Starting Strength franchise unit economics
Starting Strength franchisees run barbell strength training gyms that sell a monthly group coaching subscription, with private coaching, online coaching and key-card access memberships alongside.
Starting Strength franchise at a glance
The 2026 FDD, issued July 4, 2026, lists 2025 revenue for each of the 28 franchised gyms open at March 21, 2026.
Starting Strength’s 25 franchised gyms open for all of 2025 averaged $274,146* of revenue, with a median of $262,848*, according to Item 19 of Starting Strength’s 2026 FDD, issued 4 July 2026. The 25 in that group are 89%* of Starting Strength’s 28 franchised gyms. Fees paid to Starting Strength come to about 16.82%* of sales.
- A Starting Strength franchise costs $267,257 to $707,518 to open, including the $39,950 initial franchise fee, according to the brand’s 2026 FDD.
- Starting Strength charges an 8% royalty and a 2% marketing fund contribution on Gross Sales, and requires local marketing spend of at least 3% of Gross Sales each month.
- Starting Strength also charges fixed monthly fees after opening: $408 for technology and $1,000 for paid advertising management, the second until a gym reaches $25,000 of Gross Sales in a calendar month.
- Starting Strength gyms open all of 2025 ranged from $54,603 to $637,181 of 2025 revenue.
- Starting Strength had 28 franchised gyms and no company-owned gyms at the end of 2025, up from 17 at the start of 2023.
- Starting Strength reported 6 signed franchise agreements for gyms not yet open at December 31, 2025.
These figures come from Starting Strength's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, as the brand reported them, and were read by Averan Advisors. The $274,146 average and the $262,848 median are Averan calculations across the 25 gyms in Item 19 that were open for all of 2025.
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Talk to Averan → Averan Starting Strength Conversion Package →- The 25 gyms open for all of 2025 averaged $274,146*. The median was $262,848* and 11 of the 25 were above the average. The range ran from $54,603 at Denver (Centennial) to $637,181 at Houston (Montrose).
- Gyms opened in earlier years reported higher average 2025 revenue. The average was $438,526* for the four gyms opened in 2019 and 2020, $316,041* for 2021, $279,664* for 2022, $231,100* for 2023 and $138,671* for 2024. Item 19 does not give revenue by month or year since opening for any one gym.
- 2025 revenue per lifting platform ran from $5,460* to $79,648*. Houston (Montrose) has 8 platforms and Denver (Centennial) has 10. The median across the 25 gyms was $27,146* per platform.
- Fixed monthly charges after opening come to $1,558*. They are $408 for technology and $1,000 for paid advertising management, both paid to the franchisor, plus $50 for the coaching directory and $100 for the CRM software, paid to the licensor and a third-party supplier. That is $18,696* a year before the percentage charges.
- Four of the 28 gyms in Item 19 had a closure or a change of owner. Denver (Lakewood), open since January 2020, closed permanently on April 1, 2026. Tulsa changed owner on March 1, 2025 and Denver (Centennial) on April 1, 2026. Oklahoma City closed on June 26, 2024 and reopened under a new owner on March 31, 2025.
Revenue
How much does a Starting Strength franchise make?
| Year opened | Gyms | Average 2025 revenue | Median 2025 revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 and 2020 | 4 | $438,526* | $457,868* |
| 2021 | 6 | $316,041* | $323,737* |
| 2022 | 6 | $279,664* | $311,629* |
| 2023 | 3 | $231,100* | $236,195* |
| 2024 | 6 | $138,671* | $116,371* |
| All 25 | 25 | $274,146* | $262,848* |
Source: Starting Strength 2026 FDD, Item 19, gym-by-gym table. Averan grouped the gyms by opening year and calculated the averages and medians. The three gyms that opened during 2025 are left out.
Item 19 reports Gross Revenue for each of 28 franchised gyms. All 28 were open on March 21, 2026. For each gym the table gives the opening date, time open, square feet, number of weight-lifting platforms, the monthly price range of the Starting Strength Program, 2025 Gross Revenue and total Gross Revenue from opening to March 21, 2026. Gross Revenue includes subscriptions and non-recurring items such as private coaching sessions, intro sessions and merchandise.
The 25 gyms open for all of 2025 averaged $274,146*. Their combined 2025 revenue was $6,853,658*. The median was $262,848* and 11 of the 25 were above the average.
Three gyms opened during 2025 and reported part-year revenue. Oklahoma City (Quail Springs) reported $27,560 after reopening on March 31, 2025, Philadelphia $50,201 after opening on September 5, 2025, and Birmingham $17,236 after opening on October 4, 2025.
