Camp Jellystone franchise
2024 filing · July 31, 2024Shares sales figures
Camp Jellystone at a glance
A Yogi Bear-themed camp-resort renting campsites and cabins for family vacations. At the end of 2023 there were 77 Camp Jellystone locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Industry
- Entertainment
- Franchisor
- Camp Jellystone, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- First location
- 1969
- Franchisor based in
- Southfield, Michigan
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $324K–$2.37M
- Conversion of an existing campground
- Franchise fee
- $75,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 4.5%
- 4.5% of gross revenue for a converted park, paid monthly
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2.0% of gross revenue, paid monthly
- Renewal fee
- $2,500
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 7 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 77
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 77
- Company-owned
- 0
- States
- 31
- Most in New York, Texas and Ohio
From Camp Jellystone, LLC’s 2024 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Camp Jellystone among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Camp Jellystone | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $1,347,000 | Costs more than 88% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $75,000 | Higher than 95% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 4.5% | Lower than 92% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 77 | More than 72% of franchises |
How much a Camp Jellystone franchise costs
Opening conversion of an existing campground costs an estimated $324,000 to $2,370,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: Camp Jellystone, LLC, 2024 filing, page 18
Camp Jellystone franchise fee
The franchise fee is $75,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Camp Jellystone, LLC, 2024 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 4.5% of gross revenue for a converted park, paid monthly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2.0% of gross revenue, paid monthly. |
| Transfer | $5,000 |
| Renewal Fee | $2,500 |
| Additional Training | $250 per day |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Camp Jellystone, LLC, 2024 filing, pages 12 and 15
Other fees as filed, from pages 13–14. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Camp Jellystone publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Camp Jellystone, LLC, 2024 filing, page 47
How Camp Jellystone compares
Of the 168 entertainment franchises on this site, Camp Jellystone is the 94th cheapest to open and the 18th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Camp Jellystone | Typical entertainment brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $324K | $286K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $2.37M | $598K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $75K | $45K | $40K |
| Royalty | 4.5% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 1.3% | 2% |
| US locations | 77 | 8 | 21 |
| Change in franchised locations, 0 yrs | +1.3% | +32.5% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 113 of 168 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 168 brands in entertainment franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 74 (−2) | 0 |
| 2022 | 79 (+5) | 0 |
| 2023 | 77 (−2) | 0 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: Camp Jellystone, LLC, 2024 filing, page 52
Where Camp Jellystone locations are
At the end of 2023, Camp Jellystone had franchised locations in 31 states. The most are in New York, Texas and Ohio.
- New York7
- Texas7
- Ohio6
- Indiana5
- Michigan5
- Pennsylvania5
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| New York | 7 |
| Texas | 7 |
| Ohio | 6 |
| Indiana | 5 |
| Michigan | 5 |
| Pennsylvania | 5 |
| Wisconsin | 5 |
| North Carolina | 4 |
| Missouri | 3 |
| Virginia | 3 |
All 31 states
| Colorado | 2 |
|---|---|
| Illinois | 2 |
| Maine | 2 |
| Mississippi | 2 |
| New Hampshire | 2 |
| Oklahoma | 2 |
| Alabama | 1 |
| California | 1 |
| Delaware | 1 |
| Georgia | 1 |
| Iowa | 1 |
| Kentucky | 1 |
| Maryland | 1 |
| Massachusetts | 1 |
| New Brunswick | 1 |
| New Jersey | 1 |
| Newfoundland | 1 |
| Nova Scotia | 1 |
| Ontario | 1 |
| South Dakota | 1 |
| Tennessee | 1 |
Source: Camp Jellystone, LLC, 2024 filing, page 54
Who owns Camp Jellystone?
Camp Jellystone franchises are sold by Camp Jellystone, LLC.
From Camp Jellystone, LLC’s 2024 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on pages 10–11. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Camp Jellystone, LLC, 2024 filing, litigation on pages 10–11, bankruptcy on page 11
Camp Jellystone filings
The figures on this page come from Camp Jellystone, LLC’s 2024 filing, issued July 31, 2024, on record with the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | July 31, 2024 | Minnesota | Costs, fees and locations, 2021–2023 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
