Hawaii Fluid Art Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Hawaii Fluid Art is a recreation franchise offering fluid-acrylic pour painting classes and art experiences. Franchisees run the studios, managing sessions, art supplies, private events, and staffing.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Hawaii Fluid Art franchise requires a total initial investment of $182K – $340K, including a $65K franchise fee. The 2024 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 15 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $182K – $340K
- 18th pct Recreation & …
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Outlet subset
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 24
- 32nd pct Recreation & …
- SBA charge-off
- 0.0%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Recreation & Entertainment · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Recreation & Entertainment 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 $182K – $340K including a $65K franchise fee.
- RETURNSFY2023 total revenue of $2,282,509 (franchise fees $1,687,900, product sales $184,520, other revenue $157,630, training fees $127,337, royalties $79,799, technology fees $45,323). Going-concern doubt and negative member's equity (deficit of $172,504) disclosed; cover page flags franchisor financial condition risk.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 54/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 15 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- FLAG3 units terminated last reporting year (12.5% of the system). Ask existing franchisees why.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Hawaii Fluid Art Franchising, LLC
- Predecessor
- Hawaii Fluid Art Franchising, LLC (Hawaii)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Founder & CEO
- Maya Ratcliff
- Incorporated in
- TX
- HQ
- 610 Uptown Blvd., STE 3900, Cedar Hill, TX 75104
- Auditor
- DA Advisory Group PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $2.3M
- vs $347K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Maya Ratcliff
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2021
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 12
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 80% below the typical recreation & entertainment franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2024 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $65K | $65K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $19K | $35K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $98K | $240K |
| Total initial investment | $182K | $340K |
Source: Hawaii Fluid Art 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
- $182K – $340K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $19K – $35K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $65K – $65K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- Greater of 8% of Gross Revenue or $750 per month minimum …
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 10.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $950 |
| Training fee | $10K |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $3K |
| Inventory (initial) | $19K – $19K |
| Total fee load | 10.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Hawaii Fluid Art 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 Hawaii Fluid Art unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
39%
Within the 30–60% "attractive franchise" band
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: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
FY2023 total revenue of $2,282,509 (franchise fees $1,687,900, product sales $184,520, other revenue $157,630, training fees $127,337, royalties $79,799, technology fees $45,323). Going-concern doubt and negative member's equity (deficit of $172,504) disclosed; cover page flags franchisor financial condition risk.
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
- Item 19 type
- Historic Financial Performance
- Sample size
- 5
- vs category median 5
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2024
- The FDD edition these figures were read from
- Transparency
- 0 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · below
Compared against 166 Recreation & Entertainment brands
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 10.0% (near the Recreation & Entertainment average).
Disclosure
Item 19 reports Historic Financial Performance rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
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 Recreation & Entertainment averages
How Hawaii Fluid Art Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 24
- Opened
- 21
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 3
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 14.3%
- Company-owned
- 3
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 88%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 24
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 3
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 1
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 12 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.
12
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 15
- Loan volume
- $2.3M
- Median loan
- $181K
- 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)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 4
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 10.7%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 8.5%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 64
- 2.8 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 60%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 100% went to startups / new businesses, 0% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in fine arts schools, franchised businesses charge off at 8.5% vs 14.1% for independents — franchising is associated with 40% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing Hawaii Fluid Art franchisees
Showing 3 of 4 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Hawaii Fluid Art's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 4 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 8 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 3-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 15 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 0.0% — 100% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Early-stage, high-growth franchise lacking financial transparency and proven unit economics; explosive growth rate and absent Item 19 data create significant ROI validation risk.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · DA Advisory Group PLLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 54 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNo average revenue or net income disclosure (Item 19) — impossible to validate ROI claims or unit economics
- 02MINORExplosive 600% YoY unit growth (24 units) suggests either unsustainable expansion or cherry-picked growth period; typical mature franchises grow 10-30% annually
- 03MINORHigh initial investment ($182k-$340k) combined with $750/month minimum royalty creates immediate cash flow pressure on new franchisees
- 04MINORHybrid royalty structure (8% or $750 minimum) penalizes low-revenue operators; break-even threshold unclear
- 05MEDOnly 24 units system-wide suggests immature franchise model with limited operational history and peer support network
- 06MINORProtected territory provides no competitive advantage if brand lacks consumer awareness or replicable unit economics
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 10.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 3 mi |
| 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 | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Cedar Hill, TX |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | TX |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 69 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 56 hrs
- Training location
- Your Studio (onsite at franchisee location)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 7 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisor assists; final responsibility is franchisee's
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Clover
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Clover
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
21 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Hawaii Fluid Art · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Hawaii Fluid Art franchise?
The total investment to open a Hawaii Fluid Art franchise ranges from $182K – $340K, with an initial franchise fee of $65K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Hawaii Fluid Art franchise owners earn?
Hawaii Fluid Art 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 Hawaii Fluid Art 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 Hawaii Fluid Art FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Hawaii Fluid Art's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Hawaii Fluid Art has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 15 loans, meaning 0.0% 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 Hawaii Fluid Art franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Hawaii Fluid Art has 24 total units in the United States, including 21 franchised units and 3 company-owned units. 21 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Hawaii Fluid Art a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Hawaii Fluid Art as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 54 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?
If you represent Hawaii Fluid Art, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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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.