KinderdanceFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Kinderdance franchise requires a total initial investment of $30K – $49K, including a $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $30K – $49K
- 2nd pct Health & Fitn…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 59th pct Health & Fitn…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 8th pct Health & Fitn…
- Units
- 227
- 92nd pct Health & Fitn…
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Health & Fitness · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Health & Fitness 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
Franchising since 1985. Systems this mature have refined operations and brand recognition.
Franchised units fell from 225 to 223 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $30K – $49K 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 A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 47/100.
- 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
- Kinderdance International, Inc.
- Incorporated in
- AZ
- HQ
- 5115 Bernard Drive Suite 205, Roanoke, VA 24018
- Auditor
- Boitnott & Schaben, LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $385K
- vs $466K prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2025
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Overview
About
Kinderdance franchisees operate children's dance and creative movement classes, typically for ages 18 months to 8 years, in studio or community spaces. Day-to-day operations include teaching group classes, managing instructor scheduling, marketing to parents, handling enrollments, and maintaining studio facilities. Revenue is generated primarily through tuition from class memberships and seasonal recital fees.
- CEO
- Richard Maltese
- Headquarters
- VA
- Founded
- 1982
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 24
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $30K | $30K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $2K | $4K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $0 | $15K |
| Total initial investment | $30K | $49K |
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
- $30K – $49K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $2K – $4K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $20K – $40K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage_of_gross · 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 | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $8K |
| Renewal fee | $4K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Health & Fitness averages
How Kinderdance Compares
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
- 5
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 2.2%
- Company-owned
- 4
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 98%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +0.0%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -0.9%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- 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
- 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
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 1
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Kinderdance's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 1 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 1 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 1-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
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)
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $40,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Boitnott & Schaben, LLC⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 47 / 100 rating
- 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
- 04MINORWide investment range ($24,550–$49,000) suggests inconsistent startup costs or hidden variable expenses not explained
- 05MINORFranchise fee ($30,000) represents 54–122% of minimum investment, indicating aggressive fee structure relative to startup capital
- 06MINORNo Item 19 financial performance data means no benchmarking against other franchisees or system averages
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 | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Territory type | Population-based area with exclusivity for Gold level |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Territory sizeℹ | 100,000 population |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Right of first refusalℹ | No |
| RoFR response window | 90 days |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Virginia |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 0 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 40 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and at franchisor location
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
6 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 $30K – $49K, 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 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 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 225 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 A-grade franchise with a risk score of 47 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.