Zeiss Vision Center Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
ZEISS Vision Center is an optical retail franchise selling and fitting ZEISS eyewear, lenses, and vision-care products. Franchisees run the stores, managing eye exams, fittings, and eyewear sales.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A ZEISS VISION CENTER franchise requires a total initial investment of $605K – $1.1M, including a $25K franchise fee. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $605K – $1.1M
- 44th pct Retail
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 0 outlets
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 0
- 0th 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 $605K – $1.1M including a $25K franchise fee.
- RETURNSNo Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 43/100 (higher is better).
- 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
- Carl Zeiss Vision Business Services Inc.
- Parent company
- Carl Zeiss Vision Inc.
- Ultimate parent
- Carl Zeiss AG
- CEO title
- Director, President & CEO
- Jens Boy
- CEO experience
- 30 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Incorporated in
- Delaware
- HQ
- 1040 Worldwide Boulevard, Hebron, Kentucky 41048
- Auditor
- Rödl Langford de Kock – VL, LLC
- Audited financials
Overview
About
- CEO
- Jens Boy
- Headquarters
- KY
- Founded
- 2024
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 0
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 106% above the typical retail franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $25K | $25K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $75K | $200K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $505K | $871K |
| Total initial investment | $605K | $1.1M |
Source: ZEISS VISION CENTER 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
- $605K – $1.1M
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $75K – $200K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- $25,000 per annum
- Ad fund
- -n/d
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Transfer fee | $5K |
| Renewal fee | $25K |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
ZEISS VISION CENTER 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 ZEISS VISION CENTER unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
5%
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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Retail averages
How Zeiss Vision Center Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 0
- 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)
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 0
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 4
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
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
Pre-opening brand (is_pre_opening=true, began franchising 2024) with zero units open, no revenue disclosed, and no Item 19. Net worth $100,000, no litigation or bankruptcy. Limited history is the sole concern; scored in the pre-opening band.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation required to be disclosed
Largest disclosed settlement: $25,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Rödl Langford de Kock – VL, LLC
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 43 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORPre-opening, 0 units open
- 02MINORNo Item 19 disclosure
- 03MINORNo litigation; thin but positive net worth $100,000
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Radius |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory radius | 1 mi |
| Territory population | 2,500 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | 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 |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | California |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation required to be disclosed
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 12 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- MyZEISS and VISUStore
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: MyZEISS and VISUStore
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
2 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
ZEISS VISION CENTER · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a ZEISS VISION CENTER franchise?
The total investment to open a ZEISS VISION CENTER franchise ranges from $605K – $1.1M, 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 ZEISS VISION CENTER franchise owners earn?
ZEISS VISION CENTER 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 ZEISS VISION CENTER 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 ZEISS VISION CENTER FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is ZEISS VISION CENTER's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for ZEISS VISION CENTER (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.
Is ZEISS VISION CENTER a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates ZEISS VISION CENTER as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 43 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.