Story Time ChessFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Story Time Chess franchise requires a total initial investment of $56K – $76K, including a $45K franchise fee. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $581K[2]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $56K – $76K
- 15th pct Education
- Avg gross sales
- $581K
- 26th pct Education
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 5
- 16th pct Education
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Education · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Education 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
Each dollar invested generates 8.8x in gross revenue, well above the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
Started franchising in 2025. Newer systems carry more uncertainty but may offer better territories.
Bottom line
- Total investment $56K – $76K including a $45K franchise fee.
- Average unit revenue of $581K/year (median $644K).
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 22/100.
- No protected territory and the franchisor reserves the right to compete in your area. Clarify territorial boundaries before signing.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Story Time Chess Franchising LLC
- Parent company
- Thinking Cup, Inc.
- Predecessor
- company
- Prior franchisor entity
- Incorporated in
- TN
- HQ
- 116 Agnes Rd, Suite 200, Knoxville, Tennessee 37919
- Auditor
- Metwally CPA PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $80K
- Most recent fiscal year
Affiliated brands
- a Story Time Chess
- did not exist in the past and does not now offer franchises in any lines of business
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Story Time Chess franchisees operate chess education programs, likely delivering instruction to children through storytelling-based learning methods. Daily operations typically include scheduling classes, managing student enrollment, delivering in-person or virtual instruction, handling parent communications, and managing local marketing to build client base.
- CEO
- Paul Levy
- Headquarters
- TN
- Founded
- 2025
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 2
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing · 11 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $45K | $45K | |
| Signagenot refundable | $0 | $759 | |
| Equipmentnot refundable | $669 | $2K | |
| Computer System and Point of Sale Systemnot refundable | $360 | $3K | |
| Business Permits & Licensesnot refundable | $50 | $500 | |
| Professional Feesnot refundable | $2K | $4K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $1K | $2K | |
| Training Expensesnot refundable | $1K | $5K | |
| Printingnot refundable | $425 | $700 | |
| Opening Advertising Campaignnot refundable | $500 | $2K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 Monthsnot refundable | $4K | $11K | |
| Total initial investment | $56K | $76K |
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.
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$93K
16.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
126%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
9 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $56K – $76K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $4K – $11K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $45K – $45K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- Greater of $200 per week or 7% of Gross Revenues
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $9K |
| Renewal fee | $11K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $581K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $644K
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 5 units
- vs category median 14 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $325K→$814K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 4 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · typical
Compared against 237 Education brands
Revenue is 8.8x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
vs Education averages
How Story Time Chess Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 5
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 5
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 0%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 16 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.
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
Severely underdeveloped franchise system (5 units) with revenue and profitability opacity, no territorial protection, and aggressive royalty burden for unproven concept.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Metwally CPA PLLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 22 / 100 rating
- 01MINOROnly 5 units system-wide with unknown/stagnant growth trajectory indicates minimal scale and market validation
- 02MINORNo Item 19 (Average Net Income) disclosure prevents ROI assessment; $55.6K-$76K investment lacks profitability transparency
- 03MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk—multiple franchisees could operate in same market, cannibalizing $580.8K average revenue
- 04MINOR7% royalty on declining revenue base plus $200/week minimum ($10.4K annually) creates significant fixed cost burden with thin margins
- 05MINOR5-year term is short; franchisor reinvestment commitment and long-term viability unclear with such a micro-system
- 06HIGHNo disclosed litigation history in such small system may indicate lack of transparency rather than absence of disputes
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 | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Population-based |
| Protected territory | No |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 5 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Tennessee |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 15 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 25 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and off-site
- POS system
- Tutor Cruncher (transitioning to proprietary POS System)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Tutor Cruncher (transitioning to proprietary POS System)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
18 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Story Time Chess · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Story Time Chess franchise?
The total investment to open a Story Time Chess franchise ranges from $56K – $76K, with an initial franchise fee of $45K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Story Time Chess franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Story Time Chess FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $581K. The median is $644K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Story Time Chess's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Story Time Chess (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 Story Time Chess franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Story Time Chess has 5 total units in the United States, including 0 franchised units and 5 company-owned units.
Is Story Time Chess a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Story Time Chess as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 22 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.