M. Larson
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 2003
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 50
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 20 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
- $54K – $85K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $20K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $50K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 10.0%
- Gross Sales · 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 |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Business Services averages
How Gecko Hospitality Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 106
- Opened
- 6
- 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)
- +6.0%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +11.6%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 4
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 22 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
- Illinois
- South Dakota
- Washington
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
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
- 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)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 3
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Gecko Hospitality's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 3 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 3 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 3-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
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)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 58 / 100 rating
- 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
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 8 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Population-based |
| 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 | 10 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Florida |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 51 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 32 hrs
- Training location
- Offsite and On-site
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
51 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 $54K – $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 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 95 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 B-grade franchise with a risk score of 58 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.
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.