Quick Verdict · who it fits
Once Upon A Child fits owner-operators looking for a mid-scale retail concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$327K - $486K
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$15K
Royalty (Item 6)
5% + 5% ad
Item 19 median rev
$1.18M all franchised units
System size (Item 20)
441 +17
Years in business
38+ yrs
Model Once Upon A Child's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
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.
Where units actually land — not just the headline average.
P25
$1M
Median
$1.18M
P75
$1.51M
▪ n = 395,408 units · all franchised units · fiscal year ended December 27, 2025 · Source: 2026 FDD Item 19
Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 5% + ad fund 5% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$1,180,000
$100k$2.2M
Royalty (5%)
—
Ad fund (5%)
—
Total / year
—
▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration
How Once Upon A Child ranks against 118 Retail peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
79th pct · of 118 peers
Franchise fee
10th pct · of 118 peers
System size
88th pct · of 118 peers
Retail industry averages
Avg investment
$247K - $707K
Avg franchise fee
$37K
Avg system size
238
Franchises analyzed
118
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Once Upon A Child | Disclosed | $15K | $327K - $486K | 5% | 441 |
| Magnolia Soap and Bath Co. FrchSimilar price | Disclosed | $60K | $264K - $491K | 7% | 42 |
| 7-ElevenBiggest system | Disclosed | — | $163K - $1.7M | 45–56% | 7,229 |
| 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
The '$0 franchise fee' is the bottom of a range, not the fee. 7-Eleven's 2026 FDD prices the Franchise Fee at $0 to $1,100,000 per store, and the ongoing 7-Eleven Charge is not just a royalty: Item 6 says it is also your lease of the store and equipment. Here is the full cost stack, line by line.
Brand Analysis
Ace Hardware Corporation is a retailer-owned cooperative, not a conventional franchisor. It counted 5,250 cooperative locations in the United States at the end of 2025, members buy stock rather than paying a royalty, and some states still deem those member-owned stores franchises.
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Once Upon A Child requires a $15,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $327,200–$485,900, per the most recent FDD on file.
Once Upon A Child is franchised by Winmark Corporation (Once Upon A Child), the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the franchisor's corporate history, parents, and predecessors.
Yes. Once Upon A Child discloses Item 19 financial performance representations with reported revenue around $1,178,261. See the financials sub-page for the full distribution.
Franchisees pay a royalty of 5% of Gross Sales and an advertising fund contribution of 5% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2026 FDD, Once Upon A Child has 441 total locations, with 17 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
This page is part of VetMyFranchise. View all pages: llms.txt · llms-full.txt