Is Children’s Orchard or Mainstream Boutique cheaper to open?

Children’s Orchard costs $226,700–$335,500 and Mainstream Boutique costs $218,200–$361,350 to open (FDD Item 7). Mainstream Boutique has the lower entry cost.

Which is the better franchise, Children’s Orchard or Mainstream Boutique?

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

Children’s Orchard vs Mainstream Boutique

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Children’s Orchard and Mainstream Boutique are retail franchises. Children’s Orchard requires an investment of $227K – $336K while Mainstream Boutique requires $218K – $361K. Children’s Orchard discloses average revenue of $419K; Mainstream Boutique does not report Item 19 data. Mainstream Boutique has SBA lending data on file with a 28.6% charge-off rate. FranchiseVerdict rates Children’s Orchard C (Average) and Mainstream Boutique F (Weakest tier).

Metric	Children’s Orchard	Mainstream Boutique
Verdict Grade	CAverageAverage	FWeakest tierWeakest tier
Investment Range	$227K – $336K	$218K – $361K
Franchise Fee	$25K	$40K
Royalty Rate	4.0%	7.5%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$419K	N/AOutlet subset
SBA Charge-Off Rate	Limited data	28.6% (21 loans)
Total Units	13	67
Unit Growth (YoY)	N/A	N/A
Year Began Franchising	2015	1998
FDD Year	2026	2025