The monthly subscription is for group training three times a week. In 2025 the price ranged from $275 to $495 a month across the gyms. Item 19 says the price usually rises after the grand opening and again when a gym nears capacity.
Item 19 gives no profit or expense figures. The figures are revenue, and Item 19 says it was prepared without an audit.
Gym by gym
2025 revenue by gym
| Gym | Opened | Platforms | Monthly price | 2025 revenue | Revenue per platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston, TX (Montrose) | Aug 2019 | 8 | $315 to $455 | $637,181 | $79,648* |
| Austin, TX (W Anderson) | Apr 2019 | 8 | $315 to $495 | $502,208 | $62,776* |
| Cincinnati, OH | Nov 2021 | 10 | $315 to $365 | $421,909 | $42,191* |
| Dallas, TX | Jul 2019 | 7 | $315 to $455 | $413,527 | $59,075* |
| Boston, MA | May 2021 | 9 | $315 to $455 | $368,084 | $40,898* |
| Memphis, TN | Jan 2022 | 9 | $325 to $365 | $358,935 | $39,882* |
| Beaverton, OR | Jan 2022 | 8 | $315 to $405 | $330,906 | $41,363* |
| Orlando, FL | Nov 2021 | 9 | $315 to $365 | $328,553 | $36,506* |
| Chicago, IL | Feb 2022 | 10 | $365 to $455 | $327,517 | $32,752* |
| Plano, TX | Apr 2021 | 9 | $365 to $455 | $318,920 | $35,436* |
| Katy, TX | Jan 2022 | 10 | $315 to $365 | $295,741 | $29,574* |
| Columbus, OH | Apr 2022 | 10 | $315 to $405 | $271,459 | $27,146* |
| Boise, ID (West) | Jul 2021 | 8 | $315 to $405 | $262,848 | $32,856* |
| Boise, ID (Downtown) | Jun 2024 | 11 | $315 to $405 | $260,790 | $23,708* |
| Austin, TX (Sunset Valley) | Nov 2023 | 12 | $455 | $238,955 | $19,913* |
| Indianapolis, IN | Jun 2023 | 10 | $365 to $455 | $236,195 | $23,620* |
| Atlanta, GA (John’s Creek) | Nov 2023 | 10 | $315 to $405 | $218,150 | $21,815* |
| Denver, CO (Lakewood) | Jan 2020 | 9 | $275 to $365 | $201,186 | $22,354* |
| San Antonio, TX | Nov 2021 | 9 | $365 to $405 | $195,933 | $21,770* |
| Colorado Springs, CO | Jan 2024 | 7 | $315 to $405 | $173,097 | $24,728* |
| St. Louis, MO | Mar 2024 | 10 | $315 to $365 | $121,467 | $12,147* |
| Omaha, NE | Jul 2024 | 9 | $315 to $365 | $111,275 | $12,364* |
| Miami, FL | Apr 2024 | 11 | $405 | $110,794 | $10,072* |
| Tulsa, OK | Aug 2022 | 10 | $315 to $365 | $93,425 | $9,342* |
| Denver, CO (Centennial) | Feb 2024 | 10 | $315 to $365 | $54,603 | $5,460* |
Source: Starting Strength 2026 FDD, Item 19. Revenue per platform is an Averan calculation: 2025 revenue divided by the gym’s number of platforms.
The highest 2025 revenue was $637,181 and the lowest $54,603. The highest is 11.7* times the lowest. The top three gyms, in Houston, Austin (W Anderson) and Cincinnati, opened in 2019 and 2021.
Revenue per platform ranged from $5,460* to $79,648*, a ratio of 14.6*. The median was $27,146*. Platform counts run from 7 to 12, and square feet from 1,154 to 2,370.
Revenue per square foot ranged from $39* to $408*. The median was $156*. Boston has the most space, 2,370 square feet, and reported $368,084; Houston has 1,560 square feet and reported $637,181.
Lifetime revenue to March 21, 2026 ranges from $124,070 to $3,468,156 across these 25 gyms. Houston (Montrose), open since August 2019, reported the highest. Lifetime figures cover different lengths of time, so they are not comparable with each other as annual figures.
