My Eyelab Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $300K – $601K
- Disclosed sales
- $1.1M
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 14.3%
- on 31 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
My Eyelab is an eyecare-retail franchise offering affordable eye exams, often via telehealth, plus eyewear and contacts. Franchisees run stores managing eyewear sales, exam logistics, and walk-in traffic.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A My Eyelab franchise requires a total initial investment of $300K – $601K, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 4.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2022 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.1M[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 14.3% charge-off rate across 31 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: high - issued more than two years ago
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 scored8 of 8 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $300K – $601K
- 35th pct Retail
- Avg gross sales
- $1.1M
- 14th pct Retail
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- 3rd pct Retail
- Units
- 142
- 32nd pct Retail
- SBA charge-off
- 14.3%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Retail 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 $300K – $601K including a $35K franchise fee, 4.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $1.1M/year (median $950K).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 74/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 14.3% across 31 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHPositive: net +26 franchised outlets in the latest year (29 opened, 3 closed); 29 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 155.2% CAGR over 3 years with 142 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- M&D Optical Franchise, LLC
- Parent company
- Now Optics Holdings, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2022 FDD
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Daniel Stanton
- Incorporated in
- FL
- HQ
- 3801 South Congress Avenue, Palm Springs, FL 33461
- Auditor
- Smith, Buzzi & Associates, LLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $22.8M
- vs $13.0M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Daniel Stanton
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 2015
- FDD year
- 2022
- States available
- 7
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 34% above the typical retail franchise.
Source: FDD 2022 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $35K | $35K | |
| Travel and Living Expenses for Initial Trainingnot refundable | $0 | $2K | |
| Store Launch Advertising and Marketingnot refundable | $5K | $5K | |
| Signage, Fixtures, Furniture, Exam Equipmentnot refundable | $116K | $164K | |
| Point of Sale (POS), Computer System, Camera, Music Systems & Wiringnot refundable | $35K | $38K | |
| Office/Janitorial Suppliesnot refundable | $500 | $500 | |
| Construction, project management, space planning, working drawingsnot refundable | $50K | $230K | |
| Inventory to Begin Operatingnot refundable | $7K | $11K | |
| Warehouse and Distributionnot refundable | $19K | $40K | |
| Business Licenses and Permitsnot refundable | $350 | $2K | |
| Lease Paymentsnot refundable | $0 | $19K | |
| Security Deposits and Utility Paymentsnot refundable | $0 | $5K | |
| Professional servicesnot refundable | $2K | $5K | |
| Insurance (first 3 months)not refundable | $300 | $1K | |
| Additional Funds (Three Months Operating Cash)not refundable | $30K | $45K | |
| Total initial investment | $300K | $601K |
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
- $300K – $601K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $45K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $35K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 8.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 12.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 4.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $4K |
| Transfer fee | $28K |
| Renewal fee | $3K |
| Inventory (initial) | $7K – $11K |
| Total fee load | 12.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 31% above the retail norm.
Source: FDD 2022 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for My Eyelab until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for 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.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$488K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one My Eyelab 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 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.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for 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.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
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
- Avg gross sales
- $1.1M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $950K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- Gross Sales by quartile (all stores, corporate stores, franchise stores)
- Sample size
- 46 outlets
- vs category median 46
- Range (low → high)
- $426K→$2.8MCited, not corroborated — printed on page 45 of the 2022 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $605K→$1.8M
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Reporting year
- 2021
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2022
- Disclosed in the 2022 filing, covering 2021
- Transparency
- 7 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · above
Compared against 278 Retail brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $1.1M/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 2.3x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 12.0% — above the Retail median of 8.0%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 7/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System expanding at 155.2% CAGR over 3 years across 142 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Multi-unit rate
Only 6% of franchisees own multiple units. Could indicate challenging economics or a young system where operators haven't had time to expand.
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 Retail medians
How My Eyelab Compares
Category median of published Retail 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
- 142
- Opened
- 29
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 3
- Terminated
- 1
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 2.1%
- Company-owned
- 68
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 52%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 6.2%
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +155.2%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +155.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 1
- Not renewed
- 0
- Signed, not yet open
- 29
- 0.20 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 47
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Termination rate
- 0.7%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 1.4%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 7 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.
7
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 31
- Loan volume
- $13.7M
- Median loan
- $467K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 14.3%
- on 31 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)
- 85.7%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 20.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 19
- Defaults
- 2
- Typical loan rate
- 6.9%
- avg rate to borrowers
- vs industry
- N/A
- NAICS 4461
- Jobs supported
- 271
- 2.3 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 26%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 0% went to startups / new businesses, 100% to established operators
Vintage analysis
My Eyelab charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing My Eyelab 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.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 14.3% — 11% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower 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
My Eyelab presents CAUTION-level risk due to undisclosed profitability metrics, aggressive expansion masking potential franchisee churn, prior litigation settlement, and opaque cost structures that prevent accurate ROI assessment.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Investment Strategy Group, Inc. v. M&D Optical Franchise, LLC - AAA Arbitration (filed July 8, 2020). Former franchisee alleged fraud, misrepresentation, breach of franchise agreement, wrongful termination, and FDUTPA violations. Settled April 5, 2021 for $200,000 paid by franchisor; mutual releases with no admission of liability.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Smith, Buzzi & Associates, LLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- 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 74 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDNo Item 19 (Average Net Income) disclosed — impossible to validate ROI claims or unit economics
- 02MINOR54.2% YoY unit growth is unsustainably aggressive and suggests potential recruitment over retention focus
- 03HIGHLitigation history: $200,000 settlement for fraud/breach of contract allegations raises franchisor credibility concerns
- 04MINOR4% royalty on gross sales (not net) creates cash flow pressure during slow periods
- 05MINORWide investment range ($299,858–$601,197) suggests high variability in startup costs and unclear cost structure
- 06MINOR$34,900 franchise fee is moderate but paired with high total investment signals significant working capital needs
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 12.0% 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 | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Exclusive territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory radius | 2 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 10 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 14 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 9 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Florida |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | FL |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Investment Strategy Group, Inc. v. M&D Optical Franchise, LLC - AAA Arbitration (filed July 8, 2020). Former franchisee alleged fraud, misrepresentation, breach of franchise agreement, wrongful termination, and FDUTPA violations. Settled April 5, 2021 for $200,000 paid by franchisor; mutual releases with no admission of liability.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 20 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 81 hrs
- Training location
- Dallas, TX; Orange Park, FL; or Hialeah, FL (training-certified stores)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 8 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisor must approve; franchisee proposes site
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Zeus software platform
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Zeus software platform
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 My Eyelab franchise?
The total investment to open a My Eyelab franchise ranges from $300K – $601K, with an initial franchise fee of $35K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do My Eyelab franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the My Eyelab FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.1M. The median is $950K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns My Eyelab?
My Eyelab is franchised by M&D Optical Franchise, LLC. Its parent company is Now Optics Holdings, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2022 filing.
What is Item 19 in the My Eyelab 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 My Eyelab FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is My Eyelab's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, My Eyelab has a charge-off rate of 14.3% across 31 loans, meaning 14.3% 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 My Eyelab franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, My Eyelab has 142 total units in the United States, including 74 franchised units and 68 company-owned units. 29 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is My Eyelab a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates My Eyelab as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 74 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.