Vertica Fitness franchise unit economics
Vertica Fitness franchisees run pole fitness studios in an exclusive territory that sell class memberships and packages.
Vertica Fitness franchise at a glance
Item 19 of Vertica Fitness' 2026 FDD reports 2025 revenue for twelve studios and four years of profit statements for two affiliate studios.
The four franchised Vertica Fitness studios that traded all of 2025 averaged $378,084 of revenue, with a median of $332,314, according to Item 19 of Vertica Fitness’ 2026 FDD, issued 30 April 2026. Vertica Fitness charges a royalty of 8.25% of gross revenue, plus about $39,950 a year of fixed charges.
- Opening a Vertica Fitness studio costs $198,000 to $348,775, including a $59,950 initial franchise fee.
- Vertica Fitness charges a royalty of 8.25% of gross revenue, plus about $39,950 a year of fixed charges.
- Twelve Vertica Fitness studios reported revenue for 2025, from $114,765 to $583,195.
These figures come from Vertica Fitness's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, as the brand reported them, and were read by Averan Advisors. The average and median are Averan calculations.
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Talk to Averan → Averan Vertica Fitness Conversion Package →The royalty is 8.25%. The fixed charges are about $39,950 a year, and they outweigh the royalty until a studio bills $484,242 *. One of the twelve studios reported for 2025 got there.
- Fixed charges exceed the royalty until $484,242 of revenue.They are $24,000 of local advertising, about $15,600 of required software and a $350 federation fee *. Only San Diego, at $583,195, cleared that line in 2025.
- The two affiliate studios are 24.5 points apart in what they keep.Midtown keeps 41.2% of revenue after royalty and advertising; Oro Valley keeps 16.7% *. Oro Valley’s expenses ran 65.3% of revenue against Midtown’s 45.1%.
- The 2014 studio bills less per month than one that opened in September.Oro Valley averaged $20,682 a month across 2025; Chandler averaged $32,696 across its first four *, 1.58 times as much.
- One franchisee-expense line prints $4,192 short.Oro Valley’s 2025 row shows total franchisee expenses of $40,283 where its own two components add to $44,475 *. The adjusted profit beneath it uses the correct figure.
Studio revenue, 2023 to 2025
Twelve studios report revenue for 2025: two affiliate-owned, one reacquired from a franchisee during the year, and nine franchised. Four franchised studios traded the whole year; five opened inside it.
| Studio | Opened | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego CA | Aug 2023 | $145,819 | $445,302 | $583,195 |
| Midtown AZ, affiliate | 2018 | $506,663 | $454,120 | $457,739 |
| Centennial Hills NV | Aug 2023 | $103,870 | $346,757 | $345,817 |
| Hayward CA | May 2025 | – | – | $320,043 |
| San Antonio TX | Jan 2024 | $11,859 | $319,412 | $318,810 |
| Henderson NV | Jul 2024 | – | $78,153 | $264,516 |
| Oro Valley AZ, affiliate | 2014 | $202,439 | $314,638 | $248,185 |
| South Tucson AZ, reacquired 2025 | Jul 2023 | $78,467 | $157,597 | $133,439 |
| Chandler AZ | Sep 2025 | – | – | $130,785 |
| Salt Lake City UT | Sep 2025 | – | – | $126,829 |
| St. Augustine FL | Jun 2025 | – | – | $125,621 |
| Northwest Indiana | Aug 2025 | – | – | $114,765 |
San Antonio’s 2023 figure is pre-sale money taken in December 2023 before it opened the following January.
The four franchised studios that traded all of 2025 average $378,084 and have a median of $332,314 *. Two of those four were flat: Centennial Hills moved −0.3% and San Antonio −0.2%, while San Diego added 31.0% *.
The first two years of revenue. San Diego went $145,819 to $445,302 and Centennial Hills $103,870 to $346,757, 3.1 and 3.3 times in their first full year *. Then one kept climbing and two stopped.
Monthly revenue at the 2025 openings.
| Studio | Opened | Months trading | 2025 revenue | Per month * |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hayward CA | May 2025 | 8 | $320,043 | $40,005 |
| Chandler AZ | Sep 2025 | 4 | $130,785 | $32,696 |
| Salt Lake City UT | Sep 2025 | 4 | $126,829 | $31,707 |
| Northwest Indiana | Aug 2025 | 5 | $114,765 | $22,953 |
| St. Augustine FL | Jun 2025 | 7 | $125,621 | $17,946 |
Months trading are counted from the stated opening month to 31 December, so a studio opening mid-month runs slightly above the rate shown, marked *.
