TourScale franchise
2026 filing · May 7, 2026Shares sales figures
TourScale at a glance
A party boat tour business running Cruisin' Tikis, Paddle Pub and Tiki Pub boats on local waterways. At the end of 2025 there were 64 TourScale locations in the US, 59 franchised and 5 company-owned.
The business
- Industry
- Entertainment
- Franchisor
- TourScale Franchising, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Charlotte, North Carolina
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $116K–$704K
- A Paddle Pub or Tiki Pub business
- Franchise fee
- $50K–$70K
- By territory tier
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of net sales, paid monthly, plus digital advertising of at least $5,000 or 5% of net sales a year
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of net sales, paid monthly
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- 50% of our then current initial Franchise Fee
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 64
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 59
- Company-owned
- 5
- States
- 18
- Most in Florida, New York and Maryland
From TourScale Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
TourScale among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | TourScale | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $409,600 | Costs more than 55% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $49,900 | Higher than 69% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 64 | More than 69% of franchises |
| Sales per locationYearly, as the brand reports it | $231,281 | Lower than 93% of brands that share sales figures |
| Sales against cost to openYearly sales over the cost midpoint | 0.6× | Lower than 96% of brands that share sales figures |
How much a TourScale franchise costs
Opening a Paddle Pub or Tiki Pub business costs an estimated $115,700 to $703,500. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are primary asset – paddle pub or tiki pub ($25,700 to $499,900) and initial franchise fee ($49,900 to $69,900). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $49,900 | $69,900 | |
| Primary Asset – Paddle Pub or Tiki Pub | $25,700 | $499,900 | |
| Shipping of Primary Assets | $150 | $15,000 | |
| Launch & Marketing Kit | $10,000 | ||
| Initial Training | $1,000 | $3,000 | |
| Travel and Living Expenses While Training | $1,000 | $4,500 | |
| Technology Purchases | $700 | $3,200 | |
| Additional Funds (3 to 6 months) | $25,000 | $50,000 | |
| Insurance (Deposit or Full Annual Premium) | $1,250 | $10,000 | |
| Legal and Accounting | $1,000 | $4,000 | |
| Business Licenses and Permits | $0 | $2,000 | |
| Slip Lease (deposit or annual) | $0 | $6,000 | |
| Rent or Storage | $0 | $5,000 | |
| Merchandise | $0 | $3,000 | |
| Sales and Use Taxes | $0 | $18,000 | |
| Total | $115,700 | $703,500 | |
Source: TourScale Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 24
TourScale franchise fee
The franchise fee is $49,900 to $69,900, by territory tier. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: TourScale Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 12
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of net sales, paid monthly, plus digital advertising of at least $5,000 or 5% of net sales a year. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of net sales, paid monthly. |
| Technology Fee | $160 per month |
| Transfer Fee | 50% of our then current Initial Franchise Fee |
| Renewal Fee | 50% of our then current initial Franchise Fee |
| Initial Training Fee | $1,000 per attendee |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: TourScale Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, pages 13 and 14
Other fees as filed, from pages 15–18. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures TourScale publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
- Average sales
- $231,281
- Median sales
- $126,918
Yearly figures for 2025, covering franchised outlets (Cruisin' Tikis, Paddle Pub and Tiki Pub) open the full 2025 peak season (48 locations). The average is about 0.6 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: TourScale Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, pages 54–55
SBA loans to TourScale franchisees
Lenders approved one SBA 7(a) loan for a TourScale franchisee in 2023, for $172K. It hasn’t been paid off or charged off 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
How TourScale compares
Of the 168 entertainment franchises on this site, TourScale is the 38th cheapest to open and the 20th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | TourScale | Typical entertainment brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $116K | $286K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $704K | $598K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $50K | $45K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 1.3% | 2% |
| Sales per location | $231K | $756K | $794K |
| US locations | 64 | 8 | 21 |
| Change in franchised locations, 0 yrs | +742.9% | +32.5% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 14 (+7) | 5 |
| 2024 | 17 (+3) | 4 |
| 2025 | 59 (+42) | 5 |
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: TourScale Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 60
Where TourScale locations are
At the end of 2025, TourScale had locations in 18 states. The most are in Florida, New York and Maryland.
- Florida31
- New York5
- Maryland3
- New Jersey3
- North Carolina3
- South Carolina3
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 28 | 3 | 31 |
| New York | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Maryland | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| New Jersey | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| North Carolina | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Wisconsin | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| California | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Connecticut | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Alabama | 1 | 0 | 1 |
All 18 states
| Delaware | 1 |
|---|---|
| Idaho | 1 |
| Michigan | 1 |
| Mississippi | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | 1 |
| Tennessee | 1 |
| Texas | 1 |
| Virginia | 1 |
Source: TourScale Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 61
Who owns TourScale?
TourScale franchises are sold by TourScale Franchising, LLC. It is a subsidiary of TourScale Enterprises, LLC.
From TourScale Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing, page 7.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on page 11. |
|---|---|
| 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: TourScale Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 11
TourScale filings
A franchisor files a new disclosure each year it sells franchises. The figures on this page come from TourScale Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing, issued May 7, 2026; the earlier ones below are on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | May 7, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
| 2024 filing | July 4, 2024 | NASAA depository | Replaced by the 2026 filing |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
