Vanguard Key ClubsFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Vanguard Key Clubs franchise requires a total initial investment of $207K – $528K, including a $40K franchise fee and an ongoing 5.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: B. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $207K – $528K
- 39th pct Health & Fitn…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 59th pct Health & Fitn…
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- 1st pct Health & Fitn…
- Units
- 6
- 29th pct Health & Fitn…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Health & Fitness · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Health & Fitness 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
Started franchising in 2025. Newer systems carry more uncertainty but may offer better territories.
Bottom line
- Total investment $207K – $528K including a $40K franchise fee, 5.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict B (Above Average) with a risk score of 62/100.
- 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
- Key Club Development Corporation
- Ultimate parent
- CJA Corporation
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Craig J. Annis
- CEO experience
- 30 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- NH
- HQ
- 200 Kensington Rd. Hampton Falls, NH 03844
- Auditor
- Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $0
- vs $0 prior year
Overview
About
Vanguard Key Clubs franchisees operate membership-based social/networking clubs or keycard-controlled facilities. Day-to-day operations likely include membership sales, facility management, events coordination, and member retention activities. The exact service model (nightlife venue, professional networking, recreational facility, etc.) is unclear from available data.
- CEO
- Craig J. Annis
- Headquarters
- NH
- Founded
- 2017
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 3
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $40K | $40K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $30K | $60K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $137K | $428K |
| Total initial investment | $207K | $528K |
Source: Vanguard Key Clubs 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
- $207K – $528K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $60K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $20K – $40K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 5.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $400 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Health & Fitness averages
How Vanguard Key Clubs Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 6
- Opened
- 0
- 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
- 6
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 0%
- vs corporate-owned
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Projected new
- 0
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 5 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
Vanguard Key Clubs presents HIGH RISK due to microscopic system size (6 units), missing financial disclosures, questionable franchisor stability (going concern flag), and unvalidated unit economics.
Litigation (Item 3)
Item 3 (Litigation) section not provided in FDD excerpt
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP
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 62 / 100 rating
- 01MINOROnly 6 units in system with unknown growth trajectory suggests minimal track record and high failure risk
- 02MINORNo average revenue or net income disclosure (no Item 19) prevents ROI validation and raises transparency concerns
- 03MINORWide investment range ($207K-$528K) with vague cost breakdown indicates potential hidden fees or inconsistent unit economics
- 04HIGHGoing Concern = False indicates franchisor may lack financial stability or viability projections
- 05MINORExtremely small franchise system (6 units) creates sustainability and support infrastructure risks
- 06MED10-year term locks franchisee into unproven business model with limited exit flexibility
- 07MINORRoyalty structure incentivizes multi-unit growth but appears designed to mask struggling single-unit economics
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 | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | Zip Codes |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 25 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | New Hampshire |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | New Hampshire |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Item 3 (Litigation) section not provided in FDD excerpt
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 13 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 8 hrs
- Training location
- Affiliate's New Hampshire locations or designated location
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Field support
- 40 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- POS system
- ClubAutomation
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: ClubAutomation
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
5 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Vanguard Key Clubs · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Vanguard Key Clubs franchise?
The total investment to open a Vanguard Key Clubs franchise ranges from $207K – $528K, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Vanguard Key Clubs franchise owners earn?
Vanguard Key Clubs 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 Vanguard Key Clubs's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Vanguard Key Clubs (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 Vanguard Key Clubs franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Vanguard Key Clubs has 6 total units in the United States, including 6 franchised units and 6 company-owned units.
Is Vanguard Key Clubs a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Vanguard Key Clubs as a B-grade franchise with a risk score of 62 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.
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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.