Kinderdance Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Kinderdance is a children's movement franchise teaching dance, gymnastics, and fitness to toddlers and young kids. Franchisees run a mobile program delivering classes at daycares, schools, and community spaces, hiring and scheduling instructors.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Kinderdance franchise requires a total initial investment of $25K – $27K, including a $20K – $40K franchise fee and an ongoing 12.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $25K – $27K
- 2nd pct Health & Fitn…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 12.0%
- 75th pct Health & Fitn…
- Units
- 227
- 91st pct Health & Fitn…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
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 $25K – $27K including a $20K franchise fee, 12.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSTotal revenue of $465,802 (FY2024) comprises Royalties $219,677, Franchise/transfer/upgrade fees $121,741, Merchandise sales $39,670, Tuition income $1,785, Advertising fund income $53,942, Other income $2,984, Interest income $27,196, less Sales returns and allowances $(1,193).
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 54/100 (higher is better).
- DATANo 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
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Kinderdance International, Inc.
- Parent company
- None
- CEO title
- President / CEO
- Richard Maltese
- Incorporated in
- AZ
- HQ
- 5115 Bernard Drive Suite 205, Roanoke, VA 24018
- Auditor
- Boitnott & Schaben, LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $466K
- vs $385K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Richard Maltese
- Headquarters
- VA
- Founded
- 1982
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 24
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 95% below the typical health & fitness franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $20K | $20K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $2K | $4K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $3K | $3K |
| Total initial investment | $25K | $27K |
Source: Kinderdance 2025 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
- $25K – $27K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $2K – $4K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $20K – $40K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 12.0%
- formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 12.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $3K |
| Renewal fee | $4K |
| Inventory (initial) | $250 – $750 |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Kinderdance 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 Kinderdance unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
600%
Above the 30–60% band. Verify revenue is per-unit average
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
Total revenue of $465,802 (FY2024) comprises Royalties $219,677, Franchise/transfer/upgrade fees $121,741, Merchandise sales $39,670, Tuition income $1,785, Advertising fund income $53,942, Other income $2,984, Interest income $27,196, less Sales returns and allowances $(1,193).
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 9.0% (near the Health & Fitness average).
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System roughly stable (-0.9% 3-year CAGR) with 227 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 Health & Fitness averages
How Kinderdance Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 227
- Opened
- 5
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 5
- Terminated
- 5
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 17.0%
- Company-owned
- 4
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 98%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -0.9%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -0.9%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 41
- Terminated (3yr)
- 32
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 6
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Continuity rate
- 97.8%
- Units that stayed open
- Termination rate
- 4.4%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 24 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.
24
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 1 7(a) loan on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 1
- Loan volume
- $25K
- Median loan
- $25K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (1 loan) — rate not shown below 10
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
- 1
- 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
Kinderdance presents moderate-to-cautionary risk due to opaque financial performance data, unclear unit growth metrics, and a high fee-to-investment ratio that limits visibility into profitability and scalability.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed.
Largest disclosed settlement: $40,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Boitnott & Schaben, LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- 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 54 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDNo average revenue or net income disclosed in FDD — impossible to validate ROI claims or payback period
- 02MINOR227 units with unknown growth trajectory — cannot determine if system is expanding, stagnant, or contracting
- 03MINORHigh royalty range (6-12%) creates uncertainty; unclear what drives variance and whether it's sustainable at lower revenue levels
- 04MINORFranchise fee ($30,000) represents 54–122% of minimum investment, indicating aggressive fee structure relative to startup capital
- 05MINORNo Item 19 financial performance data means no benchmarking against other franchisees or system averages
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
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 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 400,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Right of first refusalℹ | No |
| RoFR response window | 90 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 60 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Virginia |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | VA |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 0 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 40 hrs
- Training location
- Roanoke, Virginia headquarters
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 1 mo
- From signing to launch
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
5 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Kinderdance · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Kinderdance franchise?
The total investment to open a Kinderdance franchise ranges from $25K – $27K, with an initial franchise fee of $20K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Kinderdance franchise owners earn?
Kinderdance 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 Kinderdance 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 Kinderdance FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Kinderdance's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Kinderdance (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 Kinderdance franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Kinderdance has 227 total units in the United States, including 223 franchised units and 4 company-owned units. 5 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Kinderdance a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Kinderdance 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 Kinderdance, 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.