Gravity Vault franchise
2022 filing · February 25, 2022GrowingShares sales figures
Gravity Vault at a glance
An indoor rock climbing gym with roped climbing, bouldering, fitness classes and youth programs. At the end of 2021 there were 12 Gravity Vault locations in the US, 8 franchised and 4 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Rock Climbing Franchising, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Upper Saddle River, New Jersey
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $1.74M–$3.3M
- A full Gravity Vault climbing gym
- Franchise fee
- $74,500
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6.5%
- 6.5% of gross sales, paid weekly
- Brand fund
- 1%
- 1% of gross sales, paid weekly; it can rise to 2%
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 12
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 8
- Company-owned
- 4
- Change in 3 years
- +2
- Franchised locations, 2019–2021
- States
- 4
- Most in New Jersey, New York and California
From Rock Climbing Franchising, LLC’s 2022 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Gravity Vault among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Gravity Vault | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $2,520,725 | Costs more than 94% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $74,500 | Higher than 95% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6.5% | Higher than 68% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 12 | Fewer than 58% of franchises |
| Sales per locationYearly, as the brand reports it | $779,796 | Lower than 51% of brands that share sales figures |
| Sales against cost to openYearly sales over the cost midpoint | 0.3× | Lower than 99% of brands that share sales figures |
How much a Gravity Vault franchise costs
Opening a full Gravity Vault climbing gym costs an estimated $1,742,150 to $3,299,300. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are furniture, fixtures and equipment ($993,030 to $1,516,290) and construction and leasehold improvements ($435,600 to $1,206,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $74,500 | ||
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements | $435,600 | $1,206,000 | |
| Lease Deposits – 3 Months | $16,000 | $93,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $993,030 | $1,516,290 | |
| Signage | $5,000 | $15,000 | |
| Computer, Software and Point of Sales System | $10,000 | $12,000 | |
| Grand Opening Marketing | $7,500 | ||
| Initial Inventory | $30,000 | $75,000 | |
| Utility Deposits | $1,800 | $2,700 | |
| Insurance Deposits – 3 Months | $5,000 | $7,500 | |
| Travel for Initial Training | $0 | $22,500 | |
| Additional Training | $0 | $9,500 | |
| Professional Fees | $50,500 | $79,500 | |
| Licenses and Permits | $6,850 | $16,060 | |
| Additional Funds – 3 months | $106,370 | $162,250 | |
| Total | $1,742,150 | $3,299,300 | |
Source: Rock Climbing Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 17
Gravity Vault franchise fee
The franchise fee is $74,500. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Rock Climbing Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 12
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6.5% of gross sales, paid weekly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of gross sales, paid weekly; it can rise to 2%. |
| Online Ordering, Customer Rewards, and Gift Cards | Our then current fee (Currently 4.5% of the transaction value) |
| Additional Employee Initial Training | Our then current training fee, currently $4,750 per person |
| Local Marketing | $1,500 per month |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Rock Climbing Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 12
Other fees as filed, from pages 12–13. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Gravity Vault publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
- Average sales
- $779,796
- Median sales
- $763,475
Yearly figures for 2021, covering franchised gyms open all of 2021 (7 locations). The average is about 0.3 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: Rock Climbing Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, pages 53–61
SBA loans to Gravity Vault franchisees
Lenders approved 10 SBA-backed loans for Gravity Vault franchisees from 2013 to 2024, $9.89M in all: 8 7(a) loans and 2 504 loans. Of the 5 that have ended, 4 were paid in full and 1 was charged off. The other 5 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, 2021 / 2019–2021. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Gravity Vault | Typical gym brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | +14% / +33% | +3.2% / +36% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 0% / 0% | 5.3% / 26% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical gym brand is the median of the 37 brands in gym franchises with three years of counts.
How Gravity Vault compares
Of the 92 gym franchises on this site, Gravity Vault is the 89th cheapest to open and the 51st largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Gravity Vault | Typical gym brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $1.74M | $342K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $3.3M | $653K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $75K | $50K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6.5% | 6.5% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| Sales per location | $780K | $465K | $794K |
| US locations | 12 | 17 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 53 of 92 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 92 brands in gym franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 6 (0) | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 7 (+1) | 3 | +1 | 0 |
| 2021 | 8 (+1) | 4 | +1 | 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: Rock Climbing Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 67
Where Gravity Vault locations are
At the end of 2021, Gravity Vault had locations in 4 states. The most are in New Jersey, New York and California.
- New Jersey8
- New York2
- California1
- Pennsylvania1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| New York | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| California | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: Rock Climbing Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 68
Who owns Gravity Vault?
Gravity Vault franchises are sold by Rock Climbing Franchising, LLC.
From Rock Climbing Franchising, LLC’s 2022 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| 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: Rock Climbing Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 11
Gravity Vault filings
The figures on this page come from Rock Climbing Franchising, LLC’s 2022 filing, issued February 25, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | February 25, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2019–2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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