Nutty Scientists Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Nutty Scientists is a children's STEM education franchise delivering hands-on science programs, workshops, and camps. Franchisees run local programs, managing instructors, scheduling, and school partnerships.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A NUTTY SCIENTISTS franchise requires a total initial investment of $46K – $54K, including a $35K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2024 FDD, average unit revenue was $267K[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2024 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $46K – $54K
- 9th pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- $267K
- Incl. company outletsn=18th pct Education
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 37th pct Education
- Units
- 6
- 22nd pct Education
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Education · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Education 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 $46K – $54K including a $35K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $267K/year (includes company-owned outlets).
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 49/100 (higher is better).
- FLAGRevenue data based on only 1 reporting unit. Treat as directional, not definitive. Ask franchisees directly for current unit economics.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Interactive Children Education and Entertainment Corp.
- Parent company
- None
- Ultimate parent
- Fun Science
- Predecessor
- Nutty Scientists USA Inc.
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Santiago Martin
- CEO experience
- 28 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Incorporated in
- FL
- HQ
- 10773 NW 58th St. #132, Doral FL, 33178
- Auditor
- Albert Corrada, CPA
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $132K
- vs $32K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Santiago Martin
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 2007
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 6
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 93% below the typical education franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown12 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $35K | $35K | |
| Initial Equipment & Supply Package & Trainingnot refundable | $10K | $10K | |
| Rent | $0 | $300 | |
| Office Furniture and Equipment | $0 | $1K | |
| Computer System | $0 | $2K | |
| Insurance, Permits, Deposits, etc. | $500 | $1K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 months | $0 | $5K | |
| Real Estate rent/lease deposits | $350 | $2K | |
| Architectural fees | $4K | $6K | |
| Leasehold improvements | $0 | $50K | |
| Furniture, fixtures, signs, POS | $5K | $45K | |
| Additional Materials and Supplies for Lab | $0 | $4K | |
| Total initial investment | $55K | $160K |
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
- $46K – $54K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $0 – $5K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $35K – $35K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 10.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Training fee | $1K |
| Transfer fee | $14K |
| Renewal fee | $9K |
| Total fee load | 10.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 67% below the education norm.
Includes company-owned outlets
Based on a single reporting unit - not a system average
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 19
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
$35K
13.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
67%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
18 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
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. The target band for an attractive franchise is 30–60% ROIC. Below that and a passive index fund likely outperforms; above that and the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses. It's the top line only. Operating costs below are category estimates. Override them to match your real lease quote, labor market, and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one NUTTY SCIENTISTS unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
67%
Above the 30–60% band. Verify revenue is per-unit average
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%.
Levered LBO scenario · Yale Crease Capital framing
What would 25 NUTTY SCIENTISTS units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
49.9%
7.57× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
1.88×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$320K
on $1.6M purchase
Total debt
$1.3M
SBA $0.8M + senior + seller note
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: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
Includes company-owned outlets
Based on a single reporting unit - not a system average
- Avg gross sales
- $267K
- Per unit/yr · from the Item 19 franchised-cohort breakdown (no single system-wide average disclosed)
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 revenue
- Sample size
- 1
- vs category median 17 · small
- Reporting year
- 2023
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2024
- Disclosed in the 2024 filing, covering 2023
- Transparency
- 5 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 204 Education brands
Revenue is 5.4x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
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 $267K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 5.4x. Includes company-owned outlets.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 10.0% (near the Education average).
Disclosure
Transparency score 5/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence. Sample size of 1 unit — treat as directional only.
Operator retention
Net unit growth of +400.0% 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 Education averages
How Nutty Scientists Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 6
- 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
- 40.0%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 83%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- Outlier (see FDD)
- Likely small-sample artifact
- 3-yr CAGR
- Outlier (see FDD)
- Likely small-sample artifact
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 4
- Closed (3yr)
- 2
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 12
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 6 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.
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 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
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
Early-stage system with unproven unit economics, corporate going concern issues, and aggressive growth without territorial protection creates substantial execution and financial stability risks.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Albert Corrada, CPA
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: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 49 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — indicates financial instability at corporate level
- 02MINORNo net income disclosure (Item 19) prevents realistic ROI assessment despite $267K avg revenue
- 03MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk; 400% YoY growth may saturate market quickly
- 04MEDOnly 6 units systemwide suggests early-stage concept with limited track record and survival data
- 05MINOR8% royalty on gross revenue (not net) means profitability erodes faster during downturns
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 10.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Doral, Florida |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | FL |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 20 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 32 hrs
- Training location
- Online (Phase 1); Franchisee's location (Phase 2)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 32 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- QuickBooks online
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: QuickBooks online
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
7 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
NUTTY SCIENTISTS · FDD (2024) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a NUTTY SCIENTISTS franchise?
The total investment to open a NUTTY SCIENTISTS franchise ranges from $46K – $54K, 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 NUTTY SCIENTISTS franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the NUTTY SCIENTISTS FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $267K. Important context: Includes company-owned outlets; Based on a single reporting unit - not a system average. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the NUTTY SCIENTISTS 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 NUTTY SCIENTISTS FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is NUTTY SCIENTISTS's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for NUTTY SCIENTISTS (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 NUTTY SCIENTISTS franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, NUTTY SCIENTISTS has 6 total units in the United States, including 5 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 4 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is NUTTY SCIENTISTS a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates NUTTY SCIENTISTS as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 49 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?
If you represent NUTTY SCIENTISTS, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
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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.