Zen Massage franchise
2025 filing · April 29, 2025Shares sales figures
Zen Massage at a glance
A massage and skin care center offering therapeutic massage at affordable prices. At the end of 2024 there were 9 Zen Massage locations in the US, 7 franchised and 2 company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Zen Massage Franchising, Inc
- The company that sells the franchises
- Current franchisor selling since
- 2006
- 19 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Cornelius, North Carolina
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $296K–$363K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $39,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 5%
- 5% of gross weekly receipts, paid weekly, plus 2% to the brand development fund
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross receipts, paid with the royalty
- Renewal fee
- $10,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
Where it is
- US locations, 2024
- 9
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 7
- Company-owned
- 2
From Zen Massage Franchising, Inc’s 2025 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Zen Massage among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Zen Massage | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $329,031 | Costs less than 53% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $39,000 | Lower than 58% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 9 | Fewer than 63% of franchises |
How much a Zen Massage franchise costs
Opening one Zen Massage costs an estimated $295,540 to $362,522. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold im-provements ($175,000 to $185,142) and working capital ($25,000 to $50,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $39,000 | ||
| Equipment, Fur-nishings, Decor For Massage Rooms and Treatment Rooms | $14,305 | $20,960 | |
| Massage/Skin care Treatment Prod-uct/Supplies | $4,665 | $6,410 | |
| Signage | $7,500 | $15,000 | |
| Insurance Pre-mium | $2,000 | $3,500 | |
| Office Equipment/Furni-ture/Supplies | $2,610 | $3,910 | |
| Professional Fees | $1,000 | $2,000 | |
| Training Expenses | $1,500 | $3,000 | |
| Initial Marketing Materials | $750 | $2,000 | |
| Business License | $50 | $200 | |
| Prepaid Rent and Security Deposit | $11,000 | $16,600 | |
| Working Capital | $25,000 | $50,000 | |
| Leasehold Im-provements | $175,000 | $185,142 | |
| Furniture/Fix-tures/Decor | $5,260 | $8,100 | |
| Grand Opening Program | $5,000 | ||
| Therapist Recruiting | $500 | $1,000 | |
| Software License | $200 | ||
| Business Software Support | $200 | ||
| Staff Recruiting | $0 | $300 | |
| Total | $295,540 | $362,522 | |
Source: Zen Massage Franchising, Inc, 2025 filing, page 19
Zen Massage franchise fee
The franchise fee is $39,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Zen Massage Franchising, Inc, 2025 filing, page 11
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of gross weekly receipts, paid weekly, plus 2% to the brand development fund. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross receipts, paid with the royalty. |
| Business Software Li-cense Fee | Currently $200 per month but subject to change. |
| Transfer Fee | $10,000 |
| Renewal Fee | $10,000 |
| Local advertising/marketing investment | At least $650 per month per Center in advertising place- ment. |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Zen Massage Franchising, Inc, 2025 filing, pages 12 and 13
Other fees as filed, from pages 13–15. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Zen Massage publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Zen Massage Franchising, Inc, 2025 filing, page 53
SBA loans to Zen Massage franchisees
Lenders approved one SBA 7(a) loan for a Zen Massage franchisee in 2018, for $125K. 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
How Zen Massage compares
Of the 19 massage franchises on this site, Zen Massage is the 6th cheapest to open and the 11th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Zen Massage | Typical massage brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $296K | $321K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $363K | $730K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $39K | $43K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 9 | 49 | 21 |
| Change in franchised locations, 0 yrs | 0% | +13.5% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 16 of 19 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 19 brands in massage franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 7 (0) | 2 |
| 2023 | 7 (0) | 2 |
| 2024 | 7 (0) | 2 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating. The two company-owned centers are run as franchisees by an affiliate owned by the franchisor's chief executive.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: Zen Massage Franchising, Inc, 2025 filing, pages 57–58
Who owns Zen Massage?
Zen Massage franchises are sold by Zen Massage Franchising, Inc.
From Zen Massage Franchising, Inc’s 2025 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: Zen Massage Franchising, Inc, 2025 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 11
Zen Massage filings
The figures on this page come from Zen Massage Franchising, Inc’s 2025 filing, issued April 29, 2025, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 filing | April 29, 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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Zen Massage is also on these lists: spa franchises, health and wellness franchises.