Legato Living Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $125K – $407K
- Disclosed sales
- partial, no system average
- SBA charge-off
- Under 10 loans (5)
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Legato Living is a senior care franchise operating residential memory-care homes for people with dementia and Alzheimer's. Franchisees run the care homes, managing caregiving staff, residents, and daily operations.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Legato Living franchise requires a total initial investment of $125K – $407K and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 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: low - issued within the last 12 months
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 scored3 of 4 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $125K – $407K
- 69th pct Senior Care
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Company-owned only
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 54th pct Senior Care
- Units
- 9
- 33rd pct Senior Care
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Senior Care · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Senior Care 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 $125K – $407K, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 19 discloses select outlet-level Gross Sales and select disclosed expenses (not full P&L) for 3 individual outlets for CY2025: Eastridge $775,619.77, Legacy $1,135,906.75, Heartland Hills $897,657.69. Also disclosed: "Direct Gross Profit Less Disclosed Expenses and Franchise Related Expenses" - a partial subtotal, not a full net income figure, excludes interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, and owner compensation.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 53/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +4 franchised outlets in the latest year (4 opened, 0 closed); 8 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- DATAItem 19 reports revenue alongside profit figures rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable. Ask franchisees directly for full unit-level revenue.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Legato Living Franchising, LLC
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Erin Render
- Incorporated in
- Nebraska
- HQ
- 11422 Miracle Hills Drive, Suite 315, Omaha, Nebraska 68154
- Auditor
- Metwally CPA PLLC
- Audited financials
Affiliated brands
- has not in the past and does not now offer franchises in any lines of business
- Render Group
- maintains a pr
- Legato Living IP
- owns the Licensed Marks
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Erin Render
- Headquarters
- Nebraska
- Founded
- 2021
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 1
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 95% above the typical senior care franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
This fee is for a master or area-representative grant rather than a single unit, so it is not comparable with the single-unit fees shown for other brands.
Full Item 7 breakdown15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $50K | $50K | |
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements | $0 | $75K | |
| Lease Deposits – Three Months | $0 | $45K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $5K | $65K | |
| Signage | $50 | $500 | |
| Computer, Software and Business Management System | $500 | $2K | |
| Marketing Launch Package Expense | $5K | $6K | |
| Initial Inventory | $500 | $4K | |
| Utility Deposits | $300 | $2K | |
| Insurance Deposits – Three Months | $750 | $4K | |
| Travel for Initial Training | $250 | $3K | |
| Professional Fees | $5K | $20K | |
| Licenses and Permits | $500 | $5K | |
| Administrator and Registered Nurse Payroll – Three Months | $0 | $30K | |
| Additional Funds – Three Months | $58K | $97K | |
| Total initial investment | $125K | $407K |
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
- $125K – $407K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $58K – $97K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Franchise fee
- N/A
- Master/area fee
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- Set by a formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Training fee | $300 |
| Transfer fee | $25K |
| Renewal fee | $13K |
| Inventory (initial) | $500 – $4K |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
No Item 19 revenue figure for Legato Living 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 Legato Living 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: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
Item 19 discloses select outlet-level Gross Sales and select disclosed expenses (not full P&L) for 3 individual outlets for CY2025: Eastridge $775,619.77, Legacy $1,135,906.75, Heartland Hills $897,657.69. Also disclosed: "Direct Gross Profit Less Disclosed Expenses and Franchise Related Expenses" - a partial subtotal, not a full net income figure, excludes interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, and owner compensation.
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 + 1.0% ad fund — higher than the category average of 5.0%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports revenue alongside profit figures rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
Operator retention
Net unit growth of +125.0% over 3 years (4 opened, 0 closed).
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 Senior Care medians
How Legato Living Compares
Category median of published Senior Care 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 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 9
- Opened
- 4
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- N/A
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +125.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +125.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 0
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 8
- 0.89 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 8
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 1 state 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.
1
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 5 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 5
- Loan volume
- $2.2M
- Median loan
- $125K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- Under 10 loans (5)
- Insufficient SBA coverage: 5 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 (5)
- 5-yr charge-off
- Under 10 loans (5)
- 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
Legato Living presents extreme risk: a 2-unit system with going concern warnings, undisclosed financials, no territory protection, and a predatory 50% royalty structure that signals a failing franchise model.
Why this reads harsher than the B grade: the grade weighs financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency across the whole filing, while this summary lists individual flags without that weighting. The flags are worth checking with current owners; neither is investment advice.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation disclosed under Item 3.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Metwally CPA PLLC
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 53 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHGoing Concern warning indicates franchisor financial distress or viability questions
- 02MINOROnly 2 units systemwide suggests failed or stalled franchise system with no growth trajectory
- 03MINORNo average revenue or net income disclosure prevents ROI validation and suggests poor unit performance
- 04MINOR50% royalty on net fees is extremely high and creates misaligned incentives between franchisor and franchisees
- 05MINORNo territory protection exposes franchisees to direct competition from other franchisees and franchisor
- 06MINORZero franchise fee with high initial investment suggests franchisor prioritizes capital extraction via ongoing royalties over sustainable partnerships
- 07MINORUnknown growth history with only 2 units indicates system may be contracting or failed to scale
- 08MINOR10-year term locks franchisees into relationship with financially unstable franchisor
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 7.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · 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 | 2 mi |
| Territory population | 100,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| 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 | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 6 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Douglas County, Nebraska (or nearest suitable location to franchisor headquarters) |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | NE |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation disclosed under Item 3.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 36 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 16 hrs
- Training location
- Omaha, Nebraska (or on-site at franchisee's Home)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 12 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee, subject to franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Synkwise and QuickBooks
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Synkwise and QuickBooks
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
1 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 Legato Living franchise?
The total investment to open a Legato Living franchise ranges from $125K – $407K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Legato Living franchise owners earn?
Item 19 of the Legato Living 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 Legato Living?
Legato Living is franchised by Legato Living Franchising, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Legato Living 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 Legato Living FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Legato Living's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Legato Living (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 Legato Living franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Legato Living has 9 total units in the United States, including 9 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 4 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Legato Living a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Legato Living as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 53 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.