True Society Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
True Society is a bridal retail franchise operating boutiques that sell designer wedding gowns by appointment. Franchisees run the boutiques, managing styling appointments, designer inventory, and sales.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A TRUE SOCIETY franchise requires a total initial investment of $540K – $808K, including a $30K franchise fee and an ongoing 3.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.9M[2]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $540K – $808K
- 43rd pct Retail
- Avg gross sales
- $1.9M
- Partial period16th pct Retail
- Royalty
- 3.0%
- 2nd pct Retail
- Units
- 8
- 8th pct Retail
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Retail 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 $540K – $808K including a $30K franchise fee, 3.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $1.9M/year (median $1.9M).
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 63/100 (higher is better).
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- True Society USA Inc.
- Parent company
- True Society AG (Switzerland)
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Martine Tracy Harris
- Incorporated in
- Kansas
- HQ
- 15500 W 113th Street, Lenexa, KS 66219
- Auditor
- Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $877K
- vs $1.1M prior year
Affiliated brands
- Essense of Australia
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
- CEO
- Martine Tracy Harris
- Headquarters
- KS
- Founded
- 2021
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 3
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 63% above the typical retail franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $30K | $30K | |
| Rent (3 Months) and Security Deposit | $30K | $50K | |
| Utility Deposit | $500 | $3K | |
| Design and Architect Feesnot refundable | $10K | $25K | |
| Leasehold Improvementsnot refundable | $250K | $350K | |
| Signagenot refundable | $5K | $10K | |
| Equipment and Suppliesnot refundable | $5K | $15K | |
| Grand Opening Marketingnot refundable | $20K | $30K | |
| Initial Inventory Packagenot refundable | $120K | $180K | |
| Point of Sale and Computer Equipment, Internet, Phone, Securitynot refundable | $25K | $35K | |
| Business Licenses, Permits and Professional Feesnot refundable | $5K | $10K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $2K | $5K | |
| Training Expensesnot refundable | $5K | $10K | |
| Site Evaluationnot refundable | $3K | $5K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 Monthsnot refundable | $30K | $50K | |
| Total initial investment | $540K | $808K |
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
- $540K – $808K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $30K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 3.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 4.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 4.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $845 |
| Transfer fee | $2K |
| Renewal fee | $3K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 102% above the retail norm.
Covers a partial period, not a full year
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
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
$156K
8.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
22%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
4.6 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit. The target band for an attractive franchise is 30–60% ROIC. Below that and a passive index fund likely outperforms; above that and the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses. It's the top line only. Operating costs below are category estimates. Override them to match your real lease quote, labor market, and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one TRUE SOCIETY unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
22%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Levered LBO scenario · Yale Crease Capital framing
What would 25 TRUE SOCIETY units return on equity?
Equity IRR · 5-yr
49.9%
7.57× MOIC
Year-1 DSCR
1.88×
EBITDA ÷ debt service
Equity required
$389K
on $1.9M purchase
Total debt
$1.6M
SBA $1.0M + senior + seller note
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
Covers a partial period, not a full year
- Avg gross sales
- $1.9M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $1.9M
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- historical average/median/low/high monthly and annual gross sales by store cohort
- Sample size
- 4
- vs category median 47 · small
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · above
Compared against 278 Retail brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $1.9M/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 2.9x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 7.0% — below the Retail average of 8.9%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 4/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence. Sample size of 4 units — treat as directional only.
Operator retention
Net unit growth of +50.0% over 3 years (2 opened, 0 closed).
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 averages
How True Society Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 8
- Opened
- 2
- 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
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 75%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +50.0%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +50.0%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 2
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 3 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.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
True Society is a clean early-stage boutique franchise: positive net worth of $283,987, net income of $138,877 on $1.13M revenue, audited financials, and Item 19 disclosed with avg gross sales of $1.95M. No litigation, bankruptcy, or going-concern. Small (8 units) but growing +50%.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed
Largest disclosed settlement: $180,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Mayer Hoffman McCann P.C.
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 63 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORPositive net worth $283,987 and net income $138,877
- 02MINORNo litigation or bankruptcy
- 03MEDAudited, Item 19 disclosed
- 04MINORSmall system (8 units) but healthy
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 7.0% 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 | 7 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Designated Territory based on zip codes, streets, landmarks, or county lines |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| 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 |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Kansas |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 54 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 52 hrs
- Training location
- Our Headquarters, a company owned store, your Franchised Store, Virtual Location
- Field support
- 12 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 2 mo
- From signing to launch
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Bridal Live
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Bridal Live
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
3 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
TRUE SOCIETY · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a TRUE SOCIETY franchise?
The total investment to open a TRUE SOCIETY franchise ranges from $540K – $808K, 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 TRUE SOCIETY franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the TRUE SOCIETY FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.9M. The median is $1.9M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Item 19 in the TRUE SOCIETY 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 TRUE SOCIETY FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is TRUE SOCIETY's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for TRUE SOCIETY (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 TRUE SOCIETY franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, TRUE SOCIETY has 8 total units in the United States, including 6 franchised units and 2 company-owned units. 2 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is TRUE SOCIETY a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates TRUE SOCIETY as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 63 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 TRUE SOCIETY, 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.