Franchisee Buying Guide Editor
Sarah Kessler
Covers franchise evaluation, financing, and first-location openings for prospective owners.
Sarah Kessler leads WellnessFranchiseHQ's buyer-side coverage, helping prospective franchisees compare brands, read disclosure documents critically, and finance a first location without over-leveraging.
Her work walks owners through discovery days, SBA and alternative financing, site selection, and the ramp math that determines whether a location survives its first year.
Editor for Buying a Wellness Franchise.
Guides by Sarah Kessler
Amazing Lash Studio Franchise Cost & Review
What an Amazing Lash Studio franchise costs: $464,464–$719,754 FDD Item 7 investment, $50,000 franchise fee, 6% royalty, and Item 19 revenue across 192 studios — reviewed independently.
Anytime Fitness Franchise Cost & Review
What an Anytime Fitness franchise costs: $539,329–$905,482 FDD Item 7 investment, $42,500 franchise fee, a flat $842/month royalty, and Item 19 revenue across 1,683 centers — reviewed independently.
Burn Boot Camp Franchise Cost & Review
What a Burn Boot Camp franchise costs: $281,899–$645,344 FDD Item 7 investment, $60,000 franchise fee, 6% royalty, and the only Item 19 in wellness franchising that discloses net operating income.
Drybar Franchise Cost & Review
What a Drybar franchise costs: $409,979–$1,029,249 FDD Item 7 investment, $50,000 franchise fee, 7% royalty — and why the revenue figures circulating online are not Item 19 disclosures.
Elements Massage Franchise Cost & Review
What an Elements Massage franchise costs: $567,239–$1,097,853 FDD Item 7 investment, $40,000 franchise fee, 6% royalty, and Item 19 revenue across 234 studios — reviewed independently.
Orangetheory Fitness Franchise Cost & Review
What an Orangetheory Fitness franchise costs: $821,622–$1,377,160 FDD Item 7 investment, $59,950 franchise fee, 8% royalty, and Item 19 revenue across 1,256 studios — reviewed independently.
Planet Fitness Franchise Cost & Review
What a Planet Fitness franchise costs: $1,525,000–$5,221,500 FDD Item 7 investment, $20,000 franchise fee, 7% royalty on membership fees, and Item 19 revenue across 2,197 clubs.
Stretch Zone Franchise Cost & Review
What a Stretch Zone franchise costs: $138,745–$320,099 FDD Item 7 investment, $59,500 franchise fee, 7% royalty, and quartile-level Item 19 revenue across 293 studios — reviewed independently.
YogaSix Franchise Cost & Review
What a YogaSix franchise costs: $529,233–$826,265 FDD Item 7 investment, $60,000 franchise fee, 7% royalty, and the widest quartile spread of any brand we have reviewed.
Club Pilates Franchise Cost & Review
What a Club Pilates franchise costs: $385,048–$839,058 FDD Item 7 investment, $65,000 franchise fee, 8% royalty, and quartile-level Item 19 revenue across 849 studios — reviewed independently.
European Wax Center Franchise Cost & Review
What a European Wax Center franchise costs: $327,600–$836,950 FDD Item 7 investment, $45,000 franchise fee, 6% royalty and 3% marketing — with an honest note on what its Item 19 does and doesn't tell you.
Hand & Stone Franchise Cost & Review
What a Hand & Stone franchise costs: $578,507–$871,602 FDD Item 7 investment, 5–6% royalty, and Item 19 averaging $1,390,276 across 502 spas — including the operating expense ratios most brands never disclose.
Massage Envy Franchise Cost & Review
What a Massage Envy franchise costs: $719,350–$1,081,000 FDD Item 7 investment, $45,000 franchise fee, 6% royalty plus 4% combined marketing, and quartile Item 19 revenue — reviewed independently.
Pure Barre Franchise Cost & Review
What a Pure Barre franchise costs: $314,411–$629,345 FDD Item 7 investment, $60,000 franchise fee, 7% royalty, and quartile Item 19 revenue across 599 studios.
The Joint Chiropractic Franchise Cost & Review
What a The Joint Chiropractic franchise costs: $245,250–$543,000 FDD Item 7 investment, $39,900 franchise fee, 7% royalty, and Item 19 averaging $569,571 across 785 clinics.
iCRYO Franchise Cost & Review
What an iCRYO franchise costs: FDD Item 7 investment, the $49,500 franchise fee, and the lowest fee load in the category — plus what the FDD doesn't disclose.
Massage Franchise Costs: Envy, Elements, and Hand & Stone
Massage Envy, Elements Massage, and Hand & Stone compared on FDD Item 7 investment, royalties, and Item 19 revenue — the three national massage systems, including the highest average unit volumes in wellness franchising.
Perspire Sauna Studio Franchise Cost & Review
What a Perspire Sauna Studio franchise costs: FDD Item 7 investment, the $50,000 franchise fee, 7% royalty, and Item 19 revenue — reviewed independently.
Restore Hyper Wellness Franchise Cost & Review
What a Restore Hyper Wellness franchise costs: FDD Item 7 investment, fees, royalties, and the Item 19 revenue figures — reviewed independently.
StretchLab Franchise Cost & Review
What a StretchLab franchise costs: FDD Item 7 investment, the $65,000 franchise fee, 8% royalty, and quartile-level Item 19 revenue — reviewed independently.
SWTHZ (SweatHouz) Franchise Cost & Review
What a SWTHZ franchise costs: FDD Item 7 investment, the sliding 6-8% royalty, 3% brand fund, and the small-sample Item 19 — reviewed independently.
Wellness Franchise Costs Compared: 20 Major Brands
Major wellness franchise brands compared on FDD Item 7 investment, fees, and disclosed Item 19 revenue — including Planet Fitness, Orangetheory, Massage Envy, Club Pilates, Hand & Stone and Anytime Fitness.
Best Wellness Franchises: How to Compare Brands
A franchisee framework for comparing wellness franchise brands: category fit, FDD signals, unit economics, validation, and a decision process.
Franchise Discovery Day: What to Expect and How to Prepare
A franchisee guide to wellness franchise discovery days: agenda patterns, questions to ask, and how to turn a sales event into useful diligence.
Franchise Site Selection: How to Pick a Location That Pays
Demographics, competition, co-tenancy, and territory rules for wellness franchise site selection, plus how to avoid the rent trap that kills unit economics.
How to Buy a Wellness Franchise: A Step-by-Step Guide
A franchisee roadmap for buying a gym, recovery studio, med-spa, or wellness franchise: from self-assessment through FDD review, financing, and opening.
How to Evaluate a Franchise: Due Diligence Checklist
A franchisee due diligence framework for wellness buyers: FDD analysis, franchisee interviews, financial modeling, and red flags before you sign.
How to Finance a Franchise: Loans, SBA, and Capital Stack
Financing options for wellness franchise buyers: SBA 7(a) loans, conventional debt, equipment financing, and how lenders underwrite gym and studio deals.
Semi-Absentee Franchise Ownership Explained
Can you own a wellness franchise semi-absentee? Operator requirements, manager models, and margin impact when you are not full-time on the floor.
How Much Does It Cost to Open a Wellness Franchise?
Realistic startup cost ranges for gyms, recovery studios, and med-spas, plus what drives the spread in FDD Item 7 and how to build your own number.
Wellness Franchise ROI and Payback Period
How wellness franchise buyers model ROI, cash-on-cash return, and payback period: investment stack, ramp assumptions, and stress testing.