FastFrame franchise
2024 filing · January 2, 2024Fewer locations
FastFrame at a glance
A custom picture framing store offering framing, art and framed gifts. At the end of 2023 there were 39 FastFrame locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Industry
- Retail
- Franchisor
- FastFrame U.S.A., Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- San Dimas, California
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $135K–$247K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $35,000
- Plus a $14,800 opening fee and a $15,000 marketing payment at signing
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of total gross receipts, paid weekly
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- 25% of the then current franchise fee
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- Some financing offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 39
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 39
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 3 years
- −14
- Franchised locations, 2021–2023
- States
- 14
- Most in California, Texas and Georgia
Support and records
From FastFrame U.S.A., Inc’s 2024 filing; revenue and net loss from its audited financial statements, page 191; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Franchisor revenue is the company that sells the franchises (royalties, fees and anything else it earns), not what a location makes.
Where it ranks
FastFrame among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | FastFrame | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $190,994 | Costs less than 71% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $35,000 | Lower than 61% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 39 | More than 60% of franchises |
How much a FastFrame franchise costs
Opening one FastFrame costs an estimated $135,325 to $246,663. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are store opening costs leasehold improvements and signage ($5,000 to $78,000) and machinery, equipment, computer system & lifeSaver ($29,125 to $39,798). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee or Administrative Fee | $35,000 | ||
| Opening Fee | $14,800 | ||
| Initial Marketing Expense | $15,000 | ||
| Store Opening Costs Leasehold Improvements and Signage | $5,000 | $78,000 | |
| Machinery, Equipment, Computer System & LifeSaver | $29,125 | $39,798 | |
| Fixtures & Displays | $8,000 | $20,000 | |
| Shipping, Taxes, and Miscellaneous | $500 | $5,000 | |
| Initial Inventory & Supplies | $10,900 | $14,065 | |
| Prepaid Business Expenses, Travel & Lodging | $7,000 | $10,000 | |
| Additional Funds (3 Months) | $10,000 | $15,000 | |
| Total | $135,325 | $246,663 | |
Source: FastFrame U.S.A., Inc, 2024 filing, page 18
FastFrame franchise fee
The franchise fee is $35,000, plus a $14,800 opening fee and a $15,000 marketing payment at signing. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: FastFrame U.S.A., Inc, 2024 filing, page 12
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of total gross receipts, paid weekly. |
|---|---|
| Machinery, Equipment, Computer System & LifeSaver Software | $29,125 |
| Renewal | 25% of the then current franchise fee |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: FastFrame U.S.A., Inc, 2024 filing, page 14
Other fees as filed, from pages 15–18. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures FastFrame does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: FastFrame U.S.A., Inc, 2024 filing, page 48
SBA loans to FastFrame franchisees
Lenders approved 97 SBA 7(a) loans for FastFrame franchisees from 1991 to 2024, $11.1M in all. Of the 93 that have ended, 69 were paid in full and 24 were charged off (25.8%). The other 4 haven’t ended yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2023 / 2021–2023. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | FastFrame | Typical retail brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | −2.5% / −26% | −0.4% / 0% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 5% / 28% | 5.4% / 18% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical retail brand is the median of the 114 brands in retail franchises with three years of counts.
How FastFrame compares
Of the 302 retail franchises on this site, FastFrame is the 86th cheapest to open and the 141st largest by number of locations.
| Figure | FastFrame | Typical retail brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $135K | $198K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $247K | $425K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $35K | $35K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 5.7% | 6% |
| US locations | 39 | 38 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 187 of 302 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 302 brands in retail franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 47 (−6) | 0 | 0 | −6 |
| 2022 | 40 (−7) | 0 | 0 | −7 |
| 2023 | 39 (−1) | 0 | +1 | −2 |
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: FastFrame U.S.A., Inc, 2024 filing, page 49
Where FastFrame locations are
At the end of 2023, FastFrame had franchised locations in 14 states. The most are in California, Texas and Georgia.
- California10
- Texas7
- Georgia3
- Illinois3
- North Carolina3
- Florida2
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| California | 10 |
| Texas | 7 |
| Georgia | 3 |
| Illinois | 3 |
| North Carolina | 3 |
| Florida | 2 |
| Nevada | 2 |
| New Jersey | 2 |
| South Carolina | 2 |
| Colorado | 1 |
All 14 states
| Massachusetts | 1 |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | 1 |
| Virginia | 1 |
| Washington | 1 |
Source: FastFrame U.S.A., Inc, 2024 filing, page 50
Who owns FastFrame?
FastFrame franchises are sold by FastFrame U.S.A., Inc.
From FastFrame U.S.A., Inc’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 page 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: FastFrame U.S.A., Inc, 2024 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 11
FastFrame filings
The figures on this page come from FastFrame U.S.A., Inc’s 2024 filing, issued January 2, 2024, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | January 2, 2024 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2021–2023 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
