Heights Wellness Retreat Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $622K – $820K
- Disclosed sales
- partial, no system average
- SBA charge-off
- Under 10 loans (3)
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Heights Wellness Retreat is a wellness franchise offering massage, advanced skincare, and touchless holistic therapies in a resort-style spa setting. Franchisees run a spa managing therapists, memberships, and services.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Heights Wellness Retreat franchise requires a total initial investment of $622K – $820K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium - issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✗ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored5 of 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $622K – $820K
- 75th pct Healthcare
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 14th pct Healthcare
- Units
- 102
- 61st pct Healthcare
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Healthcare · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Healthcare median · 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 $622K – $820K including a $50K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 61/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHNegative: net -2 franchised outlets in the latest year (1 opened, 3 closed); 13 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- FLAGItem 4 discloses a bankruptcy of an officer or of a company an officer ran, not of the franchisor. Review Item 4 for details.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Elevated Brands Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- SWG International, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2025 FDD
- Predecessor
- Massage Heights Franchising, LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
- Shane Evans
- CEO experience
- 20 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- TX
- HQ
- 13750 US Hwy 281 North, Suite 925, San Antonio, Texas 78232
- Auditor
- BDO USA, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $10.4M
- vs $9.8M prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 8
1 other brand on this site name SWG International, LLC as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2025 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Shane Evans
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2007
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 15
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 125% above the typical healthcare franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown14 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $50K | $50K | |
| Retreat Development Packagenot refundable | $124K | $155K | |
| Utility and Security Deposits | $4K | $7K | |
| Leasehold Improvements and Professional Design Feesnot refundable | $326K | $428K | |
| Exterior Signagenot refundable | $8K | $11K | |
| Equipmentnot refundable | $5K | $5K | |
| Technology Systemnot refundable | $38K | $48K | |
| Software Setup Feenot refundable | $2K | $2K | |
| Facial Services Expensesnot refundable | $2K | $6K | |
| Business Licenses and Permitsnot refundable | $150 | $2K | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $1K | $8K | |
| Initial Training Expensesnot refundable | $5K | $5K | |
| Initial Advertising Programnot refundable | $15K | $30K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 monthsnot refundable | $43K | $63K | |
| Total initial investment | $622K | $820K |
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
- $622K – $820K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $43K – $63K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $650 |
| Training fee | $5K |
| Transfer fee | $12K |
| Renewal fee | $12K |
| Inventory (initial) | $124K – $155K |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
No Item 19 revenue figure for Heights Wellness Retreat is on file. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Heights Wellness Retreat unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for annual revenue, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
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 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands. We omit it from rankings.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
6.0% royalty + 3.0% ad fund.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
Operator retention
System roughly stable (-1.0% 3-year CAGR) with 102 units.
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 Healthcare medians
How Heights Wellness Retreat Compares
Category median of published Healthcare brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 102
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 3
- Terminated
- 3
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 2.9%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 99%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -1.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -1.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 3
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 14
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 13
- 0.13 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 2
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 13.7%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Termination rate
- 3.9%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 2.9%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 16 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.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
99 current owners across 15 states; 9 former (terminated, transferred or not renewed) listed separately.
- TX 46
- CA 14
- IA 6
- CO 5
- FL 5
- MO 4
- GA 3
- IN 3
- KS 3
- NC 2
- NJ 2
- NV 2
- +3 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
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
- $2.7M
- Median loan
- $1.1M
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- Under 10 loans (3)
- Insufficient SBA coverage: 3 loans, rate hidden below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- Under 10 loans (3)
- 5-yr charge-off
- Under 10 loans (3)
- 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
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Three prior actions disclosed: Hayes v. Massage Heights (arbitration, 2019, franchisee awarded $344,933 after mutual breach finding, settled 2024); Busch Management Group v. Massage Heights (Texas court, 2020, settled with area rep agreement termination); Massage Heights v. Relax Investments (arbitration, 2018, respondent awarded $88,137.50 plus renewal rights). All resolved.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Subject: an officer. An officer’s own bankruptcy or a company an officer ran, not the franchisor’s
Julia (Julie) Green, VP of Marketing, filed Chapter 13 bankruptcy in 2019 (Eastern District of NC, Docket 19-02644-5-DMW) due to unforeseen employment changes; discharged August 8, 2024.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · BDO USA, P.C.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Audited financials for Massage Heights Franchising, LLC (franchisor d/b/a EB Franchising / Heights Wellness Retreat). FY2024 total revenues $10,392,610 comprised of franchise fees ($122,686), royalties ($6,067,111), other revenue ($1,318,325), and advertising fund fees ($2,884,488). Audited by BDO USA, P.C.; report dated March 25, 2025.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 9.0% 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 | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 1 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 | 15 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | San Antonio, Texas (mediation required first) |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | TX |
| Litigation count | 3 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Three prior actions disclosed: Hayes v. Massage Heights (arbitration, 2019, franchisee awarded $344,933 after mutual breach finding, settled 2024); Busch Management Group v. Massage Heights (Texas court, 2020, settled with area rep agreement termination); Massage Heights v. Relax Investments (arbitration, 2018, respondent awarded $88,137.50 plus renewal rights). All resolved.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 66 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 91 hrs
- Training location
- San Antonio, Texas (franchisor HQ), online platform, designated Retreats, franchisee's Retreat
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 12 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Web-based licensed through franchisor
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Web-based licensed through franchisor
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
108 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Heights Wellness Retreat franchise?
The total investment to open a Heights Wellness Retreat franchise ranges from $622K – $820K, 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 Heights Wellness Retreat franchise owners earn?
Item 19 of the Heights Wellness Retreat FDD discloses figures for part of the system but no single average across all outlets. These are gross sales figures, not profit; the Revenue section shows what the filing reports and on what basis. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns Heights Wellness Retreat?
Heights Wellness Retreat is franchised by Elevated Brands Franchising, LLC. Its parent company is SWG International, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Heights Wellness Retreat 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 Heights Wellness Retreat FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Heights Wellness Retreat's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Heights Wellness Retreat (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 Heights Wellness Retreat franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Heights Wellness Retreat has 102 total units in the United States, including 101 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Heights Wellness Retreat a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Heights Wellness Retreat as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 61 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. 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.