Verified — real FDD extraction
SBA-eligible · directory code S0024 since 2017
9ROUND
Other · independent · est. —
9Round is a boutique fitness concept built around 30-minute, kickboxing-style circuit workouts. A franchisee operates a compact storefront gym where trainers guide members through a rotating nine-station circuit, selling recurring memberships to local fitness customers.
9ROUND net unit count declined -49.1% from 2023–2025 per its FDD Item 20.
New to franchising? Start here
A franchise is a business where you (the franchisee) pay a company (the franchisor) for the right to open and run a location using their brand and system — think a local Anytime Fitness or Taco John's owned by a small-business owner, not the corporation.
Before you can buy in, U.S. law requires the franchisor to give you a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) — a long legal filing covering its fees, finances, and history. The numbers on this page come straight from that document:
- Franchise fee — the one-time cost to buy in.
- Royalty — the ongoing cut of your sales you pay the franchisor.
- Item 20 — how many locations opened and closed, the basis for our verdict (from Proven & strong down to Distressed — or Too new to judge).
The verdict
Showing strain
Distress
The disclosed record shows weakness — shrinking units, elevated exits, or churn — worth reading closely before going further.
Exit rate · latest year
29.6%
fiscal 2025, per Item 20
Cost to open
$160K–$390K
Item 7 total investment range
SBA loan defaults
31.0%
vs 14.8% avg across rated brands
Behind the verdict
the record, factor by factor · Item 20
3-yr trend · Item 20 Table 1
terminations + ceased-ops vs. all exits · Table 3
transfers vs. base · Table 3
actual vs. projected openings · Table 5
Item 19 disclosure + completeness
Systemwide units
2023–2025
Survival record
FDD Item 20 · outlet status by year
In fiscal 2025, 59 of 199 franchised outlets left the system — a 29.6% annualized exit rate. Not every exit is a failure — but this is the measurable floor.
Show the outlet tables ↓Hide the evidence ↑
| Status (FTC) | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outlets at start | 371 | 279 | 200 |
| Opened | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Transfers | 27 | 11 | 6 |
| Terminations | 68 | 66 | 49 |
| Non-renewals | 0 | 12 | 7 |
| Reacquired by franchisor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ceased — other reasons | 21 | 2 | 3 |
| Outlets at end | 279 | 200 | 142 |
| Net change | -92 | -79 | -58 |
The lender's view
SBA 7(a)/504 loan performance · FY1991–present
Banks have made 56 SBA-backed loans to 9ROUND franchisees since 2014. Of the 42 that have resolved, 31.0% were charged off (defaulted) rather than paid in full, versus 14.8% across 576 rated brands.
31.0%
13 of 42 resolved defaulted
55.3%
avg. charged-off $ ÷ approved $
17.1%
default rate × loss severity
$115,776
what recent franchisees borrowed
51 mo
approval → charge-off, defaulted loans
8 vs 27
distinct banks — pulling back
Charge-off rate by loan approval year (%)
Loan performance by state
SOURCE: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA LOAN DATA (DATA.SBA.GOV), FY1991–PRESENT · MATCHED TO 9ROUND BY FRANCHISE NAME · RESOLVED = CHARGED-OFF + PAID-IN-FULL
The owner's side of the deal
FDD × federal loan record
Who finances it
Stearns Bank National Association
21.4% of this brand's loans
That lender charges off 11.7% of its loans to other franchise brands, vs 14.8% nationally.
Who buys it
69.6%
first-time franchise owners
The rest already owned at least one other franchise. Across the corpus, brands bought mostly by repeat operators charge off at roughly 10% versus 17% for brands sold mostly to newcomers.
Does experience help here?
Not enough resolved loans to split
Computed from 56 SBA 7(a)/504 loans to 9ROUND franchisees joined to the brand's own FDD. Debt service assumes level amortization at the average disclosed term and rate. A lender's rate excludes its loans to this brand, so it reads the lender, not the brand.
What it costs — and what it drags
FDD Items 5–7 · fees, investment, royalty
Buying in means a $20K franchise fee (Item 5) and a total investment of $160K–$390K (Item 7). The franchisor publishes no earnings claim (Item 19) — ask current and former franchisees for real numbers.
To open (Item 7)
$160K–$390K
all-in investment range
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$20K
upfront, one-time
Royalty (Item 6)
6%
of sales, ongoing
Your figure — this brand discloses no Item 19 earnings; validate with current & former owners.
Royalty you'd pay / yr
$60K
6% of sales, before profit
Over a 10-yr term
$600K
royalties alone, excl. ad fund
This is not profit. It's the only money the FDD actually pins down — what you put in, and the royalty you owe on every dollar of sales. Your real take-home depends on labor, rent, food cost, and ramp-to-breakeven, none of which any FDD discloses.
Build a real pro-forma for 9ROUND with an independent CPAModeled risk
FDD Risk Score · modeled from the public record
Modeled from the public record, this brand looks riskier than 84% of systems we score.
Risk percentile
84 / 100
Loan-corroborated
Modeled SBA charge-off
18.3%
Observed SBA charge-off
31.0%
Top drivers: Item 20 exit rate (raises) · Share financed by high-loss lenders (lowers) · Net unit growth (raises) · Item 3 litigation (log) (raises). 15+ resolved loans stand behind this estimate. A linear scorecard built from this brand's own disclosure figures plus the federal loan record behind its franchisees; full spec and cross-validated accuracy on the methodology page. A score is context, not a verdict.
Distress signals
news-sourced · bankruptcies, closures, lawsuits
No recent closures, bankruptcies, or major lawsuits found in the news for 9ROUND. That's a good sign — but it reflects news coverage, not a guarantee.
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing 9ROUND's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →9ROUND franchise questions, answered from the filings
What percentage of 9ROUND franchises closed last year?
In 9ROUND's latest FDD Item 20 (fiscal 2025), 59 of 199 franchised outlets left the system — an annualized exit rate of 29.6%. That counts terminations, non-renewals, and "ceased operations — other reasons." There is no official failure rate, and not every exit is a failure, but this is the measurable floor.
How much does a 9ROUND franchise cost?
Per 9ROUND's 2026 FDD, buying in requires an initial franchise fee of $20K (Item 5) and a total initial investment of $160K–$390K (Item 7).
What royalty does 9ROUND charge?
9ROUND charges an ongoing royalty of 6.0% of gross sales, per Item 6 of its 2026 FDD.
Does 9ROUND disclose earnings (Item 19)?
No — 9ROUND's 2026 FDD makes no financial performance representation in Item 19. That is legal and common, but it means the franchisor publishes no earnings claim; ask current franchisees for real numbers.
How often do SBA loans for 9ROUND franchises default?
Across 56 SBA-backed loans to 9ROUND franchisees since 2014, 13 of the 42 that have resolved were charged off — a 31.0% default rate, versus about 14.8% across all rated franchise brands. This is the lender's-eye view of franchisee failure, drawn from public SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA data and independent of the franchisor's own disclosures.