The Rock Underground franchise
2026 filing · April 9, 2026Growing
The Rock Underground at a glance
A music school offering private lessons, bands, group rehearsals and an on-site recording studio for children and adults. At the end of 2025 there were 6 The Rock Underground locations in the US, 4 franchised and 2 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- The Rock Underground Franchisor Incorporated
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2013
- 13 years of selling franchises
- Typical size
- 1,500–3,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $72K–$192K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $25,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross sales, paid monthly, plus a brand development fee of up to 2% (currently 1%)
- Brand fund
- 1%
- 1% of gross sales, paid with the royalty; it can rise to 2%
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 6
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 4
- Company-owned
- 2
- Change in 3 years
- +1
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 1
- Most in New York
From The Rock Underground Franchisor Incorporated’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
The Rock Underground among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | The Rock Underground | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $131,550 | Costs less than 81% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $25,000 | Lower than 82% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 6 | Fewer than 69% of franchises |
How much a The Rock Underground franchise costs
Opening one The Rock Underground costs an estimated $71,500 to $191,600. 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.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($0 to $45,000) and equipment, furniture and fixtures ($10,000 to $42,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $25,000 | ||
| Website Fee | $300 | ||
| Rent – 3 Months | $11,250 | $21,900 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $0 | $45,000 | |
| Equipment, Furniture and Fixtures | $10,000 | $42,000 | |
| Signage | $2,000 | $4,000 | |
| Blue Prints and Plans | $0 | $3,500 | |
| Opening Inventory | $3,000 | $9,000 | |
| Security Deposits | $1,000 | $1,500 | |
| Insurance – 3 Months | $450 | $900 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $2,500 | $5,000 | |
| Travel and Other Expenses While Training | $1,500 | $3,000 | |
| Computer System | $3,000 | $4,000 | |
| Permits/Licenses | $500 | $3,500 | |
| Professional Fees | $1,000 | $3,000 | |
| Additional Funds – 3 Months | $10,000 | $20,000 | |
| Total | $71,500 | $191,600 | |
Source: The Rock Underground Franchisor Incorporated, 2026 filing, page 15
The Rock Underground franchise fee
The franchise fee is $25,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: The Rock Underground Franchisor Incorporated, 2026 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross sales, paid monthly, plus a brand development fee of up to 2% (currently 1%). |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 1% of gross sales, paid with the royalty; it can rise to 2%. |
| Local Advertising | $500 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: The Rock Underground Franchisor Incorporated, 2026 filing, pages 11 and 12
Other fees as filed, from page 12. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures The Rock Underground 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: The Rock Underground Franchisor Incorporated, 2026 filing, page 42
SBA loans to The Rock Underground franchisees
Lenders approved one SBA 7(a) loan for a The Rock Underground franchisee in 2015, for $14K. It was paid in full.
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, 2025 / 2023–2025. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | The Rock Underground | Typical entertainment brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | 0% / +33% | +2.9% / +33% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 0% / 0% | 3.2% / 11% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical entertainment brand is the median of the 41 brands in entertainment franchises with three years of counts.
How The Rock Underground compares
Of the 168 entertainment franchises on this site, The Rock Underground is the 17th cheapest to open and the 89th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | The Rock Underground | Typical entertainment brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $72K | $286K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $192K | $598K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $25K | $45K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1% | 1.3% | 2% |
| US locations | 6 | 8 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 113 of 168 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 168 brands in entertainment franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3 (0) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 4 (+1) | 2 | +1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 4 (0) | 2 | 0 | 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: franchise failure rates.
Source: The Rock Underground Franchisor Incorporated, 2026 filing, page 42
Where The Rock Underground locations are
At the end of 2025, The Rock Underground had locations in 1 state. The most are in New York.
- New York6
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 4 | 2 | 6 |
Source: The Rock Underground Franchisor Incorporated, 2026 filing, page 43
Who owns The Rock Underground?
The Rock Underground franchises are sold by The Rock Underground Franchisor Incorporated.
From The Rock Underground Franchisor Incorporated’s 2026 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: The Rock Underground Franchisor Incorporated, 2026 filing, litigation on page 10, bankruptcy on page 10
The Rock Underground filings
The figures on this page come from The Rock Underground Franchisor Incorporated’s 2026 filing, issued April 9, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 9, 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 entertainment franchises
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The Rock Underground is also on these lists: education franchises.