FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

ITEMS 5–7 · 2020 FDD · 5+ YEARS OLD

How much is a Learning Express franchise?

Per Learning Express's 2020 FDD, the initial franchise fee is $35,000 (Item 5) and the total initial investment runs $182K–$319K (Item 7); once open, you pay an ongoing royalty of 5.0% of gross sales (Item 6). This is the most recent filing tracked here (2020 FDD · 5+ years old); fees have likely changed, so ask the franchisor for the current FDD.

Franchise fee · Item 5

$35,000

one-time, to buy in

Royalty · Item 6

5.0%

of gross sales, ongoing

Total investment · Item 7

$182K–$319K

franchisor's own estimate

Learning Express vs retail & products medians28 systems benchmarked
Cost lineLearning ExpressSector median
Initial franchise fee ITEM 5$35,000$40,000
Ongoing royalty ITEM 65.0%6.0%
Total initial investment ITEM 7$182K–$319K$176K–$388K

MEDIANS: LATEST FDD FILINGS (≤24 MONTHS OLD) OF 28 RETAIL & PRODUCTS SYSTEMS · FULL RETAIL & PRODUCTS BENCHMARK →

Breakeven framingwhat it costs · what it drags

The buy-in is the smaller number. The larger one is the drag: 5.0% of every sale leaves before rent, labor, or your salary — so breakeven depends on volume you cannot know from the FDD; use the Item 19 figures as a starting point, not a promise.

To open (Item 7)

$182K–$319K

all-in investment range

Franchise fee (Item 5)

$35,000

upfront, one-time

Royalty (Item 6)

5%

of sales, ongoing

If a unit does this in annual sales…$500K/yr

Starts at a placeholder of $500K — a round figure for the sector, not from Learning Express’ filings. Set your own figure and check it against this brand's Item 19 and what owners tell you.

Royalty you'd pay / yr

$25K

5% of sales, before profit

Over a 10-yr term

$250K

royalties alone, excl. ad fund

This estimate is computed by software from the brand's public filings and any inputs you enter. No CPA prepared it for you and no assurance is provided on it. Actual results will differ, and the differences may be material.

This is not profit. It covers what the FDD fixes: what you put in, and the royalty you owe on sales. Your take-home depends on labor, rent, supplies, and the months to breakeven, none of which the FDD fixes for your unit (some Item 19s include cost data — read it).

Build a real pro-forma for Learning Express with a buyer-paid CPA

Learning Express cost questions, answered from the filing

How much is a Learning Express franchise?

Per Learning Express's 2020 FDD, opening a franchise requires an initial franchise fee of $35,000 (Item 5) and a total initial investment of $182K–$319K (Item 7). Item 7 is the franchisor's own estimate — treat the low end as a floor, not a budget.

What royalty does Learning Express charge?

Learning Express charges an ongoing royalty of 5.0% of gross sales, per Item 6 of its 2020 FDD. The median across 28 retail & products systems tracked here is 6.0%.

Does Learning Express tell you what franchisees earn?

Partly — Learning Express makes a financial performance representation in Item 19 of its 2020 FDD, reporting a median unit volume of $651K. Unit revenue is not owner profit: subtract royalties, ad fund, rent, labor, and debt service.

The Learning Express validation checklist

questions built from this brand's own filings · read them all on the profile

Want this as a checklist you can take to the calls?

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Before you sign anythingfree · 30 min · no commission

A broker is usually paid by the franchisor to place you. I'm paid only by you, never by a franchisor you're considering — and the job is pressure-testing Learning Express’ numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.

Don Drummond, CPA — Virginia #43775 · what I charge

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