Gracie Barra franchise
2026 filing · April 1, 2026
Gracie Barra at a glance
A martial arts school teaching mainly Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. At the end of 2025 there were 387 Gracie Barra locations in the US, 376 franchised and 11 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Gracie Barra Franchise Systems, Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2010
- 16 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Irvine, California
- Typical size
- 2,000–5,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $76K–$244K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $10K–$20K
- $20,000 for a premium territory
- Royalty
- $700–$1,000/mo
- A flat royalty of $700 a month, rising to $1,000 a month from the fourth month of royalty payments
- Renewal fee
- $ 0
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 5 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- Some financing offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 387
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 376
- Company-owned
- 11
From Gracie Barra Franchise Systems, Inc’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Gracie Barra among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Gracie Barra | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $159,750 | Costs less than 76% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $10,000 | Lower than 95% of franchises |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 387 | More than 92% of franchises |
How much a Gracie Barra franchise costs
Opening one Gracie Barra costs an estimated $76,000 to $243,500. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital. It is one of the low-cost franchises.
Source: Gracie Barra Franchise Systems, Inc, 2026 filing, page 1
Gracie Barra franchise fee
The franchise fee is $10,000 to $20,000, $20,000 for a premium territory. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Gracie Barra Franchise Systems, Inc, 2026 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | A flat royalty of $700 a month, rising to $1,000 a month from the fourth month of royalty payments. |
|---|---|
| Renewal of Franchise Fee before expiration of Term | $ 0 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Gracie Barra Franchise Systems, Inc, 2026 filing, page 13
Other fees as filed, from page 14. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Gracie Barra 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: Gracie Barra Franchise Systems, Inc, 2026 filing, page 43
SBA loans to Gracie Barra franchisees
Lenders approved 14 SBA-backed loans for Gracie Barra franchisees from 2019 to 2026, $8.41M in all: 11 7(a) loans and 3 504 loans. All 4 that have ended were paid in full; none was charged off. The other 10 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 Gracie Barra compares
Of the 120 sports franchises on this site, Gracie Barra is the 27th cheapest to open and the 2nd largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Gracie Barra | Typical sports brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $76K | $227K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $244K | $442K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $10K | $50K | $40K |
| US locations | 387 | 15 | 21 |
| Change in franchised locations, 0 yrs | +30.6% | +38.5% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 77 of 120 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 120 brands in sports franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 324 (+36) | 14 |
| 2024 | 353 (+29) | 14 |
| 2025 | 376 (+23) | 11 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating. Counts include Canadian schools (51 of 393 at the end of 2025).
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: fitness franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: Gracie Barra Franchise Systems, Inc, 2026 filing, page 44
Who owns Gracie Barra?
Gracie Barra franchises are sold by Gracie Barra Franchise Systems, Inc. Its filing names no parent company.
From Gracie Barra Franchise Systems, Inc’s 2026 filing, page 7.
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: Gracie Barra Franchise Systems, Inc, 2026 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 11
Gracie Barra filings
The figures on this page come from Gracie Barra Franchise Systems, Inc’s 2026 filing, issued April 1, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 1, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other sports franchises
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Gracie Barra is also on these lists: fitness franchises, education franchises.