Story Time Chess franchise
A Story Time Chess franchisee teaches chess and related games and activities to young children. At the end of 2025 there were 7 Story Time Chess locations in the US, 2 franchised and 5 company-owned, so most are run by the company itself.
- Cost to open
- $66K–$87K
- Franchise fee
- $49,500
- Royalty
- 7% + minimum
- Locations, 2025
- 7+2 in 3 yrs
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Company snapshot
- SBA loans
- Not on the SBA Franchise Directory
From Story Time Chess Franchising LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
How much a Story Time Chess franchise costs
Opening one territory costs an estimated $65,579 to $87,227. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: Story Time Chess Franchising LLC, 2026 filing, page 17
Story Time Chess franchise fee
The franchise fee is $49,500. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Story Time Chess Franchising LLC, 2026 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | The greater of 7% of gross revenues or the applicable monthly minimum royalty, which increases annually. |
|---|
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Story Time Chess Franchising LLC, 2026 filing, page 11
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Story Time Chess publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations: Historical information covers company-owned outlets; some share bookkeeping and some include a different retail offering.. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Story Time Chess Franchising LLC, 2026 filing, page 37
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 5 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 (0) | 5 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 (+2) | 5 | 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.
Source: Story Time Chess Franchising LLC, 2026 filing, page 40
How Story Time Chess compares
Of the 39 education franchises on this site, Story Time Chess is the 7th cheapest to open and the 35th largest by number of locations.
| Measure | Story Time Chess | Typical education |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $66K | $124K |
| Royalty | 7% | 7.5% |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 34 of 39 |
Typical is the median across the 39 brands in education franchises.
