Special Strong Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Special Strong is an adaptive fitness franchise providing personal training for people with special needs and disabilities. Franchisees run local operations, managing trainers, client sessions, and community partnerships.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A SPECIAL STRONG franchise requires a total initial investment of $90K – $129K, including a $47K franchise fee. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: D (Below average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $90K – $129K
- 14th pct Health & Fitn…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 20
- 52nd pct Health & Fitn…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Health & Fitness · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Health & Fitness 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 $90K – $129K including a $47K franchise fee.
- RETURNSItem 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
- RISKVerdict D (Below average), verdict score 36/100 (higher is better).
- FLAGAuditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Strong Kingdom, LLC
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer & Founder
- Daniel Stein
- CEO experience
- 14 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- Texas
- HQ
- 400 N Allen Dr Ste 303, Allen, Texas, 75013
- Auditor
- Kezos & Dunlavy
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.0M
- vs $221K prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2026
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Daniel Stein
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2020
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 8
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 81% below the typical health & fitness franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown16 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $47K | $47K | |
| Office Equipment, Software and Suppliesnot refundable | $1K | $2K | |
| Costs Related to Initial Trainingnot refundable | $3K | $5K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $3K | $5K | |
| Initial Marketing Kitnot refundable | $4K | $5K | |
| Grand Opening Marketing & Launchnot refundable | $10K | $25K | |
| Initial Marketing and Promotionsnot refundable | $10K | $13K | |
| Vehiclenot refundable | $0 | $2K | |
| Vehicle Wrapnot refundable | $2K | $4K | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $0 | $5K | |
| Miscellaneous Expensesnot refundable | $1K | $2K | |
| Adaptive Equipment (Optional)not refundable | $0 | $500 | |
| Additional Funds (3 months)not refundable | $10K | $15K | |
| Initial Franchise Fee (2 Protected Territories)not refundable | $77K | $77K | |
| Initial Franchise Fee (3 Protected Territories)not refundable | $107K | $107K | |
| Initial Investment (2-3 Protected Territories)not refundable | $43K | $82K | |
| Total initial investment | $317K | $396K |
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
- $90K – $129K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $47K – $47K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- the greater of (i) 8% of monthly Gross Revenue, or (ii) t…
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 10.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty (flat) | greater of 8% of monthly Gross Revenue or monthly minimum ($625-$3,625 based on territories and time) |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $24K |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Total fee load | 10.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
SPECIAL STRONG did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one SPECIAL STRONG unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
184%
Above the 30–60% band. Verify revenue is per-unit average
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: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 7
- vs category median 12
- Range (low → high)
- $26K→$336K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 6 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · above
Compared against 173 Health & Fitness brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 10.0% — above the Health & Fitness average of 8.4%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports outlet revenue, but not in a form that yields a per-outlet average we can compare across brands.
Operator retention
System expanding at 185.7% CAGR over 3 years across 20 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 Health & Fitness averages
How Special Strong Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 20
- Opened
- 13
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 10.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +185.7%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +185.7%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 13
- Closed (3yr)
- 2
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 18
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Ceased ops
- 9.5%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 17 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 loan disclosures. This brand has only 3 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 3
- Loan volume
- $280K
- Median loan
- $132K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (3 loans) — rate not shown below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 2
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
The auditor flagged going-concern doubt (Item 21) — the single biggest risk here.
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)
No litigation required to be disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Kezos & Dunlavy⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 36 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORGoing-concern note raised by auditor
- 02MINORFranchisor net worth -$595,305
- 03MINORNet income -$711,424 on revenue $1,032,094
- 04MEDNo litigation, audited financials, Item 19 disclosed (mitigants)
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 2026 · 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 | Population based |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 250,000 |
| 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 | 20 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | McKinney, TX |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Texas |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 21 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 26 hrs
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 4 mo
- From signing to launch
- POS system
- FranMetrics and QuickBooks Online
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: FranMetrics and QuickBooks Online
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
34 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
SPECIAL STRONG · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a SPECIAL STRONG franchise?
The total investment to open a SPECIAL STRONG franchise ranges from $90K – $129K, with an initial franchise fee of $47K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do SPECIAL STRONG franchise owners earn?
SPECIAL STRONG 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 Item 19 in the SPECIAL STRONG 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 SPECIAL STRONG FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is SPECIAL STRONG's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for SPECIAL STRONG (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 SPECIAL STRONG franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, SPECIAL STRONG has 20 total units in the United States, including 20 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 13 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is SPECIAL STRONG a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates SPECIAL STRONG as a D-grade franchise with a verdict score of 36 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 SPECIAL STRONG, 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.