Goldfish Swim School Franchise Review & Verdict (2026)

Product details

Contents

Key facts


The Verdict

Quick Verdict · who it fits

Goldfish Swim School fits first-time franchise buyers looking for a mid-scale child services concept.

✓ Strengths

Key FDD Facts

The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.

Initial investment (Item 7)

$1.7M - $3.7M

Franchise fee (Item 5)

$50K

Royalty (Item 6)

6% + 2% ad

Item 19 median rev

$1.78M all franchised units open for at least 12 months

System size (Item 20)

192 +23

Years in business

18+ yrs

Model Goldfish Swim School'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.

Item 19 revenue distribution

Where units actually land — not just the headline average.

P25

$1.39M

Median

$1.78M

P75

$2.42M

▪ n = 169 units · all franchised units open for at least 12 months · calendar year 2025 · Source: 2026 FDD Item 19

What you'd pay the franchisor

Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 6% + ad fund 2% on gross sales.

PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$1,780,000

$100k$3.3M

Royalty (6%)

Ad fund (2%)

Total / year

▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration

Executive Summary

Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.

Key Numbers

199

Total units open

23 franchised units; 0 company-owned units

Units opened last year

1 franchised termination; 2 company-owned ceased operations

Units closed last year

22 units

Net unit growth

AI Due Diligence Findings PREMIUM

What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.

5

Risks to review

4

Strengths identified

5

Questions to ask

Industry Benchmarks

How Goldfish Swim School ranks against 137 Child Services & Education peers we've analyzed.

Initial investment

94th pct · of 137 peers

Franchise fee

64th pct · of 137 peers

System size

83rd pct · of 137 peers

Child Services & Education industry averages

Avg investment

$373K - $1.1M

Avg franchise fee

$46K

Avg system size

96

Franchises analyzed

137

How Goldfish Swim School stacks up

Closest concepts by category and investment.

Brand Item 19 Fee Investment Royalty Units
Goldfish Swim School Disclosed $50K $1.7M - $3.7M 6% 192
WkafSimilar price Disclosed $80K $378K - $3.8M 6% 0
Kumon North AmericaBiggest system None $2K $102K - $234K 1,705
Uatp ManagementTop-rated in category Disclosed $100K $2.9M - $5.4M 7% 202

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Goldfish Swim School franchise cost?

Goldfish Swim School requires a $50,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $1,663,263–$3,746,733, per the most recent FDD on file.

Who owns Goldfish Swim School?

Goldfish Swim School franchises are sold by Goldfish Swim School Franchising, LLC, 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.

Does Goldfish Swim School disclose financial performance (Item 19)?

Yes. Goldfish Swim School discloses Item 19 financial performance representations with reported revenue around $1,781,634. See the financials sub-page for the full distribution.

What ongoing fees does Goldfish Swim School charge?

Franchisees pay a royalty of 6% of gross sales and an advertising fund contribution of 2% of gross sales on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.

How many Goldfish Swim School locations are there?

As of their 2026 FDD, Goldfish Swim School has 192 total locations, with 23 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.

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