Optimize UFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Optimize U franchise requires a total initial investment of $313K – $529K, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 15.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: B. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $313K – $529K
- 60th pct Health & Fitn…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 59th pct Health & Fitn…
- Royalty
- 15.0%
- 69th pct Health & Fitn…
- Units
- 29
- 62nd pct Health & Fitn…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Health & Fitness · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Health & Fitness 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
Franchised units fell from 12 to 4 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $313K – $529K including a $50K franchise fee, 15.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict B (Above Average) with a risk score of 57/100.
- System growing at 200.0% CAGR over 3 years with 29 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- OPTIMIZE U HOLDING LLC
- CEO title
- Member/CEO
- Joshua Hudson
- CEO experience
- 9 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- KY
- HQ
- 4625 Falconcrest Dr., Paducah, KY 42001
- Auditor
- ATA, PC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $265K
- vs $358K prior year
Overview
About
Optimize U appears to be an education/training services franchise, likely operating physical locations or hybrid delivery model. Franchisees manage student enrollment, curriculum delivery, instructor scheduling, and client retention while paying 15% royalties on gross profit to the franchisor.
- CEO
- Joshua Hudson
- Headquarters
- KY
- Founded
- 2020
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 11
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 13 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $50K | $50K | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $5K | $100K | |
| Equipment, Furniture & Fixtures | $140K | $200K | |
| Construction Site Manager | $1K | $5K | |
| Working Capital | $75K | $95K | |
| Travel Lodging and Meals for Initial Training | $1K | $4K | |
| Grand Opening | $2K | $4K | |
| Insurance Deposits and Premiums for First Year | $15K | $20K | |
| Initial Inventory | $500 | $1K | |
| Business Supplies | $500 | $5K | |
| Business Licenses and Permits for First Year | $300 | $1K | |
| Misc. Business Start-up Expenses | $20K | $40K | |
| Signage | $2K | $4K | |
| Total initial investment | $313K | $529K |
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
- $313K – $529K
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $75K – $95K
- Below avg, review vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- 15.0%
- Gross Profit · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 15.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 15.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $500 |
| Training fee | $300 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Total fee load | 15.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Health & Fitness averages
How Optimize U Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 29
- Opened
- 8
- 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
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 17
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 41%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 13.8%
- Net growth (yr3)
- +200.0%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +200.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Projected new
- 8
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Ceased ops
- 3.4%
- 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.
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.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Optimize U presents high caution risk due to missing financial disclosures, Going Concern status, aggressive growth trajectory, and opaque profit-based royalty structure masking true franchisee economics.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · ATA, PC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 57 / 100 rating
- 01MINORNo Item 19 disclosure (average revenue/net income) — impossible to validate ROI claims on $312.5K-$529K investment
- 02HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — indicates potential financial instability at franchisor level despite unit growth claims
- 03MINOR15% royalty on Gross Profit (not revenue) is unusually high and creates ambiguity around profit calculation methodology
- 04MINORExplosive 200% YoY unit growth (from ~10 to 29 units) is atypical and raises sustainability/quality concerns
- 05MINORFranchise fee ($50K) is low relative to total investment range, suggesting high ongoing costs or hidden fees
- 06HIGHNo litigation disclosed, but Going Concern flag suggests undisclosed franchisor financial distress
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 | 20 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 20 years |
| Territory type | Assigned Area |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Territory radius | 1 mi |
| 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 |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Kentucky |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 72 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 16 hrs
- Ongoing training
- Required
- POS system
- electronic cash register
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: electronic cash register
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
23 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Optimize U · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Optimize U franchise?
The total investment to open a Optimize U franchise ranges from $313K – $529K, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Optimize U franchise owners earn?
Optimize U 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 Optimize U's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Optimize U (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 Optimize U franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Optimize U has 29 total units in the United States, including 12 franchised units and 17 company-owned units. 8 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Optimize U a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Optimize U as a B-grade franchise with a risk score of 57 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.