The Vital Stretch Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
The Vital Stretch is a wellness franchise offering one-on-one assisted stretching and mobility sessions. Franchisees run the studios, managing stretch practitioners, appointments, and memberships.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A The Vital Stretch franchise requires a total initial investment of $97K – $278K, including a $55K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $97K – $278K
- 16th pct Health & Fitn…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 30th pct Health & Fitn…
- Units
- 5
- 23rd 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 $97K – $278K including a $55K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSThe figure shown covered a SIX-MONTH window, October 2024 to March 2025 (printed p.50, 52), across four franchise outlets — not a year. Those outlets opened in January, September and October 2024 and were required to offer a 20% Founder's Club discount during the period, which the FDD says 'resulted in a lower average revenue per member compared to standard rates'.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 50/100 (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
- The Vital Stretch Franchising, LLC
- Ultimate parent
- None
- Predecessor
- and Affiliates
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Co-Founder and CEO
- Melissa Goldring
- CEO experience
- 26 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- Connecticut
- HQ
- 112 Main St, Norwalk, CT 06851
- Auditor
- DA Advisory Group PLLC
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $204K
- vs $67K prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2025
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Affiliated brands
- The Vital Stretch
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Melissa Goldring
- Headquarters
- CT
- Founded
- 2022
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 3
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 67% below the typical health & fitness franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown32 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise Fee (VS Standard)not refundable | $55K | $55K | |
| Pre-opening Travel Expense (VS Standard) | $500 | $6K | |
| Rent (2 months) (VS Standard) | $5K | $14K | |
| Leasehold Improvements (VS Standard) | $5K | $65K | |
| Test Fit (VS Standard) | $1K | $2K | |
| Signage (VS Standard) | $4K | $12K | |
| Management and Technology System (VS Standard) | $3K | $4K | |
| Opening Retail Supplies (VS Standard) | $3K | $3K | |
| Furniture and Equipment (VS Standard) | $42K | $46K | |
| Utility Deposits (VS Standard) | $0 | $800 | |
| Insurance (VS Standard) | $1K | $3K | |
| Grand Opening Marketing (VS Standard) | $15K | $15K | |
| Certification Training (VS Standard) | $1K | $1K | |
| Professional Fees (VS Standard) | $3K | $4K | |
| Business Permits and Licenses (VS Standard) | $200 | $1K | |
| Additional funds - 3 Months (VS Standard) | $10K | $30K | |
| Franchise Fee (VS Lite)not refundable | $55K | $55K | |
| Pre-opening Travel Expense (VS Lite) | $500 | $6K | |
| Rent (2 months) (VS Lite) | $3K | $8K | |
| Leasehold Improvements (VS Lite) | $0 | $25K | |
| Total initial investment | $244K | $442K |
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
- $97K – $278K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $5K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $55K – $55K
- Bottom third — review vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- Gross Revenue · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $350 |
| Training fee | $1K |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
The Vital Stretch 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 The Vital Stretch unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
106%
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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
The figure shown covered a SIX-MONTH window, October 2024 to March 2025 (printed p.50, 52), across four franchise outlets — not a year. Those outlets opened in January, September and October 2024 and were required to offer a 20% Founder's Club discount during the period, which the FDD says 'resulted in a lower average revenue per member compared to standard rates'.
- Item 19 type
- Historical Revenues
- Sample size
- 4
- vs category median 12 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $51K→$101K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency tier
- revenue_only
- Categorical assessment of disclosure depth
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- The FDD edition these figures were read from
- 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 9.0% (near the Health & Fitness average).
Disclosure
Item 19 reports Historical Revenues rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
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 The Vital Stretch Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 5
- Opened
- 4
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 80%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 1
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Ceased ops
- 20.0%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 3 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.
3
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 5 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 5
- Loan volume
- $1.2M
- Median loan
- $270K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (5 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
- 4
- 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
Largest disclosed settlement: $199,500
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · DA Advisory Group PLLCⓘ Going-concern language present, but this is an early-stage franchisor with limited operating history — common for new systems and not necessarily a sign of distress.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 50 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORGoing-concern note = true but early-stage
- 02MINORNegative net worth -$582,190
- 03MINORNo litigation/bankruptcy
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 9.0% 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 | Radius/Population |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Territory radius | 2 mi |
| Territory population | 50,000 |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 4 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Connecticut |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 29 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Time to open
- 12 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee
- POS system
- Management and Technology System
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Management and Technology System
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
1 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
The Vital Stretch · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a The Vital Stretch franchise?
The total investment to open a The Vital Stretch franchise ranges from $97K – $278K, with an initial franchise fee of $55K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do The Vital Stretch franchise owners earn?
The Vital Stretch 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 The Vital Stretch 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 Vital Stretch FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is The Vital Stretch's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for The Vital Stretch (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 Vital Stretch franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, The Vital Stretch has 5 total units in the United States, including 4 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 4 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is The Vital Stretch a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates The Vital Stretch as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 50 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?
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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.