Quick Verdict · who it fits
HobbyTown fits first-time franchise buyers looking for a mid-scale retail concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$327K - $458K
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$50K
Royalty (Item 6)
4.75% + 2% ad
Item 19 median rev
$1.44M all reporting franchised stores
System size (Item 20)
85 +1
Agreement term
10 yrs
Years in business
41+ yrs
Training (Item 11)
147 days
Item 3 litigation
None disclosed
Model HobbyTown's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Buyer qualifications
✓Exclusive territory✓Semi-absentee eligible✓No bankruptcy disclosed✓No Item 3 litigation
Data extracted from the 2026 FDD filed with state regulators. Fees and terms may have changed since filing — request the current FDD from the franchisor before deciding. Not legal, financial, or investment advice. Full disclaimer.
Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 4.75% + ad fund 2% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$1,440,000
$100k$2.6M
Royalty (4.75%)
—
Ad fund (2%)
—
Total / year
—
▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration
Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.
94
Total units open
2
Units opened last year
8
Units closed last year
-6
Net unit growth
What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.
5
Risks to review
4
Strengths identified
5
Questions to ask
How HobbyTown ranks against 126 Retail peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
76th pct · of 126 peers
Franchise fee
65th pct · of 126 peers
System size
54th pct · of 126 peers
Retail industry averages
Avg investment
$254K - $680K
Avg franchise fee
$38K
Avg system size
225
Franchises analyzed
126
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HobbyTown | Disclosed | $50K | $327K - $458K | 4.75% | 85 |
| WinmarkSimilar price | None | $25K | $343K - $457K | 5% | 302 |
| 7-ElevenBiggest system | Disclosed | — | $163K - $1.7M | 45–56% | 7,274 |
| Byrider Franchising PartnersTop-rated in category | Disclosed | $60K | $947K - $1.6M | 1–2.5% | 81 |
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Free explainers to go deeper before you sign.
Brand Analysis
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Brand Analysis
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HobbyTown requires a $49,500 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $327,100–$458,000, per the most recent FDD on file.
HobbyTown is franchised by Hobby Town Unlimited, Inc., the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the franchisor's corporate history, parents, and predecessors.
No. HobbyTown does not include a financial performance representation in its FDD. Prospective buyers should rely on validation calls with existing franchisees and benchmark against industry medians.
Franchisees pay a royalty of 4.75% and an advertising fund contribution of 2% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2026 FDD, HobbyTown has 85 total locations, with 1 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
Yes. HobbyTown's most recent FDD documents approximately 147 days of initial training, typically split between classroom and on-site components. See Item 11 of the FDD for the full training and support schedule.
Yes. HobbyTown grants franchisees an exclusive territory under Item 12 of the FDD. Note that exclusive territories often carve out online sales, alternative distribution channels, and non-traditional venues — review the full Item 12 language before signing.
Per the FDD, HobbyTown discloses an initial agreement term of 10 years, a transfer fee of $10,000. Review Items 10 and 17 for the full renewal and termination provisions.
This page is part of VetMyFranchise. View all pages: llms.txt · llms-full.txt