Quick Verdict · who it fits
Set the Stage fits first-time franchise buyers looking for a mid-scale real estate concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$204K - $261K
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$60K
Royalty (Item 6)
6% + 2% ad
System size (Item 20)
113 +65
Agreement term
10 yrs
Years in business
13+ yrs
Item 3 litigation
1 suit
Model Set the Stage's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Buyer qualifications
Data extracted from the 2025 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 6% + ad fund 2% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$500,000
$100k$2M
Royalty (6%)
—
Ad fund (2%)
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Total / year
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▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration
Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.
24
Total units open
18
Units opened last year
0
Units closed last year
18
Net unit growth
What our analysis flagged across the 2025 filing.
5
Risks to review
3
Strengths identified
4
Questions to ask
How Set the Stage ranks against 80 Real Estate peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
91st pct · of 80 peers
Franchise fee
90th pct · of 80 peers
System size
60th pct · of 80 peers
Real Estate industry averages
Avg investment
$149K - $369K
Avg franchise fee
$33K
Avg system size
252
Franchises analyzed
80
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Set the Stage | Disclosed | $60K | $204K - $261K | 6% | 113 |
| Howard Hanna Real Estate AssociatesSimilar price | Disclosed | $25K | $45K - $259K | 2–6% | 40 |
| Re MaxBiggest system | None | $35K | $50K - $337K | — | 2,994 |
| 1st Class CompaniesTop-rated in category | Disclosed | $25K | $31K - $43K | — | 70 |
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Personalized
Free explainers to go deeper before you sign.
Brand Analysis
Item 7 of AFC's 2026 FDD prices one American Family Care center at $948,250 to $1,514,000, and Item 19 puts median franchised revenue at $1,699,854 across 291 centers. The same Item 19 also shows the bottom quarter of affiliate-owned centers running negative 4-wall EBITDA, which is the number that decides whether this deal works.
Brand Analysis
The 2026 FDD prices an Anytime Fitness franchise at $539,329 to $905,482 and charges a flat $842 monthly royalty, not a percentage. Every Item 7 line item, the four revenue quartiles, and the fee clause most cost pages have never read.
Brand Analysis
Item 7 of the 2026 Dunkin' FDD prices four build formats, not one. A freestanding restaurant runs $532,400 to $1,832,500 and posts a $1,522,154 median AUV. A non-traditional kiosk runs $142,000 to $862,500 and posts $747,043. Here is what each format actually costs and earns.
Set the Stage requires a $59,500 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $204,150–$261,345, per the most recent FDD on file.
Set the Stage franchises are sold by Set the Stage, Inc., the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the corporate structure, including any parent companies and predecessors.
Yes. Set the Stage discloses Item 19 financial performance representations in its FDD. See the financials sub-page for the disclosed figures.
Franchisees pay a royalty of 6% and an advertising fund contribution of 2% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2025 FDD, Set the Stage has 113 total locations, with 65 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
Per the FDD, Set the Stage discloses an initial agreement term of 10 years, a renewal fee of $5,000, a transfer fee of $15,000. 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