Hayward at $40,005 a month is above the Midtown affiliate’s $38,145 *, in its first eight months against a studio trading since 2018. Chandler at $32,696 across four months runs 1.58 times the 2014-vintage Oro Valley studio’s $20,682 *.
The 2025 openings follow a pre-opening program. A grand opening budget of $20,000 to $25,000 and a pre-sale process that can be run by the brand for $3,000 a month plus up to $20,000 of third-party spend puts members on the books before the doors open. San Antonio’s December 2023 revenue came in that way, a month before it opened.
South Tucson’s revenue fell in its third year. $78,467 to $157,597 to $133,439, and the franchisor bought it back during 2025. It is the only studio in the set to fall in its third year, and the only one to change hands.
Affiliate studio profit and loss, 2022 to 2025
Both affiliate studios are run by the same company in Tucson, one trading since 2014 and one since 2018. Each reports revenue, total expenses and a net profit, then a franchisee-adjusted profit after the 8.25% royalty and the $24,000 advertising minimum.
| Line | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross revenue | $233,561 | $506,663 | $454,120 | $457,739 |
| Total expenses | $120,680 | $195,276 | $201,805 | $206,330 |
| Marketing above the required minimum | – | – | $14,700 | $1,200 |
| Net profit | $112,881 | $311,387 | $237,615 | $250,209 |
| Royalty at 8.25% | $19,269 | $41,800 | $37,465 | $37,763 |
| Local advertising | $24,000 | $24,000 | $24,000 | $24,000 |
| Adjusted profit as a franchised studio | $69,612 | $245,587 | $176,150 | $188,445 |
| Share of revenue * | 29.8% | 48.5% | 38.8% | 41.2% |
Every line reconciles except the 2025 adjusted profit, which prints $188,445 where the figures give $188,446, with the share row marked *.
| Line | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross revenue | $155,708 | $202,439 | $314,638 | $248,185 |
| Total expenses | $101,392 | $120,489 | $142,960 | $162,182 |
| Marketing above the required minimum | – | – | $8,700 | – |
| Net profit | $54,316 | $81,950 | $162,978 | $86,003 |
| Royalty at 8.25% | $12,846 | $16,701 | $25,958 | $20,475 |
| Local advertising | $24,000 | $24,000 | $24,000 | $24,000 |
| Printed total of those two | $36,846 | $40,701 | $49,958 | $40,283 |
| Adjusted profit as a franchised studio | $17,470 | $41,249 | $113,020 | $41,528 |
| Share of revenue * | 11.2% | 20.4% | 35.9% | 16.7% |
The 2025 printed total of $40,283 sits $4,192 below the $44,475 its own two lines give, though the adjusted profit of $41,528 is computed on the correct figure *.
The two affiliate studios are 24.5 points apart in margin *. Midtown keeps 41.2% of revenue after the franchise charges and Oro Valley 16.7%. The gap is expenses: Oro Valley ran 65.3% of revenue in 2025 against Midtown’s 45.1% *, and it is the older of the two.
Both studios are below their highest year. Midtown’s highest-revenue year was 2023 at $506,663 and 2025 sits 9.7% below it. Oro Valley’s highest was 2024 at $314,638 and 2025 sits 21.1% below that *. Both studios are past their seventh year and below their peak.
Oro Valley’s expenses rose 13.4% while its revenue fell 21.1% *: $142,960 to $162,182 against $314,638 to $248,185. A studio with a lease, a fixed instructor roster and a fixed advertising minimum carries most of its cost base through a bad year.
Two items sit outside these adjusted figures. A national advertising fund of up to 1% of gross revenue is permitted and currently collects zero. At Midtown’s 2025 revenue that is $4,577 a year *. And the adjustment covers royalty and local advertising only, so model the required software separately against your own numbers.
Latest
Operator revenue grew 10.7% and the median EBITDA margin reached 22.1%
The Health & Fitness Association’s 2026 Global Report, released 14 September 2026, covered 244 operators running nearly 27,000 facilities across 33 countries and found median revenue up 10.7% in 2025, median net membership up 6.1% and a median EBITDA margin of 22.1%. Against that, two of the four full-year franchised studios here moved within 1% of flat in 2025 *, and both affiliate studios fell.
A record 81 million Americans hold a fitness membership
The same association’s US consumer report, released 9 April 2026, put membership at 81 million people, or 26.1% of the US population aged six and over. In a 50,000-person territory that share implies about 13,050 people already paying for fitness somewhere *. A pole studio needs a fraction of one percent of them.
