Monkey Joe’s Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
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]. The 2022 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). 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 →
Data last verified · figures per the 2022 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $681K – $1.2M
- 38th pct Recreation & …
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 1st pct Recreation & …
- Units
- 14
- 28th 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 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 $681K – $1.2M including a $40K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSNo Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- RISKVerdict F (Weakest tier), verdict score 1/100 (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).
- FLAGBankruptcy history disclosed in the FDD. Review Item 4 for details before proceeding.
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
- 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 28% below the typical recreation & entertainment franchise.
Source: FDD 2022 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown14 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee / Development Feenot refundable | $40K | $40K | |
| Rentnot refundable | $40K | $50K | |
| Security Depositnot refundable | $6K | $15K | |
| Real Estate and Improvementsnot refundable | $300K | $600K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses while Trainingnot refundable | $5K | $10K | |
| Furnishings, Fixtures, Equipment and Decoratingnot refundable | $185K | $450K | |
| Signagenot refundable | $10K | $15K | |
| Opening Inventorynot refundable | $5K | $14K | |
| Technology Systemsnot refundable | $20K | $30K | |
| Grand Openingnot refundable | $15K | $18K | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $25K | $40K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $10K | $24K | |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costsnot refundable | $5K | $10K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 monthsnot refundable | $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%
- percentage · 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 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 Monkey Joe’s unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
12%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
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
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
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% — below the Recreation & Entertainment average of 8.8%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
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 averages
How Monkey Joe’s Compares
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
- 0
- Terminated
- 3
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 64.3%
- 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
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 3
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 9
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- 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.
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%
- 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.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Monkey Joe’s's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 5 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 10 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 10-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
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)
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)
Disclosed in last 7 years
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 1 / 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 |
| 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
FDD download
Monkey Joe’s · FDD (2022) PDF
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 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 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 1 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?
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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.