Bottom line
- Total investment $195K – $420K including a $30K franchise fee.
- Average unit revenue of $911K/year (median $831K). Estimated payback in 7.3 years.
- Rated STRONG with a risk score of 50/100. SBA loan default rate of 0.0% across 46 loans (below the industry average).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Yale framework · single-unit ROIC
Returns Analysis
Pulls Item 7 (investment) and Item 19 (revenue) from this brand's FDD into the Yale unlevered-ROIC formula. Override any input to stress-test it against your own assumptions.
The model · Yale framework
What would one RELAX THE BACK unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
18%
Below typical band (30–60%)
Overview
About
Relax the Back operates retail showrooms selling ergonomic furniture, mattresses, and wellness products (adjustable beds, massage chairs, lumbar support items). Franchisees manage in-store sales, customer consultations, inventory, and local marketing. The business model relies on foot traffic, repeat customers, and consultative selling in a competitive home furnishings market.
Item 7 · what it costs
The Vitals
Item 19
Financial Performance
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 4 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 phone area codes (Item 20). Approximate — ported numbers may show the original state, not the franchisee's current location.
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Declining unit growth, thin profit margins, and lack of financial transparency indicate a mature/contracting system where success depends heavily on individual execution and location quality.
Score breakdown · what drove the 50 / 100 rating
- 01MINORUnit count declining 2.5% YoY suggests weakening system momentum and potential saturation
- 02MINORNet income of $41,934 on $911,108 revenue (4.6% net margin) is thin, leaving minimal buffer for underperformance
- 03MINORHigh royalty floor of $1,875/month ($22,500 annually) creates breakeven pressure for lower-volume locations
- 04MINORNo Item 19 financial performance representation limits ability to validate average unit economics
- 05MINORFranchise fee of $29,500 represents 15% of total investment but provides no guarantee of revenue achievement
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
Item 11
Training & Operations
Item 20
Franchisee Contacts
Phone numbers extracted directly from this brand's FDD Item 20. After purchase, you'll also receive a list of validation questions tailored to this brand.
Franchisee contacts
86 numbers
One-time purchase · CSV download · Validation questions included
FDD download
RELAX THE BACK · FDD (2024) PDF