The average boutique class now costs $21.32
Boutique pricing data published 4 April 2026 and updated 28 June 2026 put the average class at $21.32, up 6% year on year, with unlimited monthly memberships running $110 to $360, and found 66% of boutique members also hold memberships at two or more other studios. At a $25 place, the fixed $39,950 here takes 1,598 paid places a year to cover *.
Sources: HFA 2026 Global Report, 14 September 2026 · HFA 2026 US Health & Fitness Consumer Report, 9 April 2026 · Boutique studio pricing and membership data, 4 April 2026
Top performers
What separates the top Vertica Fitness performers
Twelve Vertica Fitness studios reported 2025 revenue of $114,765 to $583,195. The four franchised studios that traded all of 2025 averaged $378,084, with a median of $332,314 *.
- Growth after the first full year.San Diego, the highest-revenue Vertica Fitness studio in 2025 at $583,195, added 31.0% over 2024. Centennial Hills moved −0.3% and San Antonio −0.2% *.
- Expenses.The Midtown Vertica Fitness affiliate studio kept 41.2% of 2025 revenue after the franchise charges, and the Oro Valley affiliate studio kept 16.7%. Oro Valley’s expenses ran 65.3% of revenue against Midtown’s 45.1% *.
- Opening months.Among the 2025 Vertica Fitness openings, Hayward billed $40,005 a month over eight months and St. Augustine $17,946 a month over seven *.
Top performers
How far apart the locations are
San Diego, the highest-revenue Vertica Fitness franchised studio that traded all of 2025, billed $583,195, 2.20 times the lowest, Henderson at $264,516 *. The studio figures are in the tables on the Model tab.
Brand charges
| Charge | Amount | Annual * |
|---|---|---|
| Royalty | 8.25% of gross revenue | – |
| Local advertising, from month four | $2,000 a month minimum | $24,000 |
| Required third-party software | About $1,300 a month plus transaction costs | About $15,600 |
| US Pole Sports Federation membership | $350 a year | $350 |
| National advertising fund | Currently zero, up to 1% of gross revenue | – |
| Fixed total | – | About $39,950 |
The local advertising minimum starts in month four, so a studio opening mid-year carries a part-year figure in its first calendar year *.
$39,950 of fixed charge equals 8.25% of revenue at $484,242 *. Below that the fixed stack is the larger of the two; above it the royalty takes over. One studio in the twelve, San Diego at $583,195, sits above the line.
| Studio | 2025 revenue | Royalty at 8.25% |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego CA | $583,195 | $48,114 |
| Midtown AZ, affiliate | $457,739 | $37,763 |
| Centennial Hills NV | $345,817 | $28,530 |
| Hayward CA | $320,043 | $26,404 |
| San Antonio TX | $318,810 | $26,302 |
| Henderson NV | $264,516 | $21,823 |
| Oro Valley AZ, affiliate | $248,185 | $20,475 |
| South Tucson AZ | $133,439 | $11,009 |
| Chandler AZ | $130,785 | $10,790 |
| Salt Lake City UT | $126,829 | $10,463 |
| St. Augustine FL | $125,621 | $10,364 |
| Northwest Indiana | $114,765 | $9,468 |
The five studios that opened during 2025 reported a part year of revenue.
For a studio at the Oro Valley level of $248,185, the fixed $39,950 is 16.1% of everything it bills before a single point of royalty *. Put in classes at a $25 drop-in, covering the fixed charges alone takes 1,598 paid places a year *.
A studio has to reach $239,700 before the fixed stack drops under a sixth of revenue *. The four full-year franchised studios average $378,084, where $39,950 is 10.6% *.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Grand opening advertising | $20,000 |
| Pre-opening marketing administration, if the brand runs it | $3,000 a month plus costs to $20,000 |
| Relocation | $5,000 |
| Opening deadline extension | $5,000 |
| Additional coach training | $250 per attendee per day |
| Update training | Up to $250 per attendee per day |
| Instructor certification review | $100 per review, per class type |
| Returned payment | $50 per transaction |
Certification is charged per class type per instructor, so a four-format roster of five coaches is twenty reviews *.
The term is 10 years, renewable in successive terms while in compliance. The territory is exclusive, normally at least 50,000 people, defined by zip codes or natural boundaries. Relocating after opening is granted only for extreme events beyond your control, and costs $5,000 to propose.
