Seashore Academy Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $98K – $275K
- Disclosed sales
- $3.4M
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- Not SBA-matched
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Seashore Academy is a private education franchise offering flexible, screen-free boutique schooling on custom schedules. Franchisees run the schools, managing teachers, curriculum, and enrollment.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Seashore Academy franchise requires a total initial investment of $98K – $275K, including a $55K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2022 FDD, average unit revenue was $3.4M[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: D (Below average), 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 scored7 of 7 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $98K – $275K
- 31st pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- $3.4M
- Company-owned only1 outlet
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 44th pct Education
- Units
- 3
- 12th pct Education
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Education · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Education 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 $98K – $275K including a $55K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $3.4M/year (company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance). Note: this is gross profit, not take-home income.
- RISKVerdict D (Below average), verdict score 34/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHFlat: no net change in franchised outlets in the latest year (0 opened, 0 closed) (Item 20).
- FLAGRevenue data based on only 1 outlet. 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
- Freedom Learning, LLC
- CEO title
- Founder & Chief Executive Officer
- Marlene Dandler
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- WY
- HQ
- 1300 Bristol Street N, Suite 100, Newport Beach, California 92660
- Auditor
- JPizars - CPA & Business Consultants LLC
- Unaudited
Overview
About
- CEO
- Marlene Dandler
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2021
- FDD year
- 2022
- States available
- 1
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost is about typical for a education franchise (near the category median).
Source: FDD 2022 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown16 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $55K | $55K | |
| Initial Training Feenot refundable | $2K | $2K | |
| Training Expenses | $3K | $6K | |
| Lease Deposit & 3 Months' Rent | $10K | $60K | |
| Renovations | $0 | $10K | |
| Signage | $250 | $2K | |
| Computer System | $2K | $8K | |
| Classroom Supplies Package | $5K | $20K | |
| Miscellaneous Supplies | $1K | $5K | |
| Furniture & Furnishings | $3K | $10K | |
| Preopening Advertising | $1K | $3K | |
| Utility Deposits | $0 | $200 | |
| Licenses & Permits | $50 | $350 | |
| Professional Fees | $2K | $3K | |
| Insurance (3 months' premium) | $375 | $1K | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $15K | $90K | |
| Total initial investment | $98K | $275K |
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
- $98K – $275K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $90K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $55K – $55K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 11.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% |
| Technology fee | $22 |
| Training fee | $2K |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 11.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 729% above the education norm.
Company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance
Based on a single outlet - not a system average
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 Seashore Academy 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
$239K
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 Seashore Academy 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
Company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance
Based on a single outlet - not a system average
- Avg gross sales
- $3.4M
- Per unit, per year
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- affiliate outlet
- Sample size
- 1 outlet
- vs category median 16 · small
- Reported figure
- $3.4MCited, not corroborated — printed on page 38 of the 2022 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- A single outlet — not a range
- 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 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 204 Education brands
Revenue is 18.1x 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 $3.4M/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 18.1x. Company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 11.0% — above the Education median of 9.0%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 7/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence. Sample size of 1 outlet — treat as directional only.
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 medians
How Seashore Academy Compares
Category median of published Education 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
- 3
- Opened
- 0
- 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
- N/A
- Company-owned
- 3
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 0%
- vs corporate-owned
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 0
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 1 state 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.
1
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
1 current owner across 1 state.
- CA 1
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
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
Seashore Academy presents elevated risk due to minimal franchise network (3 units), undisclosed going concern issues, lack of financial performance transparency, and royalty burden that consumes majority of reported profits.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
Item 3 states no litigation is required to be disclosed.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
No audited financials on file
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: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 34 / 100 verdict
- 01MINOROnly 3 franchised units with unknown growth trajectory indicates minimal system traction and unproven scalability
- 02MINORHigh investment range ($98K–$275K) with wide variance suggests unclear cost structure or inconsistent unit economics
- 03MINOR8% royalty on $3.38M revenue = $270K annual fee exposure, representing 62% of reported average net income
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 11.0% 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 | Exclusive territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory population | 20,000 |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Orange County, California |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | CA |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Item 3 states no litigation is required to be disclosed.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 60 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 21 hrs
- Training location
- Newport Beach, California and/or Online
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 21 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- POS system
- QuickBooks Online and Seashore Student Management Platform
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: QuickBooks Online and Seashore Student Management Platform
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
1 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 Seashore Academy franchise?
The total investment to open a Seashore Academy franchise ranges from $98K – $275K, with an initial franchise fee of $55K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Seashore Academy franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Seashore Academy FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $3.4M. Important context: Company-owned outlets only - not franchisee performance; Based on a single outlet - not a system average. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns Seashore Academy?
Seashore Academy is franchised by Freedom Learning, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2022 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Seashore Academy 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 Seashore Academy FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Seashore Academy's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Seashore Academy (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 Seashore Academy franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Seashore Academy has 3 total units in the United States.
Is Seashore Academy a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Seashore Academy as a D-grade franchise with a verdict score of 34 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.