Wireless Zone Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Wireless Zone is a wireless-retail franchise selling phones, plans, and accessories, primarily as a Verizon authorized retailer. Franchisees run stores handling device sales, activations, support, and inventory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Wireless Zone franchise requires a total initial investment of $442K – $1.3M, including a $1K – $25K franchise fee. The 2026 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 37.9% charge-off rate across 40 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $442K – $1.3M
- 40th pct Retail
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 792
- 42nd pct Retail
- SBA charge-off
- 37.9%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
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 $442K – $1.3M including a $25K franchise fee.
- RETURNSItem 19 reports quintile figures with no system total rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 40/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 37.9% across 40 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 77.2% CAGR over 3 years with 792 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Wireless Zone LLC
- Parent company
- PYITE LLC / Round Room LLC / Round Room Holdings, Inc.
- Ultimate parent
- Round Room Holdings, Inc.
- Predecessor
- Automotive Technologies, Inc. (d/b/a The Car Phone Store)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Scott Moorehead
- Incorporated in
- Connecticut
- HQ
- 10300 Kincaid Drive, Suite 100, Fishers, Indiana 46037
- Auditor
- Katz, Sapper & Miller, LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.3B
- vs $1.5B prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Scott Moorehead
- Headquarters
- IN
- Founded
- 1988
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 33
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 114% above the typical retail franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $25K | $25K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $265K | $725K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $152K | $578K |
| Total initial investment | $442K | $1.3M |
Source: Wireless Zone 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
- $442K – $1.3M
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $265K – $725K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $1K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- Not more than 22% of the Gross Profit
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 22.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Transfer fee | $1K |
| Renewal fee | $1K |
| Total fee load | 22.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Wireless Zone 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 Wireless Zone unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
3%
Below 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
- Item 19 type
- quintile figures with no system total
- Quartile band
- $801K→$3.3M
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- 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.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 22.0% — above the Retail average of 8.9%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports quintile figures with no system total rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
Operator retention
System expanding at 77.2% CAGR over 3 years across 792 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
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 Wireless Zone Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 792
- Opened
- 68
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 21
- Terminated
- 21
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 2.3%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +77.2%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +77.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 283
- Closed (3yr)
- 9
- Terminated (3yr)
- 9
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 19
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 34 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
- 40
- Loan volume
- $17.9M
- Median loan
- $250K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 37.9%
- 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)
- 62.1%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 50.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 22
- Defaults
- 11
- Typical loan rate
- 6.1%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 30.6%
- brand above franchise avg ↑
- Jobs supported
- 532
- 3.3 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 14%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 22% went to startups / new businesses, 78% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in electronics stores, franchised businesses charge off at 30.6% vs 19.3% for independents — franchising is associated with 59% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Vintage analysis
Wireless Zone charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Wireless Zone franchisees
Showing 3 of 22 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 Wireless Zone'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 13 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 11-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
A 37.9% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 3 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 37.9% — 137% above the 16.0% national norm, i.e. higher 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
Wireless Zone has strong financials — $16.4M net worth, $38.6M net income, huge 77.2% net growth across 792 units — with only two concluded/settled franchisee class-type actions (2015-2016) over royalty methodology. No bankruptcy, going-concern, or distress.
Litigation (Item 3)
Family Wireless #1, LLC et al. v. Automotive Technologies, Inc. (32 franchisees) - settled September 2016 with average payment of $48,440 per location and royalty reduction modifications. Tel Group, LLC et al. v. Automotive Technologies, Inc. (2 franchisees with 25 stores) - allegations of wrongful refusal to honor renewal rights and franchise agreement terms.
Largest disclosed settlement: $48,440
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Katz, Sapper & Miller, 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: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 40 / 100 verdict
- 01MINOR2 concluded/settled class-type actions relative to 792 units (low)
- 02MINORStrengths: net worth $16.4M, net income $38.6M, net growth 77.2%, low turnover 2.27%
- 03MINORNo bankruptcy, going-concern, or distress
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 22.0% 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 | 7 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 7 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Radius |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | within fifteen miles of Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Indiana |
| Litigation count | 2 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Family Wireless #1, LLC et al. v. Automotive Technologies, Inc. (32 franchisees) - settled September 2016 with average payment of $48,440 per location and royalty reduction modifications. Tel Group, LLC et al. v. Automotive Technologies, Inc. (2 franchisees with 25 stores) - allegations of wrongful refusal to honor renewal rights and franchise agreement terms.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 80 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- On-site at Restaurant
- Ongoing training
- Required
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
821 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Wireless Zone · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Wireless Zone franchise?
The total investment to open a Wireless Zone franchise ranges from $442K – $1.3M, with an initial franchise fee of $25K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Wireless Zone franchise owners earn?
Wireless Zone 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 Wireless Zone 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 Wireless Zone FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Wireless Zone's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Wireless Zone has a charge-off rate of 37.9% across 40 loans, meaning 37.9% 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 Wireless Zone franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Wireless Zone has 792 total units in the United States, including 792 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 68 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Wireless Zone a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Wireless Zone as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 40 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
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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.