Cost to open
| Line | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $59,950 | $59,950 |
| Leasehold improvements | $49,500 | $120,000 |
| Furniture, fixtures and equipment | $35,000 | $55,000 |
| Grand opening advertising | $20,000 | $25,000 |
| Additional funds, 90 days | $10,000 | $40,000 |
| Signage | $5,000 | $12,425 |
| Rent and security deposit | $4,000 | $10,000 |
| Travel and living for training | $3,600 | $8,000 |
| Initial boutique merchandise | $3,500 | $5,000 |
| Professional fees | $3,000 | $5,000 |
| Computer hardware and software | $1,500 | $2,000 |
| Licences, permits and memberships | $1,000 | $1,500 |
| Initial inventory and supplies | $700 | $1,100 |
| Camera and security | $500 | $2,500 |
| Insurance, three months | $500 | $800 |
| Uniforms | $250 | $500 |
| Total | $198,000 | $348,775 |
Both columns add exactly to the totals shown, checked line by line *.
$59,950 goes to the franchisor, which is 30.3% of the lowest-cost build and 17.2% of the highest *. The fee is the largest single line at both ends of the range, ahead of the build-out at the low end.
Grand opening advertising is $20,000 to $25,000, which is 10.1% of the entire low-end investment *. Set it against the 2025 openings above: Chandler and Salt Lake City each billed over $126,000 in four months.
Additional funds of $10,000 to $40,000 cover 90 days. The local advertising minimum alone is $2,000 a month from month four, and required software about $1,300 from the start. A studio at the St. Augustine run rate of $17,946 a month carries $3,329 of fixed charges plus 8.25%, about $4,810 a month in all *, before rent or coaches.
Buying several franchises at once lowers the fee. A second franchise bought at the same time is $29,950 and a third $19,950, against $59,950 for the first. Three together cost $109,850 where three singles cost $179,850, a 38.9% discount *. Both discounts require buying simultaneously. Veterans and first responders take $1,000 off.
Questions
How much does a Vertica Fitness franchise make?
The four franchised Vertica Fitness studios that traded all of 2025 averaged $378,084 of revenue, with a median of $332,314, according to Item 19 of Vertica Fitness’ 2026 FDD, issued 30 April 2026. Vertica Fitness charges a royalty of 8.25% of gross revenue, plus about $39,950 a year of fixed charges.
What should a new studio budget for revenue?
Year one lands between $103,870 and $145,819 on the two studios that opened in August 2023, and the 2025 openings ran $17,946 to $40,005 a month in their first months *. Year two is the jump: both August 2023 studios reached 3.1 and 3.3 times their opening year *. Year three is flat for two of three. Plan on $130,000, then $350,000, then holding.
How much does the brand cost me?
8.25% of gross revenue plus about $39,950 a year of fixed charges: $24,000 of local advertising, roughly $15,600 of required software and $350 of federation membership *. A national fund of up to 1% is permitted and currently collects zero.
Where is the break-even on the fixed charges?
$484,242 *. Below that, the flat $39,950 is the bigger of the two costs; above it the percentage takes over. One of the twelve studios reported for 2025 is above that line.
What margin can I expect?
The two affiliate studios, after royalty and advertising, kept 41.2% and 16.7% of revenue in 2025 *, and 29.8% to 48.5% and 11.2% to 35.9% across four years. Those figures exclude the required software, any national fund, and any value put on the owner’s own labour. Use the 16.7% as the planning figure for a studio at $248,185 and the 41.2% as what a studio at $457,739 with expenses under half of revenue can reach.
Does an older studio do better?
On this evidence, the reverse. The 2014 studio billed $20,682 a month across 2025 while a studio open four months billed $32,696 *. Both affiliate studios are below their own peak years, by 9.7% and 21.1% *. The newest studios open with a $20,000 to $25,000 grand opening budget and a pre-sale process that the older ones launched without.
How big is the pipeline?
Fifteen franchise agreements were signed with the studio still closed at 31 December 2025, and fifteen new franchised studios are projected for 2026, against nine franchised studios trading. Across the three years the system recorded ten openings, zero terminations, zero non-renewals, zero transfers and one outlet reacquired by the franchisor.
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Every figure here comes from Vertica Fitness Franchising, Inc.’s 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document and is unaudited by us, we are unaffiliated with the brand, calculations of our own are marked with an asterisk where they appear, the figures describe past performance at other businesses and are not a projection of yours, and this page is an educational summary. It is not an offer to sell a franchise or financial, legal or tax advice. VERTICA FITNESS® is a registered trademark of its owner.
These figures come from the brand's disclosure. They are not a forecast, an offer to sell a franchise or advice. Source: Vertica Fitness Franchising, Inc., 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, issued 30 April 2026.