Lightbridge Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a Lightbridge franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2024), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
Lightbridge discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it B.
What their own earnings claim actually says
62 mature centers (24+ months): avg $2.45M revenue, $373.9K EBITDA (15.3%). 46 franchised centers avg $2.39M revenue, $352.7K EBITDA (14.7%). Developing centers underperform. Grant income included.
What a Lightbridge franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $40,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 7% of gross sales | Item 6 — charged on revenue, not profit |
| Advertising fund | 3% of gross sales | Item 6 — brand marketing, spent at the franchisor's discretion |
| Total recurring fees | 10% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $1,067,233 – $3,120,400 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
Reduced royalty 4% first 6 months. Lease guaranty fee 6% annual rent. $6K quarterly min advertising.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
Lightbridge system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 73 |
| Ceased operations | 1 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 6 |
| Transferred to new owners | 2 |
| Closure rate | 1.4% of outlets |
1 closure in 3 years; 6 terminations in 2023 across 50 franchised outlets
From Item 20 of the FDD 2024. Terminations and ceased operations are the franchisor's own count of owners who stopped — the number the sales pitch leaves out.
Is Lightbridge worth it? — how it compares to 60 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 10% of sales | steeper than 64% of children's education & childcare franchises |
| Startup cost | from $1,067,233 | pricier than 93% of peers |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade B | more honest than 75% of children's education & childcare franchises |
| Closure rate | 1.4% of outlets | about average |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 0 | fewer than most |
Benchmarked against every children's education & childcare franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a Lightbridge
The franchisor's framing: 62 mature centers (24+ months): avg $2.45M revenue, $373.9K EBITDA (15.3%). 46 franchised … 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
Lightbridge franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a Lightbridge franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $1,067,233–$3,120,400, including a $40,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do Lightbridge franchise owners make?
- 62 mature centers (24+ months): avg $2.45M revenue, $373.9K EBITDA (15.3%). 46 franchised centers avg $2.39M revenue, $352.7K EBITDA (14.7%). Developing centers underperform. Grant income included. We grade this disclosure B for honesty.
- What are the Lightbridge franchise fees?
- Lightbridge's FDD discloses a $40,000 initial franchise fee, a 7% royalty on gross sales, a 3% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 10% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. Reduced royalty 4% first 6 months. Lease guaranty fee 6% annual rent. $6K quarterly min advertising.
- What is the Lightbridge franchise profit margin?
- Lightbridge does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: 62 mature centers (24+ months): avg $2.45M revenue, $373.9K EBITDA (15.3%). 46 franchised centers avg $2.39M revenue, $352.7K EBITDA (14.7%). Developing centers underperform. Grant income included. Recurring fees alone take about 10% 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 Lightbridge franchise failure rate?
- 1 closure in 3 years; 6 terminations in 2023 across 50 franchised outlets
- How many Lightbridge locations are there?
- Lightbridge's FDD reports 73 total outlets, with 1 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 2 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does Lightbridge have complaints or lawsuits?
- Lightbridge discloses no material litigation in Item 3 of the filing we reviewed. That's a positive signal, though it covers only what the franchisor is required to report.
- Is a Lightbridge franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Lightbridge scores B on disclosure honesty, carries about 10% of sales in ongoing fees. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
Own a Lightbridge? Add your real numbers (anonymous)
We publish only aggregated benchmarks — never your name. Contribute and we'll show you how your numbers compare.
Compare Lightbridge to similar franchises
See all franchises ranked by disclosure honesty →
Source: MN CARDS 31270-202404-06 (Clean FDD 2024). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Lightbridge or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.