From the filings
Software purchasing at 9Round is tightly controlled by the franchisor, with co-founder and CEO Heather Hudson and the leadership team at the Greenville, SC headquarters driving technology decisions. The system mandates a specific suite of operational tools—including the 9Round app, workout system, and PULSE heart rate zone system—across 141 franchised locations. With 81 operators managing these units and a 6% royalty on a 10-year initial term, vendors face a centralized, mandate-heavy sales environment.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Ongoing fee load
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
8%of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Franchisor behaviours
20 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 14 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We may independently access from a remote location, at any time, all information (including member information) input to and compiled by your Technology System or an off-site server.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
Currently, we are the only approved supplier of your ongoing inventory of gloves, supportive hand wraps, punching bags, certain print materials, heart rate monitors and belts, apparel, furniture, website, graphic design services, and certain nutrition services.
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 20
There is a 9ROUND Franchisee Advisory Council (FAC) which is currently comprised of four (4) members: three (3) U.S. 9ROUND franchisees, and one (1) 9ROUND franchisor representative.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
We may revise the Approved Suppliers List and Approved Supplies List.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
1820797.00Item 8
During our fiscal year ending on December 31, 2025, we derived $1,820,797.00 from franchisee purchases and leases, which amount represents 24.7% of our total revenue of $7,348,402.00, based on our audited financial statements.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We have an agreement with various merchandise suppliers where we receive a rebate of up to 35% of the sale price of each item.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
15Item 8
approximately 15%-25% of your total purchases and leases in operating the franchised business.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 6
Supplier Review Fee $1,000 to $5,000, but As incurred.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
if you wish to purchase any products or services for which we have established approved suppliers from an unapproved supplier, you may request our consent in writing.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesItem 17
assignment to us of your telephone numbers
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 15
We may request that you are present at the Center for any inspection or evaluation we conduct.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
You must acquire a site for the Center within one hundred and twenty (120) days after the Franchise Agreement is signed, or we may terminate the Franchise Agreement (Section 2B, 13B and 13D) or, at our election, may eliminate any designated area protection afforded in the Franchise Agreement (Section 2B).
Marketing
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 7
If you acquire franchise rights for a new Center, you must spend a minimum of $20,000, as determined by us, for local grand opening marketing, which will commence approximately two (2) months before the opening of your Center and approximately four (4) months after the opening of your Center.
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 11
On an ongoing basis, you must spend the higher of 8% of your monthly gross revenue or $18,000 per calendar year (an average of $1,500 per month, which may be more during peak months and less during non-peak months) on advertising or marketing that conforms to our standards and specifications.
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesItem 11
If we have established a Cooperative in your area, you must participate in the Cooperative and its programs, execute any participating documents we require and abide by its bylaws.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
You must purchase from approved sources, which may include us, our required opening equipment and inventory package (which includes equipment and initial inventory), grand opening advertising services, certain heart rate monitoring equipment, hardware for the daily workout screens system, hardware for the voice timer…
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You may use in the operation of the Center only the proprietary or non-proprietary equipment that we specify, and must purchase and lease all equipment that we designate from our approved suppliers.
Point of sale
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We may independently access from a remote location, at any time, all information (including member information) input to and compiled by your Technology System or an off-site server.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
Periodically, we may offer ongoing training programs and we may charge a fee for attending these training programs.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesItem 6
Each franchise owner is required to purchase a ticket to our convention, the location of which varies, but is usually held in the lower forty-eight (48) states of the US.
Who buys here
The decision-maker a vendor sells to at this scale, and the gaps they’re paid to close, derived from our data by segment and unit count, not a guess.
HQ leadership: CEO/President + VP Ops/Franchise + a first dedicated IT/systems owner.
9Round operates 142 total units—141 franchised and a single company-owned location—making it a compact but mandate-intensive target for software vendors. The system has contracted significantly, with a year-over-year unit decline of 29.1%, yet the remaining footprint spans 81 operators, including 6 multi-unit franchisees, across states led by California (24 units), North Carolina (9), and Texas (7). Average unit volume is not disclosed in the most recent FDD, and the royalty rate sits at 6% on a 10-year initial franchise term. For software sellers, the opportunity lies not in scale but in the depth of the mandated tech stack: nearly every operational function runs on systems specified by the franchisor, creating a replacement or upsell cycle tied to HQ-driven modernization and renewal events.
Purchasing authority rests squarely with the franchisor’s leadership team in Greenville, South Carolina. Co-Founder and CEO Heather Hudson is the central decision-maker, supported by Shannon Hudson (Co-Founder and Board Member), Brian Burke (Sr. Director of Franchise Development), Marcus Callis (Sr. Director of Distribution and Warehouse), and Tracy Penland (Assistant Director of Operations). This group evaluates and mandates technology across the system. Franchisees have no independent procurement path for core operational software; the FDD lists seven mandated systems, and any vendor seeking to displace or integrate with them must sell into HQ, not to individual operators.
The 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document enumerates a fully prescribed technology environment. Franchisees must use the 9Round app, the 9Round workout system, daily workout screens, a voice timer system, the PULSE heart rate zone system, the Franchisee Portal, and credit and debit card processing software. No third-party vendor names are disclosed for these components—the systems appear to be proprietary or tightly curated by the franchisor. This closed architecture means any software pitch must address either a direct replacement of a mandated tool (requiring a system-wide rollout) or a complementary integration that HQ deems additive to the existing stack.
The FDD does not include an Item 8 extract detailing procurement obligations, but the mandate-heavy Item 11 signals a designated-supplier environment. Renewal terms run 5 years under Item 17, with strict conditions: franchisees must meet current qualification criteria, provide written notice 6 to 12 months before expiration, sign the then-current Franchise Agreement (which may contain materially different terms), pay a renewal fee, complete modernization requirements, and execute a release. These modernization triggers represent the most likely windows for software vendors to engage—when HQ updates its tech requirements as part of the renewal cycle. With a 10-year initial term and a contracting unit base, vendors should monitor franchisee cohorts approaching renewal and any system-wide technology refresh initiatives.
The 2026 FDD is the definitive source for understanding 9Round’s technology mandates, executive structure, and contractual rhythms. Item 1 lists the leadership team and their roles—essential for mapping the buying center. Item 11 details the seven mandated systems, though it stops short of naming third-party vendors. Item 17 outlines the renewal process and modernization requirements that can force technology change. For vendors, the FDD confirms a centralized, HQ-driven purchasing model with no franchisee autonomy on core software. Review the embedded document below to extract Item 8 supplier language, financial performance representations (none disclosed for AUV), and the full operator footprint. When you’re ready to prioritize franchise systems by tech mandate strength and decision-maker accessibility, FranCloud can deliver a ranked target list.
Questions vendors ask
Every number on this page traces back to this document. Read it in full, page by page. Buy the original PDF to download, search, and annotate it.
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FDD alert
We’ll email you the moment 9Round files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
605 operators run 611 mapped locations. 6 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Top states by locations
| TX | 118 |
|---|---|
| CA | 87 |
| NC | 41 |
| FL | 41 |
| MO | 24 |
Related Fitness brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.