Monkey Joe’s Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $681K – $1.2M
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- 27.8%
- on 27 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Monkey Joe's is a family entertainment franchise operating indoor play centers with inflatables, slides, and party rooms for kids. Franchisees run the venues, managing open play, parties, staffing, and safety.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Monkey Joe’s franchise requires a total initial investment of $681K – $1.2M, including a $40K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. SBA 7(a) loans show a 27.8% charge-off rate across 27 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: F (Weakest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: 2022 filing · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: high - figures are from a filing two or more years old
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 scored5 of 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $681K – $1.2M
- 38th pct Recreation & …
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 2nd pct Recreation & …
- Units
- 14
- 29th pct Recreation & …
- SBA charge-off
- 27.8%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Recreation & Entertainment · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Recreation & Entertainment 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 $681K – $1.2M including a $40K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
- RISKVerdict F (Weakest tier), verdict score 6/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 27.8% across 27 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHNegative: net -3 franchised outlets in the latest year (0 opened, 3 closed) (Item 20).
- FLAGItem 4 discloses a bankruptcy of an officer or of a company an officer ran, not of the franchisor. Review Item 4 for details.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Monkey Joe's Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- Big Game Brands, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 7 of the 2022 FDD
- CEO title
- President
- Daryl Dollinger
- Incorporated in
- GA
- HQ
- 6090 Roswell Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30328
- Auditor
- Burns Herring, LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $810K
- vs $411K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Daryl Dollinger
- Headquarters
- GA
- Founded
- 2005
- FDD year
- 2022
- States available
- 5
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 72% above the typical recreation & entertainment franchise.
Source: FDD 2022 · Items 5–7
The filing's Item 7 TOTAL row prints $681,000 to $1,240,500. Its own line items add to $681,000 to $1,345,500. The total is shown as the franchisor printed it; the lines are listed as printed. Filing arithmetic: lows add to the printed $681,000 exactly; highs add to $1,345,500 while the table prints Total Estimated Initial Investment $681,000 to $1,240,500 (the cover repeats $1,240,500).
Full Item 7 breakdown14 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee is paid upfront as the Development Fee (See Note 1) | $40K | $40K | |
| Rent (See Note 2) | $40K | $50K | |
| Security Deposit (See Note 3) | $6K | $15K | |
| Real Estate and Improvements (See Note 4) | $300K | $600K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses while Training (See Note 5) | $5K | $10K | |
| Furnishings, Fixtures, Equipment and Decorating (See Note 6) | $185K | $450K | |
| Signage (See Note 7) | $10K | $15K | |
| Opening Inventory | $5K | $14K | |
| Technology Systems (See Note 8) | $20K | $30K | |
| Grand Opening (See Note 9) | $15K | $18K | |
| Professional Fees | $25K | $40K | |
| Insurance (See Note 10) | $10K | $24K | |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs (See Note 11) | $5K | $10K | |
| Additional Funds – 3 months (See Note 12) | $15K | $30K | |
| Total initial investment | $681K | $1.3M |
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
- $681K – $1.2M
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $40K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $290 |
| Transfer fee | $20K |
| Renewal fee | $40K |
| Inventory (initial) | $5K – $14K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Monkey Joe’s makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. 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 Monkey Joe’s 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: 2022 FDD
Financial Performance
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
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 7.0% (near the Recreation & Entertainment median).
Disclosure
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator retention
System contracting at -57.6% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
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 Recreation & Entertainment medians
How Monkey Joe’s Compares
Category median of published Recreation & Entertainment 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 2022 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 14
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 3
- Terminated
- 3
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 21.4%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -57.6%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -57.6%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 3
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 0
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- 0.00 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Termination rate
- 21.4%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 21.4%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 9 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.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
9 current owners across 9 states.
