BFT Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a BFT franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2025), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
BFT discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it B.
What their own earnings claim actually says
29 qualified studios (2024): avg gross revenue $360,918 (median $329,200, range $167,120-$746,418); avg 169 monthly active members; avg 18 new memberships monthly. Revenue mix: 92% memberships, 4% services, 1% fees, 3% products. 45% met/exceeded average revenue.
What a BFT franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $60,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 7% of gross sales | Item 6 — charged on revenue, not profit |
| Advertising fund | 2% of gross sales | Item 6 — brand marketing, spent at the franchisor's discretion |
| Total recurring fees | 9% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $509,836 – $1,204,045 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
7% royalty; 2% brand development fund; $715/mo technology fee; variable marketing co-op; $1,500+ local ad spend minimum monthly.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
BFT system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 49 |
| Ceased operations | 2 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 2 |
| Transferred to new owners | 0 |
| Closure rate | 4.1% of outlets |
2 studios ceased operations 2024; 2 terminations 2024; 11 projected cessations 2025 from signed unopen agreements.
From Item 20 of the FDD 2025. Terminations and ceased operations are the franchisor's own count of owners who stopped — the number the sales pitch leaves out.
Is BFT worth it? — how it compares to 71 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 9% of sales | about average |
| Startup cost | from $509,836 | pricier than 83% of peers |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade B | more honest than 82% of fitness & gyms franchises |
| Closure rate | 4.1% of outlets | worse than 73% of peers |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 8 | more litigious than 89% of peers |
Benchmarked against every fitness & gyms franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a BFT
The franchisor's framing: 29 qualified studios (2024): avg gross revenue $360,918 (median $329,200, range $167,120-$… We reconstruct what an owner actually keeps, from their own FDD.
- Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
- Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI
- Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
- Decoded real failure / closure rate
- How it ranks vs comparable franchises
- Validation-call playbook — the exact questions to ask
See a full sample report → · 30-day guarantee
BFT franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a BFT franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $509,836–$1,204,045, including a $60,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do BFT franchise owners make?
- 29 qualified studios (2024): avg gross revenue $360,918 (median $329,200, range $167,120-$746,418); avg 169 monthly active members; avg 18 new memberships monthly. Revenue mix: 92% memberships, 4% services, 1% fees, 3% products. 45% met/exceeded average revenue. We grade this disclosure B for honesty.
- What are the BFT franchise fees?
- BFT's FDD discloses a $60,000 initial franchise fee, a 7% royalty on gross sales, a 2% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 9% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. 7% royalty; 2% brand development fund; $715/mo technology fee; variable marketing co-op; $1,500+ local ad spend minimum monthly.
- What is the BFT franchise profit margin?
- BFT does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: 29 qualified studios (2024): avg gross revenue $360,918 (median $329,200, range $167,120-$746,418); avg 169 monthly active members; avg 18 new memberships monthly. Revenue mix: 92% memberships, 4% services, 1% fees, 3% products. 45% met/exceeded average revenue. Recurring fees alone take about 9% of gross sales, before rent, labor, food or debt service. Margin has to be reconstructed from the disclosure, not read off it.
- What is the BFT franchise failure rate?
- 2 studios ceased operations 2024; 2 terminations 2024; 11 projected cessations 2025 from signed unopen agreements.
- How many BFT locations are there?
- BFT's FDD reports 49 total outlets, with 2 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 0 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does BFT have complaints or lawsuits?
- BFT discloses 8 legal matters in Item 3 of its FDD. Item 3 covers the franchisor's litigation history, which is the closest thing to a public record of how it treats franchisees — read the case descriptions, not just the count.
- Is a BFT franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. BFT scores B on disclosure honesty, carries about 9% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 8 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Source: MN CARDS 35407-202602-04 (Clean FDD 2025). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with BFT or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.