The Hot Spot franchise
A The Hot Spot franchisee operates a do-it-yourself studio for pottery painting, candle making and other crafts. At the end of 2025 there were 26 The Hot Spot locations in the US, 23 franchised and 3 company-owned.
- Cost to open
- $83K–$156K
- Franchise fee
- $39,500
- Royalty
- 5% + minimum
- Locations, 2025
- 26+23 in 3 yrs
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Company snapshot
- SBA loans
- On the SBA Franchise Directory
From The Hot Spot Studios LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
How much a The Hot Spot franchise costs
Opening one studio costs an estimated $82,600 to $156,200. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: The Hot Spot Studios LLC, 2026 filing, page 13
The Hot Spot franchise fee
The franchise fee is $39,500. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: The Hot Spot Studios LLC, 2026 filing, page 8
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of gross revenue, with monthly minimums of $100 in year 2, $200 in years 3–4 and $300 from year 5. |
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The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: The Hot Spot Studios LLC, 2026 filing, page 8
Sales and earnings
Shares figures The Hot Spot publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations: Historical financial results cover three affiliate-owned studios.. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: The Hot Spot Studios LLC, 2026 filing, page 31
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 3 | 0 |
| 2024 | 7 (+7) | 3 | 0 |
| 2025 | 23 (+16) | 3 | 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.
The Hot Spot passes four of the five tests on our list of the best franchises to own; it had fewer than 100 US locations three years ago.
Source: The Hot Spot Studios LLC, 2026 filing, page 35
How The Hot Spot compares
Of the 24 entertainment franchises on this site, The Hot Spot is the 2nd cheapest to open and the 13th largest by number of locations.
| Measure | The Hot Spot | Typical entertainment |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $83K | $626K |
| Royalty | 5% | 6% |
| Closed or left per year | 0% | 2.8% |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 23 of 24 |
Typical is the median across the 24 brands in entertainment franchises.
