Is Children’s Orchard or Learning Express cheaper to open?

Children’s Orchard costs $226,700–$335,500 and Learning Express costs $201,491–$387,514 to open (FDD Item 7). Learning Express has the lower entry cost.

Which earns more, Children’s Orchard or Learning Express?

Children’s Orchard reports $418,805 average annual unit revenue vs $836,884 for Learning Express (FDD Item 19). Learning Express is higher.

Which is the better franchise, Children’s Orchard or Learning Express?

FranchiseVerdict grades Children’s Orchard C and Learning Express B, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Children’s Orchard vs Learning Express

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Children’s Orchard and Learning Express are retail franchises. Children’s Orchard requires an investment of $227K – $336K while Learning Express requires $201K – $388K. In terms of revenue, Learning Express reports higher average unit revenue at $837K. Learning Express has SBA lending data on file with a 22.9% charge-off rate. FranchiseVerdict rates Children’s Orchard C (Average) and Learning Express B (Above average).

Metric	Children’s Orchard	Learning Express
Verdict Grade	CAverageAverage	BAbove averageAbove average
Investment Range	$227K – $336K	$201K – $388K
Franchise Fee	$25K	$40K
Royalty Rate	4.0%	Greater of 5% of Gross Receipts or $1,500 per month per location
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$419K	$837K
SBA Charge-Off Rate	Limited data	22.9% (76 loans)
Total Units	13	86
Unit Growth (YoY)	N/A	N/A
Year Began Franchising	2015	1990
FDD Year	2026	2025