The SealsFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A The Seals franchise requires a total initial investment of $101K – $147K, including a $49K franchise fee and an ongoing 8.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: D. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $101K – $147K
- 3rd pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 28th pct Service Resta…
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- 44th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 6
- 15th pct Service Resta…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Full-Service Restaurants 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
Bottom line
- Total investment $101K – $147K including a $49K franchise fee, 8.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict D (Below Average) with a risk score of 75/100.
- No Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- The Seals Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- Clintar, Inc. d/b/a EverSmith Brands
- Incorporated in
- NC
- HQ
- 6700 Forum Drive, Suite 150, Orlando, Florida 32821
- Auditor
- Plante & Moran, PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $22.2M
- vs $35.0M prior year
Overview
About
The Seals operates marine animal-related entertainment or educational facilities (likely seal encounters, shows, or experiences). Franchisees manage day-to-day operations including animal care, guest experiences, staff scheduling, marketing, and venue maintenance.
- CEO
- Ken Hutcheson
- Headquarters
- FL
- Founded
- 2019
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 3
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $49K | $49K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $30K | $45K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $22K | $53K |
| Total initial investment | $101K | $147K |
Source: The Seals 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
- $101K – $147K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $45K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $49K – $49K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 8.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 10.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $499 |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 10.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Full-Service Restaurants averages
How The Seals Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 6
- Opened
- 2
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 83%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +66.7%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +150.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 13 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 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
The Seals presents elevated risk due to going concern doubts, minimal scale, undisclosed financials, and lack of transparent performance data despite material franchise fees.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Plante & Moran, PLLC
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 75 / 100 rating
- 01HIGHGoing Concern status is FALSE — franchisor may have financial viability issues
- 02MEDFinancial performance metrics (revenue and net income) completely undisclosed — impossible to validate unit economics
- 03MINOROnly 6 units system-wide — extremely small franchise network limits support infrastructure and brand recognition
- 04MINORAggressive 66.7% YoY unit growth from tiny base (likely 3-4 units last year) — may indicate unsustainable expansion or unreliable data
- 05MINORHigh franchise fee ($49,000) relative to total investment ($101,200-$147,300) means 33-48% of capital goes to franchisor upfront
- 06MINORNo Item 19 financial disclosures — franchisees cannot benchmark expected returns against other units
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 | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Retail Food Service Locations |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| 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 | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Florida |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 12 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 42 hrs
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
16 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
The Seals · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a The Seals franchise?
The total investment to open a The Seals franchise ranges from $101K – $147K, with an initial franchise fee of $49K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do The Seals franchise owners earn?
The Seals 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 The Seals's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for The Seals (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 The Seals franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, The Seals has 6 total units in the United States, including 2 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is The Seals a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates The Seals as a D-grade franchise with a risk score of 75 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.