Fred Astaire Dance Studios franchise
2025 filing · May 9, 2025Shares sales figures
Fred Astaire Dance Studios at a glance
A ballroom and Latin dance studio teaching private and group lessons and hosting showcases. At the end of 2024 there were 261 Fred Astaire Dance Studios locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- FADS USA, Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Enfield, Connecticut
- Typical size
- 2,000–4,500 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $296K–$658K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $35K–$60K
- Set by the studio's location and the area's cost of living.
- Royalty
- 7%
- 7% of gross revenue, paid weekly
- Brand fund
- Yes
- $150 a month
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- 50% of your original Franchise Fee
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2024
- 261
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 261
- Company-owned
- 0
- States
- 37
- Most in Florida, New York and Texas
Support and records
From FADS USA, Inc’s 2025 filing; revenue and net income from its audited financial statements, page 276; 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
Fred Astaire Dance Studios among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Fred Astaire Dance Studios | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $477,200 | Costs more than 62% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $35,000 | Lower than 61% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 7% | Higher than 70% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 261 | More than 89% of franchises |
| Sales per locationYearly, as the brand reports it | $777,196 | Lower than 51% of brands that share sales figures |
| Sales against cost to openYearly sales over the cost midpoint | 1.6× | Higher than 52% of brands that share sales figures |
How much a Fred Astaire Dance Studios franchise costs
Opening one Fred Astaire Dance Studios costs an estimated $296,200 to $658,200. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are net leasehold improvements ($100,000 to $250,000) and working capital for 3 months ($50,000 to $70,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise Fee | $35,000 | $60,000 | |
| Initial Training Fee | $0 | $5,000 | |
| Travel Expenses to Training | $1,000 | $3,500 | |
| Security Deposits for Leasehold and/or Utilities | $8,500 | $25,500 | |
| Rent for 3Months | $25,500 | $60,000 | |
| Construction Management | $0 | $15,000 | |
| Construction Due Diligence | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Design, Architecture, Engineering | $7,000 | $25,000 | |
| Construction Permits and Permit Management | $1,000 | $10,000 | |
| Net Leasehold Improvements | $100,000 | $250,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $10,000 | $30,000 | |
| Studio Management and Technology System Components | $5,000 | $20,000 | |
| Signage and Graphics | $10,000 | $15,000 | |
| Supplies and Accessories | $4,000 | $14,000 | |
| Supplies and Marketing Materials | $1,000 | ||
| Business Licenses | $500 | $2,500 | |
| Technology Fee for 3 Months | $600 | ||
| Professional Fees | $2,500 | $10,000 | |
| Insurance | $3,000 | $5,500 | |
| Captive Insurance | $25,600 | ||
| Grand Opening Marketing Budget | $5,000 | ||
| Working Capital for 3 Months | $50,000 | $70,000 | |
| Total | $296,200 | $658,200 | |
Source: FADS USA, Inc, 2025 filing, page 30
Fred Astaire Dance Studios franchise fee
The franchise fee is $35,000 to $60,000, Set by the studio's location and the area's cost of living.. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: FADS USA, Inc, 2025 filing, page 19
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 7% of gross revenue, paid weekly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | $150 a month. |
| Studio Management and Technology System Components | $5,000 |
| Renewal Fee | 50% of your original Franchise Fee |
| Remedial Training Fee | Currently, $500 per day or partial day |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: FADS USA, Inc, 2025 filing, pages 21 and 22
Other fees as filed, from pages 22–30. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Fred Astaire Dance Studios publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
- Average revenue
- $777,196
- Median revenue
- $639,457
Yearly figures for 2024, covering U.S. studios open at least 12 months and reporting all 52 weeks of 2024 (222 locations). The average is about 1.6 times the midpoint of the cost to open.
Sales are what a location takes in before rent, payroll, royalties and other costs, not what its owner keeps.
Source: FADS USA, Inc, 2025 filing, pages 78–79
SBA loans to Fred Astaire Dance Studios franchisees
Lenders approved 36 SBA-backed loans for Fred Astaire Dance Studios franchisees from 2016 to 2026, $13.6M in all: 34 7(a) loans and 2 504 loans. Of the 16 that have ended, 14 were paid in full and 2 were charged off. The other 20 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
How Fred Astaire Dance Studios compares
Of the 168 entertainment franchises on this site, Fred Astaire Dance Studios is the 88th cheapest to open and the 4th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Fred Astaire Dance Studios | Typical entertainment brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $296K | $286K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $658K | $598K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $35K | $45K | $40K |
| Royalty | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Sales per location | $777K | $756K | $794K |
| US locations | 261 | 8 | 21 |
| Change in franchised locations, 0 yrs | +32.5% | +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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 225 (+28) | 0 |
| 2023 | 246 (+21) | 0 |
| 2024 | 261 (+15) | 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: fitness franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: FADS USA, Inc, 2025 filing, page 83
Where Fred Astaire Dance Studios locations are
At the end of 2024, Fred Astaire Dance Studios had franchised locations in 37 states. The most are in Florida, New York and Texas.
- Florida34
- New York25
- Texas25
- Connecticut19
- New Jersey18
- Arizona16
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| Florida | 34 |
| New York | 25 |
| Texas | 25 |
| Connecticut | 19 |
| New Jersey | 18 |
| Arizona | 16 |
| Wisconsin | 12 |
| Illinois | 11 |
| North Carolina | 11 |
| Pennsylvania | 11 |
All 37 states
| California | 9 |
|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 8 |
| Ohio | 8 |
| Indiana | 6 |
| Virginia | 6 |
| Rhode Island | 5 |
| Colorado | 4 |
| Michigan | 4 |
| Arkansas | 3 |
| Maryland | 3 |
| Tennessee | 3 |
| Alabama | 2 |
| Georgia | 2 |
| Italy | 2 |
| Oregon | 2 |
| Alaska | 1 |
| Chile | 1 |
| Idaho | 1 |
| Iowa | 1 |
| Lebanon | 1 |
| Minnesota | 1 |
| Missouri | 1 |
| Nevada | 1 |
| Peru | 1 |
| Romania | 1 |
| South Carolina | 1 |
| United Arab Emirates | 1 |
Source: FADS USA, Inc, 2025 filing, page 86
Who owns Fred Astaire Dance Studios?
Fred Astaire Dance Studios franchises are sold by FADS USA, Inc. It is a subsidiary of Fred Astaire Dance of North America, Inc.
From FADS USA, Inc’s 2025 filing, page 10.
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 18–19. |
|---|---|
| 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: FADS USA, Inc, 2025 filing, litigation on pages 18–19, bankruptcy on page 19
Fred Astaire Dance Studios filings
The figures on this page come from FADS USA, Inc’s 2025 filing, issued May 9, 2025, on record with the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 filing | May 9, 2025 | Minnesota | Costs, fees and locations, 2022–2024 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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