Vaura (Athletic Reformer Pilates)Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Vaura (Athletic Reformer Pilates) franchise requires a total initial investment of $867K – $1.4M, including a $100K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: D. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $867K – $1.4M
- 92nd pct Health & Fitn…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 59th pct Health & Fitn…
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 28th pct Health & Fitn…
- Units
- 2
- 11th 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 2023. Newer systems carry more uncertainty but may offer better territories.
Bottom line
- Total investment $867K – $1.4M including a $100K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- Item 19 discloses "gross_sales" rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
- Verdict D (Below Average) with a risk score of 75/100.
- Bankruptcy history disclosed in the FDD. Review Item 4 for details before proceeding.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Vaura Incorporated
- Parent company
- F45 Training Holdings Inc. dba FIT House of Brands
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 3601 South Congress Avenue, Building E, Austin, TX 78704
- Auditor
- Grant Thornton LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $38K
- vs $311K prior year
Affiliated brands
- Surf and Turf Holdings Pty Ltd
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Vaura franchisees operate boutique pilates studios offering reformer-based pilates classes and personal training sessions. Daily operations include managing class schedules, instructing or supervising instructors, client retention activities, and facility maintenance. Revenue derives from class packages, memberships, and personal training sessions.
- CEO
- Thomas Dowd
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2023
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 2
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing · 25 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Establishment Fee | $100K | $100K | |
| Document Preparation Fee | $3K | $3K | |
| Equipment Pack | $186K | $186K | |
| Promotional Merchandise | $3K | $3K | |
| Equipment Pack Shipping, Taxes and Duties | $0 | $27K | |
| Induction Seminar | $2K | $2K | |
| Head Trainer Induction | $600 | $600 | |
| Travel and Living Expenses during Training | $5K | $9K | |
| Real Property | $5K | $25K | |
| Architectural Floor Plan Design, Engineering, and Construction/Permit Documents | $28K | $45K | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $339K | $650K | |
| Utility Deposits | $1K | $2K | |
| Exterior and Interior Signage | $30K | $38K | |
| Furniture, Flooring, Fixtures, Other Equipment | $23K | $27K | |
| Office Equipment and Supplies | $1K | $3K | |
| Computer System | $1K | $2K | |
| Business Licenses and Permits | $1K | $3K | |
| On-site Training Fee | $11K | $15K | |
| Professional Services | $1K | $5K | |
| Insurance | $1K | $4K | |
| Total initial investment | $868K | $1.4M |
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
- $867K – $1.4M
- Below avg, review vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $60K – $100K
- Below avg, review vs category
- Franchise fee
- $100K – $100K
- Below avg, review vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- Gross Sales · 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 | $500 |
| Transfer fee | $25K |
| Renewal fee | $25K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This brand's FDD disclosed "gross_sales" in Item 19 rather than annual gross sales. This metric cannot be directly compared across brands, so we omit it from rankings.
vs Health & Fitness averages
How Vaura (Athletic Reformer Pilates) Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 2
- Opened
- 1
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +100.0%
- Net unit change last year
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 1
- 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 · 14 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
Micro-franchise system (2 units) with active litigation, regulatory settlements for FDD violations, undisclosed profitability, and going concern issues presents extreme risk for $867K+ investment.
Litigation (Item 3)
8 case reference(s): 0 pending, 2 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $100,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
Disclosed in last 7 years
bankruptcy proceedings. What’s it like to be a Vaura Item 20 or Exhibit F list current and former franchisee? franchisees. You can contact them to ask about their experiences. What else should I know? These questions are only a few things you should look for. Review all 23 Items and all Exhibits in
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Grant Thornton LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 75 / 100 rating
- 01MINOROnly 2 units in system with no growth trajectory (100% YoY growth from minimal base suggests stagnation, not expansion)
- 02HIGHMultiple litigation matters including franchisee breach/fraud lawsuit and regulatory consent orders across 3 states for FDD violations and misrepresentations
- 03MINORNo net income disclosure despite $1.4M average revenue—suggests profitability concerns or deliberate opacity
- 04HIGHGoing Concern status is False, indicating potential financial instability or accounting red flags at corporate level
- 05MINORHigh initial investment ($867K-$1.36M) and 7% royalty against unproven franchise model with minimal operating history
- 06MINORRegulatory settlements evidence of compliance failures and public figure disclosure violations—reputational and legal risk
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 | protected |
| 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 |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Texas |
| Litigation count | 5 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
8 case reference(s): 0 pending, 2 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 110 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 10 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and off-site
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- MindBody
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: MindBody
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
15 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Vaura (Athletic Reformer Pilates) · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Vaura (Athletic Reformer Pilates) franchise?
The total investment to open a Vaura (Athletic Reformer Pilates) franchise ranges from $867K – $1.4M, with an initial franchise fee of $100K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Vaura (Athletic Reformer Pilates) franchise owners earn?
Vaura (Athletic Reformer Pilates) 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 Vaura (Athletic Reformer Pilates)'s franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Vaura (Athletic Reformer Pilates) (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 Vaura (Athletic Reformer Pilates) franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Vaura (Athletic Reformer Pilates) has 2 total units in the United States, including 0 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 1 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Vaura (Athletic Reformer Pilates) a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Vaura (Athletic Reformer Pilates) 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.
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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.