ZEISS Vision Center franchise
2026 filing · January 28, 2026
ZEISS Vision Center at a glance
An optical store selling eyeglass lenses, frames, contact lenses and other optical goods.
The business
- Industry
- Retail
- Franchisor
- Carl Zeiss Vision Business Services Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
- Typical size
- 800–3,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $605K–$1.1M
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $25,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- $25,000 a year
- No percentage royalty; a $25,000 system services fee each year after the first
- Brand fund
- None now
- No brand fund
- Renewal fee
- $25,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 0
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
From Carl Zeiss Vision Business Services Inc’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
ZEISS Vision Center among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | ZEISS Vision Center | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $850,500 | Costs more than 80% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $25,000 | Lower than 82% of franchises |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 0 | Fewer than 97% of franchises |
How much a ZEISS Vision Center franchise costs
Opening one ZEISS Vision Center costs an estimated $605,000 to $1,096,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are architectural services and leasehold improvements ($230,000 to $350,000) and equipment ($120,000 to $240,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Fee | $25,000 | ||
| Compensation and Other Expenses While Attending Initial Training | $1,000 | $2,000 | |
| Rent & Security Deposit (3 Months) | $15,000 | $21,000 | |
| Architectural Services and Leasehold Improvements | $230,000 | $350,000 | |
| Equipment | $120,000 | $240,000 | |
| Signage, Fixtures, Furniture and Decor | $90,000 | $120,000 | |
| Computers and Software | $11,000 | $38,000 | |
| Insurance | $8,000 | $10,000 | |
| Opening Inventory of Supplies | $30,000 | $90,000 | |
| Working Capital or Additional Funds (3 months) | $75,000 | $200,000 | |
| Total | $605,000 | $1,096,000 | |
Source: Carl Zeiss Vision Business Services Inc, 2026 filing, page 15
ZEISS Vision Center franchise fee
The franchise fee is $25,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Carl Zeiss Vision Business Services Inc, 2026 filing, page 12
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | No percentage royalty; a $25,000 system services fee each year after the first. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | No brand fund |
| Computers and SoftwareE) | $11,000 |
| Transfer Fee | $5,000 |
| Renewal | $25,000 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Carl Zeiss Vision Business Services Inc, 2026 filing, pages 13 and 27
Other fees as filed, from pages 13–15. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures ZEISS Vision Center 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: Carl Zeiss Vision Business Services Inc, 2026 filing, page 73
How ZEISS Vision Center compares
Of the 302 retail franchises on this site, ZEISS Vision Center is the 280th cheapest to open and the 284th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | ZEISS Vision Center | Typical retail brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $605K | $198K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $1.1M | $425K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $25K | $35K | $40K |
| US locations | 0 | 38 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 187 of 302 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 302 brands in retail franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 (0) | 0 | 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: Carl Zeiss Vision Business Services Inc, 2026 filing, page 73
Who owns ZEISS Vision Center?
ZEISS Vision Center franchises are sold by Carl Zeiss Vision Business Services Inc.
From Carl Zeiss Vision Business Services Inc’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: Carl Zeiss Vision Business Services Inc, 2026 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 11
ZEISS Vision Center filings
The figures on this page come from Carl Zeiss Vision Business Services Inc’s 2026 filing, issued January 28, 2026, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | January 28, 2026 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