Brand charges
Brand charges
| Fee | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $39,950 | On signing |
| Royalty | 8% of Gross Sales | Taken as each sale is processed, from the first payment received |
| Marketing fund | 2% of Gross Sales; may range from 0 to 3% | With the royalty |
| Local marketing | At least 3% of Gross Sales | Spent each month |
| Technology Fees | $408 a month; may rise by up to 10% a year, or more for vendor costs | Monthly |
| Paid advertising management | $1,000 a month; up to $3,000 if a tiered schedule is set | Monthly, until a gym reaches $25,000 of Gross Sales in a calendar month |
| Coaching directory | $50 a month, paid to the licensor | Monthly |
| CRM software | $100 a month, paid to the supplier | Monthly |
| Coach development training | $250 a month per person enrolled | Monthly during training |
| Marketing agency management | $100 an hour | As incurred |
| Gift card processing | 2.8% of gift card sales | As incurred |
| Online coaching lead | $50 per lead accepted | As incurred |
| Renewal fee | $20,000, plus a renovation to current standards | At renewal |
| Transfer fee | $10,000 | Before the transfer |
Source: Starting Strength 2026 FDD, Items 5 and 6. Payments to the franchisor for advertising or marketing management do not count toward the 3% local marketing requirement.
The percentage charges paid to the brand come to 10%* of Gross Sales. That is the 8% royalty and the 2% marketing fund. The 3% local marketing minimum is spent by the owner on top. Royalty and fund start on the day the gym first receives payments, which may be before it opens.
The fixed monthly charges after opening come to $1,558*, or $18,696* a year. At the 25-gym average of $274,146*, the royalty, marketing fund and fixed charges together are $46,111*, or 16.82%* of revenue. At the lowest 2025 revenue, $54,603, they would be 44.24%*; at the highest, $637,181, 12.93%*.
The paid advertising management fee continues until a gym reaches a sales threshold. The current threshold is Gross Sales of at least $25,000 in a calendar month, confirmed by the franchisor in writing. The fee resumes if the gym later falls below it. The 25-gym average works out at $22,846* a month.
The FDD sets no minimum royalty. The local marketing requirement is a minimum spend, and the advertising cooperative, if one is formed, can raise combined local and cooperative spend to no more than 4% of Gross Sales.
Cost to open
Cost to open
| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $39,950 | $39,950 |
| Rent, 3 months and deposit | $7,250 | $49,000 |
| Real estate consulting | $3,000 | $3,000 |
| Construction management | $0 | $20,000 |
| Construction and leasehold improvements | $80,000 | $250,000 |
| Equipment, finishes, furniture, fixtures and supplies | $61,000 | $143,000 |
| Signage | $25,000 | $50,000 |
| Grand opening marketing | $3,750 | $7,000 |
| Insurance | $2,000 | $6,000 |
| Utility deposits | $0 | $1,000 |
| Business license and permits | $1,500 | $18,000 |
| Technology Fees paid to the franchisor | $4,837 | $5,898 |
| Other technology fees | $1,800 | $3,150 |
| Computer system and hardware | $1,000 | $3,500 |
| Professional fees | $5,500 | $12,500 |
| Architectural fees | $4,850 | $15,300 |
| Management development program | $5,320 | $11,520 |
| Marketing agency management | $0 | $2,000 |
| Paid advertising management | $4,000 | $14,000 |
| Coach development training | $0 | $3,500 |
| Recruiting | $0 | $1,200 |
| Additional funds, 3 months | $16,500 | $48,000 |
| Total | $267,257 | $707,518 |
Source: Starting Strength 2026 FDD, Item 7. The lines add to the printed totals. Under an Area Development Agreement the total is $291,227 to $767,443.
Construction and equipment are the two largest lines. Together they are $141,000* to $393,000*, or 52.8%* of the low total and 55.5%* of the high one. The low equipment figure is for a gym with 4 platforms and 645 usable square feet; the high one is for 12 platforms and 2,000 usable square feet.
The Item 7 lines payable to the franchisor add to $48,787* low and $65,348* high. Those are the initial fee, Technology Fees, marketing agency management, paid advertising management and coach development training. The cover page gives $44,563 to $55,124 as the amount paid to the franchisor, which is $4,224* and $10,224* less.
Additional funds of $16,500 to $48,000 cover three months. The low end assumes the owner manages the gym and coaches half the sessions, with one coach at $5,000 a month. The high end assumes two coaches at $7,000 a month each. Both exclude rent, royalty and marketing fund.
A gym must open within 12 months of signing. The franchisor may extend this by 3 months. Item 12 gives a protected radius of up to 3 miles in suburban areas and under half a mile in dense urban areas.