- AR 1
- GA 1
- IL 1
- MA 1
- MD 1
- MO 1
- NJ 1
- SC 1
- VA 1
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20; 2 entries carry no state. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 27
- Loan volume
- $8.0M
- Median loan
- $298K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- 27.8%
- on 27 loans · 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)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 19
- Defaults
- 5
- Typical loan rate
- 6.2%
- avg rate to borrowers
- vs industry
- N/A
- Jobs supported
- 503
- Lender concentration
- N/A
Borrower mix: 0% went to startups / new businesses, 100% to established operators
Top lenders financing Monkey Joe’s franchisees
Showing 3 of 19 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.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Monkey Joe’s from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Avg interest rate
- 6.21%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $131K
- Jobs supported
- 503
Top SBA lenders
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Synovus Bank | 3 | N/A | N/A |
| 2 | Citizens State Bank of New Castle | 2 | N/A | N/A |
| 3 | Truist Bank | 2 | N/A | N/A |
| 4 | Fulton Bank, National Association | 2 | N/A | N/A |
| 5 | Popular Bank | 2 | N/A | N/A |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAGeorgia | 7 | 0 | -- |
| FLFlorida | 2 | 0 | -- |
| IAIowa | 2 | 0 | -- |
| INIndiana | 2 | 0 | -- |
| MAMassachusetts | 2 | 0 | -- |
| NCNorth Carolina | 2 | 0 | -- |
| NHNew Hampshire | 2 | 0 | -- |
| PAPennsylvania | 2 | 0 | -- |
| ALAlabama | 1 | 0 | -- |
| NYNew York | 1 | 0 | -- |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
A 27.8% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 4 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 27.8% — 74% above the 16.0% national norm, i.e. higher 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
Monkey Joe's presents elevated risk due to significant unit decline, lack of financial disclosure, prior litigation involving fraudulent transfer allegations, and high capital requirement relative to system size and profitability opacity.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Two adversary proceedings filed in 2012 by Chapter 7 Trustees related to affiliate bankruptcies (S&Q Shack and Raving Brands). Both settled in 2017.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Subject: an officer. An officer’s own bankruptcy or a company an officer ran, not the franchisor’s
Affiliate S&Q Shack and affiliate Raving Brands Inc. placed into involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2010; bankruptcies terminated after 2017 settlement.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Burns Herring, LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- 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 6 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORSystem declining 17.6% YoY (14 units) indicates loss of franchisee confidence and market contraction
- 02MEDNo Item 19 financial disclosure (avg revenue/net income not disclosed) prevents ROI verification and raises transparency concerns
- 03HIGH2012 bankruptcy adversary proceedings involving franchisor with allegations of fraudulent transfers, though resolved in 2017, suggest prior financial/governance instability
- 04MEDHigh total investment ($681k-$1.24M) combined with undisclosed profitability creates significant downside risk without upside visibility
- 05MINORSmall unit count (14) limits system support infrastructure and indicates weak brand momentum/market demand
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 2022 · 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 | 5 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 1 year |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 3 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Atlanta, Georgia (AAA office closest to principal executive office) |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | GA |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Two adversary proceedings filed in 2012 by Chapter 7 Trustees related to affiliate bankruptcies (S&Q Shack and Raving Brands). Both settled in 2017.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 28 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 32 hrs
- Training location
- Metro Atlanta, Georgia (Newnan, Georgia or designated training facility)
- Time to open
- 11 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee selects; franchisor approves
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Aluvii
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Aluvii
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
11 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 Monkey Joe’s franchise?
The total investment to open a Monkey Joe’s franchise ranges from $681K – $1.2M, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Monkey Joe’s franchise owners earn?
Monkey Joe’s makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns Monkey Joe’s?
Monkey Joe’s is franchised by Monkey Joe's Franchising, LLC. Its parent company is Big Game Brands, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2022 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Monkey Joe’s 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 Monkey Joe’s FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Monkey Joe’s's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Monkey Joe’s has a charge-off rate of 27.8% across 27 loans, meaning 27.8% 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 Monkey Joe’s franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Monkey Joe’s has 14 total units in the United States, including 14 franchised units and 0 company-owned units.
Is Monkey Joe’s a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Monkey Joe’s as a F-grade franchise with a verdict score of 6 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.