The Great Frame Up Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $114K – $209K
- Disclosed sales
- not disclosed
- SBA charge-off
- 17.9%
- on 34 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
The Great Frame Up is a custom framing retail franchise for art, photos, and memorabilia. Franchisees run the studios, guiding design consultations and managing framing production and inventory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A The Great Frame Up franchise requires a total initial investment of $114K – $209K, including a $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. SBA 7(a) loans show a 17.9% charge-off rate across 34 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: C (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 scored5 of 5 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $114K – $209K
- 10th pct Retail
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 20th pct Retail
- Units
- 55
- 22nd pct Retail
- SBA charge-off
- 17.9%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Retail 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 $114K – $209K including a $30K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSThis franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 43/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 17.9% across 34 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHNegative: net -1 franchised outlets in the latest year (1 opened, 2 closed); 1 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- DECLINESystem contracting at -12.7% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven (consolidation) or franchisee-driven (economics).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Franchise Concepts, Inc.
- Parent company
- CFran Holdings, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 10 of the 2024 FDD
- Incorporated in
- Delaware
- HQ
- 5700 Mexico Road, Suite 6, St. Peters, Missouri 63376
- Auditor
- Conner Ash P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.4M
- vs $1.4M prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Affiliated brands
- of the franchisor
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Joseph A. Lynch
- Headquarters
- MO
- Founded
- 1998
- FDD year
- 2024
- States available
- 19
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 52% below the typical retail franchise.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown14 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $30K | $30K | |
| Travel and living expenses while attending initial training | $1K | $3K | |
| Real Estate | — | — | |
| Opening Inventory | $5K | $9K | |
| Equipment | $13K | $29K | |
| Fixtures | $10K | $28K | |
| Architect Fee | $0 | $10K | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $13K | $35K | |
| Freight and Storage | $4K | $8K | |
| In-Store and Store Front Signage | $3K | $6K | |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs | $1K | $2K | |
| Insurance | $1K | $2K | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $23K | $23K | |
| Additional Funds-3 Months | $10K | $25K | |
| Total initial investment | $114K | $209K |
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
- $114K – $209K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 8.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Transfer fee | $25 |
| Inventory (initial) | $5K – $9K |
| Total fee load | 8.0% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
The Great Frame Up makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one The Great Frame Up 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 annual revenue, 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.
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: 2024 FDD
Financial Performance
No financial performance representation
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that.
Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
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 8.0% (near the Retail median).
Disclosure
This franchisor makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD. Item 19 is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule, and this filing states that it makes none, so no revenue or earnings figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Operator retention
System contracting at -12.7% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
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 Retail medians
How The Great Frame Up Compares
Category median of published Retail 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 2024 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 55
- Opened
- 1
- 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
- 3.6%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -12.7%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -12.7%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 1
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 1
- 0.02 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Transfer rate
- 1.7%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Ceased ops
- 3.3%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 19 states 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.
19
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
6 current owners across 3 states.
- TG 3
- TE 2
- VI 1
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20; 41 entries carry no state. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
A system losing more than 10% of its units year-over-year is a red flag. Check whether closures are concentrated in specific regions.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 34
- Loan volume
- $4.3M
- Median loan
- $164K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 17.9%
- on 34 loans · rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 82.1%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 4
- Defaults
- 5
- Typical loan rate
- 6.5%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 31.1%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 24
- 2.3 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 50%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 50% went to startups / new businesses, 50% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in all other home furnishings stores, franchised businesses charge off at 31.1% vs 25.1% for independents — franchising is associated with 24% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Top lenders financing The Great Frame Up franchisees
Showing 3 of 4 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 The Great Frame Up from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 0.0%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 68%
- Avg interest rate
- 6.48%
- Lender concentration
- 50.0%
- Job velocity
- 2.3 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 6.7%
- NAICS 442299
- Jobs supported
- 24
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 50% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 3 | $387K | 0.0% |
| 2 | Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company | 1 | $125K | 0.0% |
| 3 | Truist Bank | 1 | $350K | 0.0% |
| 4 | The Bank of Houston | 1 | $203K | N/A |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| INIndiana | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| GAGeorgia | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| MOMissouri | 1 | 0 | -- |
| NYNew York | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| SCSouth Carolina | 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?
SBA loans charge off at 17.9% — 12% above the 16.0% national norm, i.e. higher lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Two litigation matters, but franchisor is plaintiff suing franchisees for unpaid royalties — no claims against franchisor. Positive net worth $1.06M, $164K net income, audited. Concerns are no Item 19 disclosure and -12.7% net growth (shrinking system).
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (plaintiff).
Franchisor is plaintiff in 2 pending Texas state court actions against franchisees seeking unpaid royalties / declaratory judgment on an expired Franchise Agreement; no franchisee or third-party litigation against the franchisor disclosed.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Conner Ash P.C.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Franchisor revenue consists of franchise fees ($1,103,008 in 2023) plus Marketing Fund contributions ($279,063 in 2023); franchisor does not report franchisee unit-level sales (Item 19 not disclosed).
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 43 / 100 verdict
- 01MINOR2 suits but franchisor is plaintiff (low severity)
- 02MINORNo Item 19 disclosure
- 03MINOR-12.7% net growth (system contracting)
- 04MINORPositive equity $1.06M, net income $164K, audited
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 8.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2024 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 3 mi |
| Territory population | 15,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Governing law | Texas |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Franchisor is plaintiff in 2 pending Texas state court actions against franchisees seeking unpaid royalties / declaratory judgment on an expired Franchise Agreement; no franchisee or third-party litigation against the franchisor disclosed.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 78 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Lifesaver
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Lifesaver
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
47 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 The Great Frame Up franchise?
The total investment to open a The Great Frame Up franchise ranges from $114K – $209K, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do The Great Frame Up franchise owners earn?
The Great Frame Up makes no financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD - a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule - so no unit revenue figures are disclosed. Declining to publish one is lawful and is not evidence of how the outlets perform. It does mean that less about this brand can be verified from its filing, and the FranchiseVerdict grade - an editorial assessment, not investment advice - reflects that. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns The Great Frame Up?
The Great Frame Up is franchised by Franchise Concepts, Inc.. Its parent company is CFran Holdings, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2024 filing.
What is Item 19 in the The Great Frame Up 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 The Great Frame Up FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is The Great Frame Up's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, The Great Frame Up has a charge-off rate of 17.9% across 34 loans, meaning 17.9% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many The Great Frame Up franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, The Great Frame Up has 55 total units in the United States, including 55 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is The Great Frame Up a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates The Great Frame Up as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 43 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.