Quick Verdict · who it fits
City Lifestyle 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)
$38K - $46K
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$30K
Royalty (Item 6)
7%
System size (Item 20)
233 +37
Agreement term
5 yrs
Company-owned units
2
Item 3 litigation
None disclosed
Model City Lifestyle's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Buyer qualifications
•No exclusive territory•Owner-operator required✓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 7% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$760,000
$100k$2M
Royalty (7%)
—
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.
233
Total units open
as of December 31, 2025
21
Units opened last year
15
Units closed last year
21
Net unit growth
What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.
5
Risks to review
3
Strengths identified
4
Questions to ask
How City Lifestyle ranks against 119 Retail peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
9th pct · of 119 peers
Franchise fee
36th pct · of 119 peers
System size
78th pct · of 119 peers
Retail industry averages
Avg investment
$246K - $701K
Avg franchise fee
$37K
Avg system size
238
Franchises analyzed
119
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Lifestyle | Disclosed | $30K | $38K - $46K | 7% | 233 |
| Inter-State StudioSimilar price | Disclosed | $15K | $26K - $54K | 7% | 19 |
| 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 |
Not sure City Lifestyle is the one?
Answer five questions and get matched against 2,000+ analyzed FDDs — including every Retail brand we cover. Free, no account needed.
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.
Investment Guide
Laundromats are the most-Googled passive-income business, and 2026 is a strong moment for the category. Here's an honest breakdown of what laundromat franchises actually cost, how profitable they are, and which brands deserve a serious look.
City Lifestyle requires a $30,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $37,600–$46,350, per the most recent FDD on file.
City Lifestyle is franchised by Lifestyle Publications, LLC, 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. City Lifestyle discloses Item 19 financial performance representations in its FDD. See the financials sub-page for the disclosed figures.
Franchisees pay a royalty of 7% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2026 FDD, City Lifestyle has 233 total locations, with 37 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
No. City Lifestyle does not grant exclusive territory rights under Item 12. The franchisor retains the right to operate or grant additional units inside or adjacent to your trade area.
Per the FDD, City Lifestyle discloses an initial agreement term of 5 years. 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