Vanguard Key Clubs franchise
2025 filing · April 28, 2025
Vanguard Key Clubs at a glance
A 24-hour key-access fitness center. At the end of 2024 there were 6 Vanguard Key Clubs locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Key Club Development Corporation
- The company that sells the franchises
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $207K–$528K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $40,000
- Reduced for later units under a multi-unit agreement
- Royalty
- 5%
- 5% of gross sales (4.5% for qualifying multi-unit operators), paid monthly, plus 2% to the brand development fund and 2% on local marketing
Where it is
- US locations, 2024
- 6
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 6
From Key Club Development Corporation’s 2025 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Vanguard Key Clubs among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Vanguard Key Clubs | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $367,525 | Costs more than 51% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $40,000 | Lower than 46% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 6 | Fewer than 69% of franchises |
How much a Vanguard Key Clubs franchise costs
Opening one Vanguard Key Clubs costs an estimated $207,350 to $527,700. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: Key Club Development Corporation, 2025 filing, page 17
Vanguard Key Clubs franchise fee
The franchise fee is $40,000, reduced for later units under a multi-unit agreement. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Key Club Development Corporation, 2025 filing, page 10
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of gross sales (4.5% for qualifying multi-unit operators), paid monthly, plus 2% to the brand development fund and 2% on local marketing. |
|---|
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Key Club Development Corporation, 2025 filing, page 11
Sales and earnings
No figures Vanguard Key Clubs 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: Key Club Development Corporation, 2025 filing, page 51
How Vanguard Key Clubs compares
Of the 92 gym franchises on this site, Vanguard Key Clubs is the 21st cheapest to open and the 62nd largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Vanguard Key Clubs | Typical gym brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $207K | $342K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $528K | $653K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $40K | $50K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 6.5% | 6% |
| US locations | 6 | 17 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 53 of 92 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 92 brands in gym franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 0 (0) | 6 |
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 6 |
| 2024 | 0 (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.
More in the guides: fitness franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: Key Club Development Corporation, 2025 filing, page 52
Who owns Vanguard Key Clubs?
Vanguard Key Clubs franchises are sold by Key Club Development Corporation.
From Key Club Development Corporation’s 2025 filing.
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 4. |
|---|---|
| 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: Key Club Development Corporation, 2025 filing, litigation on page 4, bankruptcy on page 9
Vanguard Key Clubs filings
The figures on this page come from Key Club Development Corporation’s 2025 filing, issued April 28, 2025, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 filing | April 28, 2025 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2022–2024 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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