Snapology Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $75K – $106K
- Disclosed sales
- $157K
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- Limited · 12 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Snapology is a kids' STEM education franchise teaching robotics, coding, and engineering through building-brick and hands-on programs. Franchisees run classes, camps, and parties at a center or via schools, hiring and scheduling instructors.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A SNAPOLOGY franchise requires a total initial investment of $75K – $106K, including a $40K – $48K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $157K[2]. 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: medium - issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file
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
- $75K – $106K
- 23rd pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- $157K
- 1st pct Education
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 21st pct Education
- Units
- 121
- 66th 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 $75K – $106K including a $40K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $157K/year (median $107K).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 73/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +18 franchised outlets in the latest year (32 opened, 14 closed) (Item 20).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 41.2% CAGR over 3 years with 121 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Snapology, LLC
- Parent company
- Unleashed Brands, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2025 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- UA Holdings, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2025 FDD
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer, Unleashed Brands / Unleashed Services
- Michael Browning, Jr.
- Incorporated in
- Pennsylvania
- HQ
- 2350 Airport Freeway, Suite 505, Bedford, Texas 76022
- Auditor
- Deloitte & Touche LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $194.7M
- vs $151.5M prior year
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 8
7 other brands on this site name UA Holdings, LLC as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
- Class 101A
- Premier Martial ArtsC
- Sylvan LearningB
- THE LITTLE GYMB
- Urban Air Adventure ParkA
- Water Wings Swim SchoolC
- XP LeagueB
Portfolio: Unleashed Brands
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2025 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Michael Browning, Jr.
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2015
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 29
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 53% below the typical education franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $40K | $40K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $8K | $15K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $28K | $51K |
| Total initial investment | $75K | $106K |
Source: SNAPOLOGY 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $75K – $106K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $8K – $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $40K – $48K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- Set by a formula · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- Up to 5% of monthly Gross Sales
- Total fee load
- 12.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $125 |
| Transfer fee | $20K |
| Renewal fee | $6K |
| Inventory (initial) | $500 – $1K |
| Total fee load | 12.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 61% below the education norm.
Source: FDD 2025 · 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 SNAPOLOGY 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 ad fund rate, 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
$102K
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 SNAPOLOGY 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 ad fund rate, 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 ad fund rate, 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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $157K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $107K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- historical gross sales by format/segment
- Sample size
- 27 outlets
- vs category median 16
- Range (low → high)
- $21K→$505KCited, not corroborated — printed on page 63 of the 2025 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · typical
Compared against 204 Education 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 $157K/year in gross sales. Median is $107K — top performers pull the average up, so a typical unit earns less. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 1.7x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 12.0% — above the Education median of 9.0%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 4/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System expanding at 41.2% CAGR over 3 years across 121 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
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 Snapology 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 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 121
- Opened
- 32
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 14
- Turnover rate
- 11.6%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 1%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +41.2%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +41.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 26 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.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
77 current owners across 26 states.
- CA 8
- FL 7
- PA 7
- NJ 5
- NY 5
- OH 5
- GA 4
- MD 4
- NC 4
- TX 4
- IL 3
- AL 2
- +14 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20; 1 entries carry no state. 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.
- Total loans
- 12
- Loan volume
- $1.9M
- Median loan
- $66K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- Limited · 12 loans
- Limited SBA coverage: 12 loans, rate hidden until 10 have resolved and loans reach 2% of franchised units
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- Limited · 12 loans
- 5-yr charge-off
- Limited · 12 loans
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 8
- Defaults
- 1
- Typical loan rate
- 9.2%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 21.9%
- n=498 loans
- Jobs supported
- 85
- 4.4 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 33%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 73% went to startups / new businesses, 27% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in all other miscellaneous schools and instruction, franchised businesses charge off at 21.9% vs 14.6% for independents — franchising is associated with 50% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing Snapology franchisees
Showing 3 of 8 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.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Snapology from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 2.3%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 74%
- Avg interest rate
- 9.17%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $45K
- Lender concentration
- 33.3%
- Job velocity
- 4.4 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 21.9%
- NAICS 611699
- Jobs supported
- 85
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 33% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National Bank | 4 | $905K | N/A |
| 2 | Stearns Bank National Association | 2 | $120K | 0.0% |
| 3 | Ascendus, Inc. | 1 | $53K | 100.0% |
| 4 | Zions Bank, A Division of | 1 | $61K | 0.0% |
| 5 | Eastern Bank | 1 | $10K | 0.0% |
| 6 | CDC Small Business Finance Corp. | 1 | $125K | N/A |
| 7 | SouthState Bank, National Association | 1 | $500K | N/A |
| 8 | United Midwest Savings Bank National Association | 1 | $150K | N/A |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| CACalifornia | 3 | 0 | -- |
| FLFlorida | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| MIMichigan | 2 | 0 | -- |
| NHNew Hampshire | 2 | 0 | -- |
| NJNew Jersey | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| RIRhode Island | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| TXTexas | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
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
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Maryland Securities Commissioner administrative proceeding (2015-0429) concluded Snapology sold two unregistered franchises in Maryland; resolved via 2016 consent order requiring registration and rescission offer to remaining franchisee
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Deloitte & Touche LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Financial statements are consolidated for UA Holdings, LLC (ultimate parent guarantor), not Snapology, LLC standalone; figures in thousands USD converted to dollars, covering Urban Air, The Little Gym, Snapology, and other Affiliated Brands combined
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 73 / 100 verdict
- 01MINOROne concluded regulatory matter (Maryland unregistered franchises, resolved 2016)
- 02MEDStrong net growth +41.2%, no going-concern, audited, Item 19 disclosed
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 2025 · 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 | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 50,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | 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 |
| Termination groundsℹ | 17 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 17 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Texas |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Texas |
| Litigation count | 4 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Maryland Securities Commissioner administrative proceeding (2015-0429) concluded Snapology sold two unregistered franchises in Maryland; resolved via 2016 consent order requiring registration and rescission offer to remaining franchisee
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 24 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 6 hrs
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- franchisor approves site
- POS system
- Command Center
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Command Center
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
78 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 SNAPOLOGY franchise?
The total investment to open a SNAPOLOGY franchise ranges from $75K – $106K, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do SNAPOLOGY franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the SNAPOLOGY FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $157K. The median is $107K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns SNAPOLOGY?
SNAPOLOGY is franchised by Snapology, LLC. Its parent company is Unleashed Brands, LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is UA Holdings, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the SNAPOLOGY 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 SNAPOLOGY FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is SNAPOLOGY's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for SNAPOLOGY (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 SNAPOLOGY franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, SNAPOLOGY has 121 total units in the United States, including 120 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 32 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is SNAPOLOGY a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates SNAPOLOGY as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 73 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.