Gold Medal Swim SchoolFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Gold Medal Swim School franchise requires a total initial investment of $553K – $1.1M, including a $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2023 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: F. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2023 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $553K – $1.1M
- 58th pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 47th pct Education
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 6th pct Education
- Units
- 1
- 2nd pct Education
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Education · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Education 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
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $553K – $1.1M including a $30K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict F (Bottom Quintile) with a risk score of 79/100.
- 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
- Gold Medal Swim School Franchises, LLC
- CEO title
- Owner, Manager
- Mike Walker
- CEO experience
- 23 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- AZ
- HQ
- 6909 W. Ray Rd. #27, Chandler, AZ 85226
- Auditor
- JDS Professional Group
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $0
- vs $0 prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2023
- Status as of 2023; may have been resolved in a later filing we don't yet have.
Overview
About
Gold Medal Swim School franchisees operate swim instruction facilities serving children and adults through group classes, private lessons, and swim team programs. Daily operations include managing instructors, scheduling lessons, facility maintenance, student enrollment, and billing. Franchisees are responsible for facility lease/ownership, staff hiring/training, local marketing, and customer retention while adhering to franchisor curriculum and operational standards.
- CEO
- Mike Walker
- Headquarters
- AZ
- Founded
- 2018
- FDD year
- 2023
- States available
- 1
FDD Item 7 · 2023 filing · 3 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Equipment, Software, Telephone and Internet Services | $4K | $10K | |
| Signage | $5K | $20K | |
| Additional Funds (First 3 months) | $50K | $125K | |
| Total initial investment | $59K | $155K |
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
- $553K – $1.1M
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $50K – $125K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $30K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- Gross Revenues · 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 |
| Technology fee | $2K |
| Transfer fee | $30K |
| Renewal fee | $15K |
| 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 Education averages
How Gold Medal Swim School Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 1
- Opened
- 0
- 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
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 0%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Projected new
- 2
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 6 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.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
A single-unit franchise system with undisclosed financial performance, high capital requirements, and no growth trajectory presents substantial execution and transparency risks.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · JDS Professional Group⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 79 / 100 rating
- 01MINOROnly 1 operating unit despite 15-year franchise history suggests severe system stagnation or recent collapse
- 02MEDNo disclosed average revenue or net income (Item 19) prevents ROI validation and indicates potential franchisor reluctance to share performance data
- 03MINORHigh initial investment range ($552.5K–$1.146M) with no published earnings benchmarks creates uncertainty about payback period and profitability thresholds
- 04MINOR6% royalty on gross revenue (not net) is punitive during low-revenue periods and suggests franchisor prioritizes fees over franchisee success
- 05MINORSingle unit makes territory protection claim unverifiable and raises questions about market viability or franchisee support quality
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 | 15 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Geographic |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 5 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 20 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Arizona |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 56 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 34 hrs
- Training location
- Chandler, Arizona, or other designated location
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 34 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- POS system
- Links
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Links
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
10 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Gold Medal Swim School · FDD (2023) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Gold Medal Swim School franchise?
The total investment to open a Gold Medal Swim School franchise ranges from $553K – $1.1M, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Gold Medal Swim School franchise owners earn?
Gold Medal Swim School 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 Gold Medal Swim School's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Gold Medal Swim School (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 Gold Medal Swim School franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Gold Medal Swim School has 1 total units in the United States, including 0 franchised units and 1 company-owned units.
Is Gold Medal Swim School a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Gold Medal Swim School as a F-grade franchise with a risk score of 79 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.