Kidstrong® Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
KidStrong is a children's-development franchise offering coached classes that build physical, brain, and character skills for kids. Franchisees run a facility teaching structured classes and managing enrollment and instructors on a membership model.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A KIDSTRONG® franchise requires a total initial investment of $448K – $600K, including a $45K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 31 loans[1]. 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
- $448K – $600K
- 81st pct Health & Fitn…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 30th pct Health & Fitn…
- Units
- 131
- 80th pct Health & Fitn…
- SBA charge-off
- 0.0%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Health & Fitness · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Health & Fitness 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 $448K – $600K including a $45K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 19 reports calendar-year 2024 Gross Sales for 45 US franchised Centers open and operating under the same ownership for at least 24 months as of 12/31/2024 (52 at start of 2023, with 2 closed, 5 transfers, and 2 inaccurate-reporters excluded). Data shown by quartile only (no single overall average/median). Top quartile (12 centers): High $1,246,561 / Low $835,977 / Avg $1,019,522 / Median $998,651. 2nd quartile (11): High $833,916 / Low $692,447 / Avg $763,079 / Median $744,352. 3rd quartile (11): High $690,557 / Low $534,667 / Avg $625,636 / Median $630,815. Bottom quartile (11): High $527,696 / Low $341,968 / Avg $448,493 / Median $466,016. Gross Sales unaudited/franchisee-reported; revenue only, no expenses presented.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 73/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 31 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 132.7% CAGR over 3 years with 131 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- KidStrong Franchising LLC
- Parent company
- KidStrong, Inc.
- CEO title
- Founder and CEO
- Matt Sharp
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 3801 Parkwood Boulevard, Suite 301, Frisco, Texas 75034
- Auditor
- Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $10.5M
- vs $6.9M prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Affiliated brands
- KidStrong Equipment
- KidStrong IP
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Matt Sharp
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2019
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 36
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 9% below the typical health & fitness franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown19 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $45K | $45K | |
| Pre-Paid Rent And Lease Depositnot refundable | $8K | $20K | |
| Startup Marketing Feenot refundable | $2K | $2K | |
| Initial Training Feenot refundable | $5K | $5K | |
| Architect Feesnot refundable | $16K | $19K | |
| Leasehold Improvementsnot refundable | $175K | $250K | |
| Fixtures, Furnishings, And Other Fixed Assetsnot refundable | $4K | $4K | |
| Equipment Package Fee (Includes Training Floor)not refundable | $89K | $110K | |
| Equipment Installation Feenot refundable | $12K | $19K | |
| Electronicsnot refundable | $4K | $5K | |
| Office Suppliesnot refundable | $700 | $800 | |
| Interior Signagenot refundable | $8K | $10K | |
| Exterior Signagenot refundable | $5K | $12K | |
| Permits, Licenses And Legal/Professional Servicesnot refundable | $5K | $6K | |
| Training (Transportation, Lodging, Etc.)not refundable | $3K | $5K | |
| Retail And Printnot refundable | $9K | $11K | |
| Initial Pre-Sales Marketing And Grand Opening Eventnot refundable | $35K | $45K | |
| Insurance Depositsnot refundable | $900 | $3K | |
| Additional Funds (3 Months)not refundable | $25K | $30K | |
| Total initial investment | $448K | $600K |
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
- $448K – $600K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $25K – $30K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $45K – $45K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- tiered · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.7%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.7%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.7% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $0 |
| Training fee | $5K |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Renewal fee | $8K |
| Total fee load | 9.7% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
KIDSTRONG® 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 KIDSTRONG® unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
40%
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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
Item 19 reports calendar-year 2024 Gross Sales for 45 US franchised Centers open and operating under the same ownership for at least 24 months as of 12/31/2024 (52 at start of 2023, with 2 closed, 5 transfers, and 2 inaccurate-reporters excluded). Data shown by quartile only (no single overall average/median). Top quartile (12 centers): High $1,246,561 / Low $835,977 / Avg $1,019,522 / Median $998,651. 2nd quartile (11): High $833,916 / Low $692,447 / Avg $763,079 / Median $744,352. 3rd quartile (11): High $690,557 / Low $534,667 / Avg $625,636 / Median $630,815. Bottom quartile (11): High $527,696 / Low $341,968 / Avg $448,493 / Median $466,016. Gross Sales unaudited/franchisee-reported; revenue only, no expenses presented.
- Item 19 type
- Gross Sales by quartile
- Sample size
- 45 outlets
- vs category median 12 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $342K→$1.2M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $448K→$1.0M
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Transparency tier
- none
- Categorical assessment of disclosure depth
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 3 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · below
Compared against 173 Health & Fitness 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 9.7% (near the Health & Fitness average).
Disclosure
Item 19 reports Gross Sales by quartile rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
Operator retention
System expanding at 132.7% CAGR over 3 years across 131 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 Health & Fitness averages
How Kidstrong® Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 131
- Opened
- 34
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 1.7%
- Company-owned
- 10
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 92%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +132.7%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +132.7%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 34
- Closed (3yr)
- 2
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 16
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 31 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
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- North Dakota
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Wisconsin
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 31
- Loan volume
- $13.7M
- Median loan
- $500K
- 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
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 15
- Defaults
- 0
- Typical loan rate
- 9.5%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 15.8%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 378
- 3.4 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 15%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 96% went to startups / new businesses, 4% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in fitness and recreational sports centers, franchised businesses charge off at 15.8% vs 18.2% for independents — franchising is associated with 13% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing Kidstrong® franchisees
Showing 3 of 15 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 Kidstrong®'s SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 10 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 14 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 6-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 31 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
KIDSTRONG presents moderate-to-caution risk: lack of net income transparency combined with high capital requirements and rapid growth raises questions about unit profitability and franchisor financial health despite no litigation.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Largest disclosed settlement: $400,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
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
Score breakdown · what drove the 73 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORNo net income disclosure (Item 19) prevents accurate ROI analysis and profitability verification
- 02MINORRoyalty increases from 7% to 8.5% after 24 months reduces long-term cash flow predictability
- 03MINORRapid 36% YoY unit growth may indicate aggressive recruitment over franchisee success sustainability
- 04MINORNo 'going concern' status suggests potential franchisor financial instability or recent operational challenges
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 9.7% 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 |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 2 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 | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 15 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 21 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 8 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Collin County, Texas |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | TX |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed in Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 76 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 21 hrs
- Training location
- HQ and centers in Frisco, Texas area (Developer 2 and GM Cert); Developer 1 via Zoom/remote
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 10 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisor must approve; franchisee selects and submits to Real Estate Committee
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- ZenPlanner or equivalent
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: ZenPlanner or equivalent
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
100 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
KIDSTRONG® · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a KIDSTRONG® franchise?
The total investment to open a KIDSTRONG® franchise ranges from $448K – $600K, with an initial franchise fee of $45K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do KIDSTRONG® franchise owners earn?
KIDSTRONG® 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 KIDSTRONG® 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 KIDSTRONG® FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is KIDSTRONG®'s franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, KIDSTRONG® has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 31 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 KIDSTRONG® franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, KIDSTRONG® has 131 total units in the United States, including 121 franchised units and 10 company-owned units. 34 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is KIDSTRONG® a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates KIDSTRONG® as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 73 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 KIDSTRONG®, 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.