Independent franchise review
BODYBAR Franchising, LLC Franchise Review (2026): Costs, Fees, Revenue Potential
BODYBAR is a Pilates studio franchise operating in the health and wellness segment. Franchisees open and run a studio built around memberships, classes, instructors, and reformer-based equipment, with required operating oversight and manager roles.
Quick verdict: 👉 Mixed — recurring membership-driven revenue is a meaningful feature, but startup cost, operating complexity, and non-exclusive territory increase execution risk.
Snapshot
At a glance- Category: Business Services
- Initial Investment: $389,964 to $759,356
- Franchise Fee: $60,000
- Royalty: 7% of gross sales
- Marketing / Ad Fee: 2% marketing fund fee plus minimum local advertising spend of $3,000 per month on average over a 12-month period
- Key additional recurring fees: technology fee of $500 per month; possible conference, training, transfer, and renewal fees
- Number of locations: 46 open studios as of December 31, 2024
- Best Fit: manager-led owner with active oversight rather than passive ownership
What does it cost to start?
The estimated initial investment ranges from $389,964 to $759,356 for a single territory, with a $60,000 initial franchise fee. The midpoint is roughly $574,660, which places this in a high startup-cost range.
Major cost drivers appear to include the physical studio buildout, equipment requirements, and opening capital needs. The disclosure also indicates franchisees will be required to operate with either 12 or 14 reformers, which suggests a meaningful equipment commitment in addition to leasehold and staffing setup.
The disclosure also references additional funds ranging up to $90,000, which can materially affect early cash needs.
Fee structure
- Royalty: 7% of gross sales, payable weekly
- Marketing Fund Fee: 2% of gross sales, payable weekly
- Local Advertising Requirement: minimum $3,000 per month on average over a 12-month period
- Technology Fee: $500 per month
- Business Training Program for additional or replacement personnel: $1,500 per person, plus expenses
- Instructor Training Program for additional or replacement personnel: currently $5,500
- Annual Conference: currently $1,000, plus attendee travel-related costs
- Renewal Fee: $10,000
- Transfer Fee: 50% of the then-current initial franchise fee for third-party transfers, or $10,000 for transfer to an existing franchisee
Overall, the recurring fee load includes both percentage-based charges and fixed monthly spending requirements. That structure means the burden is not limited to royalty alone, especially once local advertising and technology costs are included.
Can you make money with BODYBAR Franchising, LLC?
Yes. The FDD includes an Item 19 financial performance representation covering 21 of 46 open studios that were open for the full 2024 calendar year and had the same ownership throughout that period. The disclosure states this information was not audited or independently verified.
Item 19 disclosed results for included studios
Gross Sales
- Average: $751,000
- Median: $733,106
- High: $1,141,265
- Low: $451,753
- Top 3rd average: $953,668
- Bottom 3rd average: $564,808
Cost of Goods Sold
- Average: $31,484
- Median: $28,402
- High: $100,842
- Low: $8,385
Gross Profit
- Average: $719,516
- Median: $689,561
- High: $1,107,158
- Low: $443,369
- Top 3rd average: $918,020
- Bottom 3rd average: $531,632
Normalized Expense
- Average: $537,372
- Median: $536,840
- High: $777,669
- Low: $402,500
- Top 3rd average: $634,212
- Bottom 3rd average: $447,195
Net Income
- Average: $182,143
- Median: $206,105
- High: $444,989
- Low: -$16,700
- Top 3rd average: $315,131
- Bottom 3rd average: $42,171
Membership and revenue mix
- Average members: 282
- Median members: 276
- High: 428
- Low: 180
- Top 3rd average members: 360
- Bottom 3rd average members: 212
Revenue per member per month
- Average: $223
- Median: $223
- High: $292
- Low: $170
- Top 3rd average: $225
- Bottom 3rd average: $193
Average revenue mix
- Membership revenue: 77.3%
- Credit packages: 9.5%
- Retail: 5.2%
- Fees: 5.0%
- Training: 2.0%
- Other: 1.0%
Interpretation
The disclosed sales spread is meaningful: gross sales ranged from about $452k to $1.14M, and bottom-third average sales were about $389k lower than top-third average sales. Net income also varied materially, from -$16,700 at the low end to $444,989 at the high end.
