The Learning Experience Franchise

The Learning Experience, a TLE Inc franchise, has been franchising since 1980 , currently with 500 total locations in the education sector, headquartered in FL. The 2024 FDD lists a total initial investment between $562K and $1.2M - a 114% spread between the low and high end that reflects how site size, market, and buildout scope change the capital requirement. That total bundles the franchise fee of $75K together with equipment, leasehold buildout, and the working capital needed to get through ramp-up.

Royalty payments here are set at 7.0% of gross sales, plus a 2.0% national ad-fund contribution on top -- 9.0% combined out of every sales dollar. The Learning Experience does provide Item 19 financial performance data -- a voluntary disclosure that most U.S. franchisors (roughly two-thirds) skip. The reported average gross revenue per location is $2.0M; at that revenue level the typical unit hands back roughly $140K a year in royalty alone. Remember that revenue is not profit -- what a franchisee actually takes home hinges on rent, labor, cost of goods, and local demand.

The unit count trend here is positive -- The Learning Experience posted 8.0% net growth year-over-year (50 openings, 10 closures). Sustained positive growth is a signal that the unit-economics are working well enough to attract new operators, though late-stage growth can also reflect aggressive sales push rather than operational health.