Mad Science Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a Mad Science franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2025), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
Mad Science discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it B.
What their own earnings claim actually says
Gross revenues for 57 franchisees fiscal year 3/31/25: average $388,000 (range $85,000-$1,311,000). Single-territory operators averaged $454,000. Data unaudited; no cherry-picking evident but limited performance details.
What a Mad Science franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $49,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 8% 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 | 10% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $132,331 – $191,959 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
Royalty 8% gross revenues; marketing fund 2-3% gross revenues; technology access $227-500/month; multiple ancillary fees including audit, transfer, renewal.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
Mad Science system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 70 |
| Ceased operations | 0 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 0 |
| Transferred to new owners | 5 |
| Closure rate | 0.0% of outlets |
Net outlet growth modest; 57 franchised outlets FY2025 vs 70 FY2023 base (two-year decline).
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 Mad Science worth it? — how it compares to 436 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 10% of sales | steeper than 74% of other franchises franchises |
| Startup cost | from $132,331 | about average (median $138,750) |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade B | more honest than 84% of other franchises franchises |
| Closure rate | 0.0% of outlets | better than most (median 1.5%) |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 2 | more litigious than 68% of peers |
Benchmarked against every other franchises franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a Mad Science
The franchisor's framing: Gross revenues for 57 franchisees fiscal year 3/31/25: average $388,000 (range $85,000-$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
Mad Science franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a Mad Science franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $132,331–$191,959, including a $49,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do Mad Science franchise owners make?
- Gross revenues for 57 franchisees fiscal year 3/31/25: average $388,000 (range $85,000-$1,311,000). Single-territory operators averaged $454,000. Data unaudited; no cherry-picking evident but limited performance details. We grade this disclosure B for honesty.
- What are the Mad Science franchise fees?
- Mad Science's FDD discloses a $49,000 initial franchise fee, a 8% royalty on gross sales, a 2% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 10% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. Royalty 8% gross revenues; marketing fund 2-3% gross revenues; technology access $227-500/month; multiple ancillary fees including audit, transfer, renewal.
- What is the Mad Science franchise profit margin?
- Mad Science does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: Gross revenues for 57 franchisees fiscal year 3/31/25: average $388,000 (range $85,000-$1,311,000). Single-territory operators averaged $454,000. Data unaudited; no cherry-picking evident but limited performance details. 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 Mad Science franchise failure rate?
- Net outlet growth modest; 57 franchised outlets FY2025 vs 70 FY2023 base (two-year decline).
- How many Mad Science locations are there?
- Mad Science's FDD reports 70 total outlets, with 0 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 5 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does Mad Science have complaints or lawsuits?
- Mad Science 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 Mad Science franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Mad Science scores B on disclosure honesty, carries about 10% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 2 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
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Compare Mad Science to similar franchises
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Source: MN CARDS 34572-202507-07 (Clean FDD 2025). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Mad Science or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.