Lifestyle PublicationsFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Formerly known as City Lifestyle
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Lifestyle Publications franchise requires a total initial investment of $38K – $46K, including a $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $930K[2]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $38K – $46K
- 1st pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- $930K
- 8th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 42nd pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 210
- 45th pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Full-Service Restaurants 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
Each dollar invested generates 22.2x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $38K – $46K including a $30K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $930K/year.
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 34/100.
- 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
- Lifestyle Publications, LLC
- Parent company
- Lifestyle Media Holdings, LLC
- Predecessor
- and one of our affiliates is Lifestyle Media Solutions
- Prior franchisor entity
- Incorporated in
- MO
- HQ
- 514 W 26th St, Kansas City, MO 64108
- Auditor
- Emerick & Company, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $60.1M
- vs $71.0M prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2025
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
- Independent Franchisee Association
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Overview
About
Franchisees operate local lifestyle publications (print and/or digital), generating revenue primarily through advertising sales to local businesses. Day-to-day activities include selling ad space, managing content/editorial calendars, managing relationships with local advertisers and subscribers, and overseeing publication distribution. The franchisor provides brand, templates, and operational support in exchange for 7% of advertising revenue and a $30,000 upfront fee.
- CEO
- Steven Schowengerdt
- Headquarters
- MO
- Founded
- 2019
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 39
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $30K | $30K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $3K | $4K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $5K | $13K |
| Total initial investment | $38K | $46K |
Source: Lifestyle Publications 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$74K
8.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
165%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
7 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $38K – $46K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $3K – $4K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $30K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- Advertising Value · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $30K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $930K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- N/A
- Item 19 type
- Historical Data
- Sample size
- 132 units
- vs category median 13 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $195K→$1.7M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $239K→$575K
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Transparency
- 0 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · below
Compared against 1264 Full-Service Restaurants brands
Revenue is 22.2x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
vs Full-Service Restaurants averages
How Lifestyle Publications Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 210
- Opened
- 50
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 16
- Turnover rate
- 7.6%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 99%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +14.9%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +38.7%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 27
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 8
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 13
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 1
- Franchisor bought back
- Termination rate
- 50.0%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 26 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.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Lifestyle Publications presents meaningful compliance and transparency risks, with regulatory consent orders, undisclosed financials, employment classification exposure, and franchisor financial concerns offsetting moderate growth metrics.
Litigation (Item 3)
3 case reference(s): 0 pending, 3 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $659,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Emerick & Company, P.C.⚠ 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: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 34 / 100 rating
- 01MINORFour consent orders from state securities divisions across multiple states indicate systemic franchise disclosure and registration compliance failures
- 02MINOR2020 class-action settlement regarding misclassification of publishers as independent contractors suggests potential employment law exposure and operational model vulnerability
- 03MEDFinancial performance metrics (average revenue and net income) not disclosed in FDD Item 19, making ROI assessment impossible and indicating potential weak unit economics
- 04MINORUnit growth of 14.9% YoY is modest for a franchise system and may mask higher churn rates not reflected in net unit count
- 05MINORRevenue model tied to 'Advertising Value' (7% royalty) is opaque—unclear how advertising value is calculated, audited, or enforced
- 06HIGHGoing concern status suggests potential financial instability at franchisor level, raising questions about support, training, and long-term viability
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 | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Territory type | Zip codes |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | No |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Missouri |
| Litigation count | 5 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
3 case reference(s): 0 pending, 3 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 36 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 2 hrs
- Training location
- On-site at franchisee's restaurant and at franchisor's facility
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
100 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Lifestyle Publications · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Lifestyle Publications franchise?
The total investment to open a Lifestyle Publications franchise ranges from $38K – $46K, 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 Lifestyle Publications franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Lifestyle Publications FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $930K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Lifestyle Publications's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Lifestyle Publications (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 Lifestyle Publications franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Lifestyle Publications has 210 total units in the United States, including 150 franchised units and 2 company-owned units. 50 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Lifestyle Publications a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Lifestyle Publications as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 34 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.
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.