The area development fee falls per gym as the number of gyms rises. It is $63,920 for 2 gyms, $83,895 for 3, $95,880 for 4 and $99,875 for 5, which is $31,960*, $27,965*, $23,970* and $19,975* per gym.
Locations
Locations, 2023 to 2025
| Year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Non-renewed | Reacquired | Ceased, other | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| 2024 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 26 |
| 2025 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
Source: Starting Strength 2026 FDD, Item 20, Tables 1 and 3. There are no company-owned gyms. One gym was transferred to a new owner in 2025, in Oklahoma.
Franchised gyms rose from 17 to 28 between the start of 2023 and the end of 2025. Thirteen opened over the three years and two ceased operations, both in 2024.
Both 2024 closures were voluntary closures due to bankruptcy. One was in Florida and one in Oklahoma. A new franchisee signed for the Oklahoma location in 2024 and it opened in 2025.
Six signed franchise agreements were for gyms not yet open at December 31, 2025. The franchisor projects 9 new franchised gyms in the next fiscal year. It has never operated a gym itself.
Questions we get asked
Questions owners ask
How much does it cost to open a Starting Strength gym?
The 2026 FDD estimates $267,257 to $707,518 for a single gym, including the $39,950 initial franchise fee and three months of additional funds. Construction and equipment are the largest lines. Under an Area Development Agreement the estimate is $291,227 to $767,443.
What fees does a Starting Strength franchisee pay?
An 8% royalty and a 2% marketing fund contribution on Gross Sales, plus local marketing spend of at least 3%. After opening there are fixed monthly fees of $408 for technology, $1,000 for paid advertising management until a gym reaches $25,000 of Gross Sales in a month, $50 for the coaching directory and $100 for CRM software.
How much revenue does a Starting Strength gym make?
Item 19 lists 2025 revenue for each of 28 franchised gyms. The 25 open for all of 2025 averaged $274,146* with a median of $262,848*, in a range of $54,603 to $637,181. The FDD gives no profit figures.
Does revenue differ by how long a gym has been open?
In 2025 the six gyms opened in 2024 averaged $138,671* and the four opened in 2019 and 2020 averaged $438,526*. These are different gyms in different markets, so the figures do not show how any one gym grew.
How many Starting Strength gyms are there?
There were 28 franchised gyms and no company-owned gyms at the end of 2025, up from 17 at the start of 2023. Six more had signed agreements but were not yet open.
How long does it take to open?
The FDD requires a gym to open within 12 months of signing the Franchise Agreement, with a possible 3-month extension. Item 7 assumes about 7 to 12 months from signing to a lease and 5 to 7 months from lease to opening.
Questions worth putting to Starting Strength
These are questions the filing leaves open. An owner or a buyer can put them to the franchisor directly.
- Is the revenue in Item 19 gross sales or collected revenue, and how many locations sit below the average?
- Which factors does Starting Strength see in its highest-selling locations, such as territory, years open and staffing?
- How long does a new location take to reach the average you publish, and what does the build-up look like month by month?
- At what level of sales do the minimum charges stop applying and the percentage take over?
- How many Starting Strength locations closed, were sold, or changed hands last year, and why?
Run your own numbers.
The Franchise Numbers Check runs the same checks on your own numbers. It scores where you stand and compares you with Item 19 of your brand’s FDD. It works out what one location earns and spends, and builds a 13-week cash forecast. It also checks whether you are ready to open another one. It is free and it runs in your browser.
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Questions owners ask next
The figures above raise these, and each one is answered on its own page.
- At what level of sales does a minimum fee stop costing me more than the percentage?It works out the sales level where a minimum fee stops applying.
- How much cash do I fund before a new location covers its own costs?It builds a 13-week forecast for the months before break-even.
- What does this location earn on the money I put into it?It works out the payback period and cash-on-cash return for one unit.
- How much of Item 19 can I rely on?It explains what an Item 19 financial performance representation tells you and what it leaves out.
Where these figures come from
Every figure here comes from Strength Train LLC’s 2026 FDD and is unaudited by us. We are unaffiliated with the brand. Calculations of our own are labeled where they appear. The figures describe past performance at other businesses and are not a projection of yours. This page is an educational summary. It is not an offer to sell a franchise, and it is not financial, legal or tax advice. Starting Strength is a trademark of its owner. How Averan reads a Franchise Disclosure Document.
These figures come from the brand's disclosure. They are not a forecast, an offer to sell a franchise or advice. Source: Strength Train LLC, 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, issued 4 July 2026.