Learning Express franchise research

Investment by format

Format-specific estimates only. Do not combine one format's minimum with another format's maximum.

Investment sourceFDD p.19 ↗

Franchise fees and ongoing costs

Franchise fee

$15,000 to $35,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review.

Royalty

5% · greater of 5% of Gross Receipts or $500/month per location, paid monthly by EFT on the 15th

Marketing contribution

1% (basis not captured; see original filing)

Technology fee

$100/month POS Software Support & Hosting fee; plus one-time $4,950 POS Corporate License access fee (3-user standard system)

Other fees

Not captured

Working capital (FDD Item 7)

$15,000 - $30,000 working capital (depending on time of year), covering rent, payroll, other operational expenses and a minimum checking account balance; excludes owner's compensation.

Fees sourceFDD p.15 ↗

Working capital is drawn from Item 7. The Investment source below locates the investment section, not an independently verified working-capital scalar.

Investment sourceFDD p.19 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

Financial performance: Item 19

Item 19 captured

Yes

Metric / basis

Average and median annual Gross Sales Revenue (unaudited, self-reported)

Reporting period

2019 (4-year table shown: 2016-2019)

Sample

100 of 103 stores operating as of December 31, 2019 (open one full year or more, comparable in size/scope; excludes 1 fractional franchise store in Fremont, NE)

Reported average

$730,180

Reported median

$651,360

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Results depend on the disclosed metric, sample and period; consult the full filing.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.46 ↗

Unit growth: Item 20

Reporting year

2019

Scope

franchised outlets

Starting outlets

109

Year-end outlets

101

Net change

-8

Derivation

ending minus starting outlets

Openings

2

Terminations

0

Non-renewals

0

Other closures

10

Reacquisitions

0

Transfers

3

Transfers are not closures. Net change is ending minus starting outlets for the stated scope and year, or complete openings less terminations, non-renewals, other closures and reacquisitions. Missing inputs stay unknown.

Unit growth sourceFDD p.48 ↗

SBA loan history

Loan activity

6 approvals

Activity window

FY2021-FY2026 YTD; snapshot 2026-06-30

Median SBA loan

$620,000

Median loan window

FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30

Median loan sample

2 loans

Historical charge-off share

Suppressed: fewer than 10 seasoned loans

Cohort

7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals

Numerator / denominator

0 / 7

Formula

CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100

This is a historical loan-level share, not a franchise failure probability or location survival rate. Loan size is not total investment. Other loan statuses are excluded from the seasoned denominator. Activity combines 7(a) and 504 approvals, excluding canceled and not-funded records; this is not a rolling five-year count. FY2024-25 franchise tags are sparse after directory suspension; fewer tagged loans do not establish brand decline. Recent charge-off cohorts are immature.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median loan amounts are financing context, not startup cost. The median window is separate from the seasoned charge-off cohort.

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Questions before you invest

How much does Learning Express franchise cost?

standard: $181,794 to $318,594; conversion: $25,825 to $84,294 These are format-specific estimates, not a guaranteed cash requirement. Franchise fee: $15,000 to $35,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review..

Investment sourceFDD p.19 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

How much do Learning Express owners make?

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Item 19 metric: Average and median annual Gross Sales Revenue (unaudited, self-reported). Sample: 100 of 103 stores operating as of December 31, 2019 (open one full year or more, comparable in size/scope; excludes 1 fractional franchise store in Fremont, NE). Period: 2019 (4-year table shown: 2016-2019).

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.46 ↗

What's the SBA charge-off rate for Learning Express?

Suppressed: fewer than 10 seasoned loans; numerator / denominator: 0 / 7. Historical 7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals; CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100, snapshot 2026-06-30. This is not a franchise failure probability. Median SBA loan: $620,000; window: FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30; sample: 2 loans. Median financing is not total investment.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