Lil' Kickers Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a Lil' Kickers franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2025), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
Lil' Kickers discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it C.
What their own earnings claim actually says
2024 gross sales/enrollment for 56 traditional outlets (avg $385,832, median $223,721) and 11 micro outlets (avg $117,640, median $106,828). Only 38-43% of traditional locations met average. Limited data; assumes established facilities.
What a Lil' Kickers franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $25,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 9% of gross sales | Item 6 — charged on revenue, not profit |
| Total recurring fees | 9% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $40,050 – $64,435 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
9% royalty with $2,000-$9,000 annual minimums. $295/mo DaySmart fee. Marketing $350-$850/mo mandatory.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
Lil' Kickers system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 91 |
| Ceased operations | 2 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 6 |
| Transferred to new owners | 1 |
| Closure rate | 2.2% of outlets |
2024: 6 terminations, 2 closures, 1 non-renewal. Low median achievement rates in Item 19.
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 Lil' Kickers worth it? — how it compares to 60 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 9% of sales | lower than most (median 9%) |
| Startup cost | from $40,050 | cheaper than most (median $191,992) |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade C | typical for the category |
| Closure rate | 2.2% of outlets | worse than 62% of peers |
| 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 Lil' Kickers
The franchisor's framing: 2024 gross sales/enrollment for 56 traditional outlets (avg $385,832, median $223,721) and… 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
Lil' Kickers franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a Lil' Kickers franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $40,050–$64,435, including a $25,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do Lil' Kickers franchise owners make?
- 2024 gross sales/enrollment for 56 traditional outlets (avg $385,832, median $223,721) and 11 micro outlets (avg $117,640, median $106,828). Only 38-43% of traditional locations met average. Limited data; assumes established facilities. We grade this disclosure C for honesty.
- What are the Lil' Kickers franchise fees?
- Lil' Kickers' FDD discloses a $25,000 initial franchise fee, a 9% royalty on gross sales, for roughly 9% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. 9% royalty with $2,000-$9,000 annual minimums. $295/mo DaySmart fee. Marketing $350-$850/mo mandatory.
- What is the Lil' Kickers franchise profit margin?
- Lil' Kickers does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: 2024 gross sales/enrollment for 56 traditional outlets (avg $385,832, median $223,721) and 11 micro outlets (avg $117,640, median $106,828). Only 38-43% of traditional locations met average. Limited data; assumes established facilities. 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 Lil' Kickers franchise failure rate?
- 2024: 6 terminations, 2 closures, 1 non-renewal. Low median achievement rates in Item 19.
- How many Lil' Kickers locations are there?
- Lil' Kickers' FDD reports 91 total outlets, with 2 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 1 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does Lil' Kickers have complaints or lawsuits?
- Lil' Kickers 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 Lil' Kickers franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Lil' Kickers scores C on disclosure honesty, carries about 9% of sales in ongoing fees. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Compare Lil' Kickers to similar franchises
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Source: MN CARDS 34305-202506-07 (Clean FDD 2025). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Lil' Kickers or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.