FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

Verified — real FDD extraction

Not found in the SBA Franchise Directory under this name — though SBA loans to its franchisees exist; verify eligibility with your lender

IRON 24

Fitness · independent · est. —

IRON 24 is a 24-hour fitness gym offering members round-the-clock access to weights and exercise equipment, typically on a membership basis. A franchisee owns and runs a gym facility, managing memberships, equipment, and staff.

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A franchise is a business where you (the franchisee) pay a company (the franchisor) for the right to open and run a location using their brand and system — think a local Anytime Fitness or Taco John's owned by a small-business owner, not the corporation.

Before you can buy in, U.S. law requires the franchisor to give you a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) — a long legal filing covering its fees, finances, and history. The numbers on this page come straight from that document:

  • Franchise fee — the one-time cost to buy in.
  • Royalty — the ongoing cut of your sales you pay the franchisor.
  • Item 20 — how many locations opened and closed, the basis for our verdict (from Proven & strong down to Distressed — or Too new to judge).

The verdict

Not enough disclosure

Distress

0
STABLE

No verified FDD extraction to judge from. Any figures shown are labelled sample data or independent federal records.

Exit rate · latest year

Not disclosed

Cost to open

$201K–$481K

Item 7 total investment range

SBA loan defaults

Too few resolved

8 loans exist; too few resolved to rate

Behind the verdict

the record, factor by factor · Item 20

hi-1.0.0
Net unit growth35%

3-yr trend · Item 20 Table 1

Fair
Exit quality25%

terminations + ceased-ops vs. all exits · Table 3

Weak
Transfer / churn15%

transfers vs. base · Table 3

Fair
Promise-keeping10%

actual vs. projected openings · Table 5

Weak
Transparency15%

Item 19 disclosure + completeness

Strong

Systemwide units

2021–2023

020210202272023

Survival record

FDD Item 20 · outlet status by year

In fiscal 2023, 1 of 0 franchised outlets left the system. Not every exit is a failure — but this is the measurable floor.

Show the outlet tables
Status (FTC)202120222023
Outlets at start000
Opened007
Transfers000
Terminations001
Non-renewals000
Reacquired by franchisor000
Ceased — other reasons000
Outlets at end007
Net change00+7

The lender's view

SBA 7(a)/504 loan performance · FY1991–present

Banks have made 8 SBA-backed loans to IRON 24 franchisees since 2023. Most are still open, so there is not yet a resolved cohort large enough to rate.

Charge-off rate

0 resolved · too thin to rate

Loss given default

avg. charged-off $ ÷ approved $

Expected loss

default rate × loss severity

Avg. loan · FY2020+

$240,312

what recent franchisees borrowed

Median time to default

approval → charge-off, defaulted loans

Lenders · FY21+ vs FY16–20

distinct banks lending

Charge-off rate by loan approval year (%)

SOURCE: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA LOAN DATA (DATA.SBA.GOV), FY1991–PRESENT · MATCHED TO IRON 24 BY FRANCHISE NAME · RESOLVED = CHARGED-OFF + PAID-IN-FULL

What it costs — and what it drags

FDD Items 5–7 · fees, investment, royalty

Buying in means a $39K franchise fee (Item 5) and a total investment of $201K–$481K (Item 7). The franchisor publishes an earnings claim (Item 19) — read its methodology closely.

To open (Item 7)

$201K–$481K

all-in investment range

Franchise fee (Item 5)

$39K

upfront, one-time

Royalty (Item 6)

7%

of sales, ongoing

If a unit does this in annual sales…$1M/yr

Your figure — cross-check against this brand's Item 19 and current-owner validation.

Royalty you'd pay / yr

$70K

7% of sales, before profit

Over a 10-yr term

$700K

royalties alone, excl. ad fund

This is not profit. It's the only money the FDD actually pins down — what you put in, and the royalty you owe on every dollar of sales. Your real take-home depends on labor, rent, food cost, and ramp-to-breakeven, none of which any FDD discloses.

Build a real pro-forma for IRON 24 with an independent CPA

Distress signals

news-sourced · bankruptcies, closures, lawsuits

No recent closures, bankruptcies, or major lawsuits found in the news for IRON 24. That's a good sign — but it reflects news coverage, not a guarantee.

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A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing IRON 24's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.

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IRON 24 franchise questions, answered from the filings

How much does a IRON 24 franchise cost?

Per IRON 24's 2024 FDD, buying in requires an initial franchise fee of $39K (Item 5) and a total initial investment of $201K–$481K (Item 7).

What royalty does IRON 24 charge?

IRON 24 charges an ongoing royalty of 7.0% of gross sales, per Item 6 of its 2024 FDD.

Does IRON 24 disclose earnings (Item 19)?

Yes — IRON 24 makes a financial performance representation in Item 19 of its 2024 FDD. Read it closely: franchisors choose which units and which metrics to include.

Is IRON 24 a good franchise to buy? Health score, exit rate & costs (2026) · Franchise Watch Desk