Vision Source Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Vision Source is a franchise network of independently owned optometry practices offering eye exams, contact-lens fittings, and eyewear. Franchisees run their own clinic while tapping the network's marketing, vendor pricing, and clinical support.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A VISION SOURCE franchise requires a total initial investment of $100K – $450K. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 5.9% charge-off rate across 29 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $100K – $450K
- 16th pct Healthcare
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 3,027
- 81st pct Healthcare
- SBA charge-off
- 5.9%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Healthcare · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Healthcare 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 $100K – $450K.
- RETURNSNo Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 74/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 5.9% across 29 loans (near or below the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- DATANo 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
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Vision Source, LLC
- Parent company
- EDA Corporation
- Ultimate parent
- EssilorLuxottica USA Inc. / EssilorLuxottica (global ultimate parent)
- Predecessor
- The Vision Source, Inc. (Texas corporation; began franchising August 1996; reorganized May 2003)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Senior Vice President and General Manager
- Matteo Accornero
- Incorporated in
- Texas
- HQ
- 23824 Highway 59 North, Kingwood, Texas 77339
- Auditor
- Ernst & Young LLP
- Audited financials
Overview
About
- CEO
- Matteo Accornero
- Headquarters
- TX
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 51
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 34% below the typical healthcare franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $20K | $90K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $80K | $360K |
| Total initial investment | $100K | $450K |
Source: VISION SOURCE 2026 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
- $100K – $450K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $90K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- N/A
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- Up to 2.50% of Gross Receipts
- Ad fund
- 0.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 2.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.0% of gross sales |
| Total fee load | 2.5% of rev |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
VISION SOURCE 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 VISION SOURCE unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
43%
Within the 30–60% "attractive franchise" band
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: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
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 2.5% — below the Healthcare average of 8.8%.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System roughly stable (+1.2% 3-year CAGR) with 3,027 units.
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 Healthcare averages
How Vision Source Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 3,027
- Opened
- 188
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 27
- Terminated
- 79
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 54
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 5.3%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +1.2%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +1.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 188
- Closed (3yr)
- 27
- Terminated (3yr)
- 79
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 54
- Transfers (3yr)
- 31
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 50 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.
- Total loans
- 29
- Loan volume
- $21.5M
- Median loan
- $449K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 5.9%
- rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 94.1%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 25
- Defaults
- 1
- Typical loan rate
- 6.2%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 6.1%
- brand beats franchise avg ↓
- Jobs supported
- 170
- 0.8 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 7%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 0% went to startups / new businesses, 100% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in offices of optometrists, franchised businesses charge off at 6.1% vs 5.3% for independents — franchising is associated with 15% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Vintage analysis
Vision Source charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Vision Source franchisees
Showing 3 of 25 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Vision Source's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 10 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 15 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 14-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 5.9% — 63% below the 16.0% national norm, i.e. lower lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Very large 3,027-unit optometry system with strong parent financials (net worth $346.7M, net income $62.4M, revenue $165.1M). The 4 lawsuits are all routine franchisor-initiated collection matters, negligible relative to system size.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Ernst & Young LLP
Score breakdown · what drove the 74 / 100 verdict
- 01HIGH4 litigation matters, all routine collections vs franchisees, trivial for 3,027 units
- 02MINORParent-level financials very strong: $346.7M net worth, $62.4M net income
- 03MINORNo Item 19 (minor); no bankruptcy or distress
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 2.5% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 5 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 5 years |
| Territory type | Boundary-based |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Not allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 3 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | No |
| Termination notice | 15 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Varies |
| Litigation count | 4 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 0 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
2,948 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
VISION SOURCE · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a VISION SOURCE franchise?
The total investment to open a VISION SOURCE franchise ranges from $100K – $450K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do VISION SOURCE franchise owners earn?
VISION SOURCE 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 VISION SOURCE 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 VISION SOURCE FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is VISION SOURCE's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, VISION SOURCE has a charge-off rate of 5.9% across 29 loans, meaning 5.9% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many VISION SOURCE franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, VISION SOURCE has 3,027 total units in the United States, including 3,027 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 188 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is VISION SOURCE a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates VISION SOURCE as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 74 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 VISION SOURCE, you can request corrections or provide updated information.
Other Healthcare franchises
Compare similar franchise opportunities in the Healthcare category
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.