That suggests unit-level outcomes depend heavily on execution, membership count, and expense control. It is also important that these figures come from a subset of the system: 21 studios were included, while 25 were excluded, mostly because they were not open for the full measurement period or had ownership changes. Revenue is not the same as profit, and even the disclosed net income figures should be read cautiously because the disclosure states they were not audited or independently verified.
The FDD also includes founding membership data for 15 studios opened in 2024, with average founding memberships sold of 221, a high of 393, and a low of 138.
Business model
- Model: B2C studio-based fitness/wellness business
- Revenue pattern: primarily recurring, led by memberships
- Secondary revenue: credit packages, retail, fees, training, and other income
- Operational characteristics: physical studio, instructor-led service delivery, required manager structure, reformer equipment, and ongoing local marketing spend
This appears to be an operating business with meaningful staffing and scheduling demands rather than a lightly managed concept. The disclosure indicates a required Operating Principal and that all studios must be under the supervision of a Fitness Manager, with manager training and instructor training built into the system.
Pros and considerations
Advantages
- Item 19 includes revenue, expense, and net income data rather than sales alone.
- Revenue is largely membership-based, with 77.3% of average income coming from memberships.
- The system had 46 open studios as of December 31, 2024, up from 25 at the end of 2023.
- The disclosure provides operating metrics beyond sales, including member counts, revenue per member, and founding membership results.
Considerations
- Startup cost is substantial at $389,964 to $759,356.
- Ongoing fees combine a 7% royalty, 2% marketing fund fee, $3,000 monthly local advertising minimum, and $500 monthly technology fee.
- Unit performance varies meaningfully across the included studios.
- The territory is non-exclusive, which limits geographic protection.
- The model appears operationally intensive, with required management roles, instructor training, and equipment-based studio operations.
Who this franchise may fit
This franchise may fit someone prepared to run or closely oversee a multi-staff studio business with recurring membership sales, local marketing obligations, and structured training requirements. It appears more suited to an owner who is comfortable managing managers and monitoring operations closely.
It likely does not fit someone seeking a low-cost entry point, a passive ownership structure, or a business with simple staffing and limited fixed overhead.
FDD-based risk notes
- The disclosure states the financial performance figures were not audited or independently verified.
- Item 19 excludes studios that were not open for the full year, one studio with an ownership change, and three founder-owned studios, so the sample is not the full system.
- There are no company-owned outlets shown in the outlet table, which limits direct comparison to franchisor-operated units.
- Transfer activity is limited in the disclosed period, with one transfer in 2023 and one transfer in 2024.
- Additional training, conference attendance, and replacement personnel costs can add to operating expense over time.
Final assessment
BODYBAR presents a studio-based, membership-led model with disclosed unit economics that show both recurring revenue characteristics and meaningful variation in outcomes. The main tradeoff is clear: the model offers a substantial membership component, but it comes with high startup cost, layered ongoing fees, active operating demands, and limited territory protection.
FAQ
How much does a BODYBAR franchise cost?
The estimated initial investment is **$389,964 to $759,356**, including a **$60,000 franchise fee**.
What revenue does a BODYBAR studio make?
In Item 19, included studios reported **average gross sales of $751,000** and **median gross sales of $733,106**.
Is a BODYBAR franchise profitable?
The FDD reports average **net income of $182,143** for included studios, but that does not guarantee any franchisee result, and the figures were **not audited or independently verified**.
Is this passive ownership?
The disclosure indicates an **Operating Principal** is required and a manager structure is part of the model, so it appears better suited to active oversight than passive ownership.
How many locations does BODYBAR have?
The disclosure states there were **46 open studios** as of December 31, 2024. ---
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