BRIGHTSTAR Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a BRIGHTSTAR franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2026), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
BRIGHTSTAR discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it B.
What their own earnings claim actually says
2025 revenue data: 207 agencies open 12+ months, average $2.41M (36% attained), median $1.94M (50% attained). Gross margins average 42%.
What a BRIGHTSTAR franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 5.25% of gross sales | Item 6 — charged on revenue, not profit |
| Advertising fund | 2.5% of gross sales | Item 6 — brand marketing, spent at the franchisor's discretion |
| Total recurring fees | 7.75% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $102,754 – $220,186 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
Royalty: 5.25% non-National, 6.25% National. Marketing fee $500/mo or 2.5%. Multiple tech/ABS/training/insurance fees apply monthly.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
BRIGHTSTAR system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 396 |
| Ceased operations | 3 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 3 |
| Transferred to new owners | 25 |
| Closure rate | 0.8% of outlets |
3 terminations in 2025; 2-3 ceased operations annually; system shows healthy growth with 19 net outlets added in 2025.
From Item 20 of the FDD 2026. Terminations and ceased operations are the franchisor's own count of owners who stopped — the number the sales pitch leaves out.
Is BRIGHTSTAR worth it? — how it compares to 50 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 7.75% of sales | steeper than 65% of senior & home care franchises |
| Startup cost | from $102,754 | about average (median $101,125) |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade B | more honest than 78% of senior & home care franchises |
| Closure rate | 0.8% of outlets | about average |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 2 | about average |
Benchmarked against every senior & home care franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a BRIGHTSTAR
The franchisor's framing: 2025 revenue data: 207 agencies open 12+ months, average $2.41M (36% attained), median $1.… 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
BRIGHTSTAR franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a BRIGHTSTAR franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $102,754–$220,186, including a $50,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do BRIGHTSTAR franchise owners make?
- 2025 revenue data: 207 agencies open 12+ months, average $2.41M (36% attained), median $1.94M (50% attained). Gross margins average 42%. We grade this disclosure B for honesty.
- What are the BRIGHTSTAR franchise fees?
- BRIGHTSTAR's FDD discloses a $50,000 initial franchise fee, a 5.25% royalty on gross sales, a 2.5% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 7.75% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. Royalty: 5.25% non-National, 6.25% National. Marketing fee $500/mo or 2.5%. Multiple tech/ABS/training/insurance fees apply monthly.
- What is the BRIGHTSTAR franchise profit margin?
- BRIGHTSTAR does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: 2025 revenue data: 207 agencies open 12+ months, average $2.41M (36% attained), median $1.94M (50% attained). Gross margins average 42%. Recurring fees alone take about 7.75% 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 BRIGHTSTAR franchise failure rate?
- 3 terminations in 2025; 2-3 ceased operations annually; system shows healthy growth with 19 net outlets added in 2025.
- How many BRIGHTSTAR locations are there?
- BRIGHTSTAR's FDD reports 396 total outlets, with 3 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 25 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does BRIGHTSTAR have complaints or lawsuits?
- BRIGHTSTAR discloses 2 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 BRIGHTSTAR franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. BRIGHTSTAR scores B on disclosure honesty, carries about 7.75% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 2 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Compare BRIGHTSTAR to similar franchises
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Source: MN CARDS 35803-202604-09 (Clean FDD 2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with BRIGHTSTAR or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.