Once Upon A Child franchise
A Once Upon A Child franchisee buys and sells used and new children's clothing, toys, equipment and accessories. At the end of 2025 there were 441 Once Upon A Child locations in the US, all franchised.
- Cost to open
- $356K–$486K
- Franchise fee
- $25,000
- Royalty
- 5%
- Locations, 2025
- 441+35 in 1 yrs
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Company snapshot
- SBA loans
- On the SBA Franchise Directory
From WINMARK CORPORATION’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
How much a Once Upon A Child franchise costs
Opening one store costs an estimated $355,700 to $485,900. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: WINMARK CORPORATION, 2026 filing, page 17
Once Upon A Child franchise fee
The franchise fee is $25,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: WINMARK CORPORATION, 2026 filing, page 12
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of gross sales as a continuing fee, paid weekly. |
|---|
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: WINMARK CORPORATION, 2026 filing, page 13
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Once Upon A Child publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations: sales and gross profit for reporting stores; gross profit excludes operating expenses. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: WINMARK CORPORATION, 2026 filing, page 45
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 416 (+10) | 0 | – |
| 2024 | 430 (+14) | 0 | – |
| 2025 | 441 (+11) | 0 | 6 |
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.
Source: WINMARK CORPORATION, 2026 filing, page 48
How Once Upon A Child compares
Of the 36 retail franchises on this site, Once Upon A Child is the 26th cheapest to open and the 12th largest by number of locations.
| Measure | Once Upon A Child | Typical retail |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $356K | $242K |
| Royalty | 5% | 5% |
| Closed or left per year | 1.4% | 4.6% |
| Change in franchised locations, 1 yrs | +8.6% | +5.2% |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 33 of 36 |
Typical is the median across the 36 brands in retail franchises.
