Facebook
hout the term hereof, continuously manage and maintain social media accounts for your Institute on social media platforms that we designate, which may include (without limitation) Facebook, Instagram,
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
Abbey Road Institute
EducationSoftware purchasing at Abbey Road Institute is controlled at the headquarters level, with Company Director and CEO Luca Barassi and Programme Director Carlos Lellis as key decision-makers. The system currently mandates HubSpot (by HubSpot, Inc.) and a digital audio workstation (DAW) across its single franchised location. With only one franchised unit in the US, the addressable market is extremely small, making this a niche, high-touch sales opportunity for vendors who can align with the brand's creative-education mission.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
1
1 franchised
Unit growth YoY
0%
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2025
Royalty
—
of gross sales
Ad fund
—
national + local
Initial fee
$250K
per unit
Investment range
$517K–$2.46M
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
Systems named in Item 11 of this filing. None is recorded as mandated here, which is not the same as the filing mandating nothing. Read Item 11 before treating the category as open.
Google Ads
ivering targeted direct marketing (for example (and without limitation): campaigns that enable you to define an audience geographically, such as advertisements on social media and Google Ads, or conta
HubSpot
nt : 25 TRAINING PROGRAM Hours Of Hours Of Subject Classroom On The Job Location Training Training Introduction to Abbey Road Institute and 2 0 London, UK Abbey Road Brand Sales / HubSpot Training 4 4
Instagram
erm hereof, continuously manage and maintain social media accounts for your Institute on social media platforms that we designate, which may include (without limitation) Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, L
LinkedIn
and maintain social media accounts for your Institute on social media platforms that we designate, which may include (without limitation) Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and Twitter. We will cre
TikTok
continuously manage and maintain social media accounts for your Institute on social media platforms that we designate, which may include (without limitation) Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and
Twitter
and maintain social media accounts for your Institute on social media platforms that we designate, which may include (without limitation) Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and Twitter. We will cre
Yelp
Pages”) and continually in all print and/or electronic classified directories (collectively and including “White Pages,” the “Business Directories”), including but not limited to Yelp, Google Maps and
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
18 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 6 explicit no's; 10 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
No later than 90 days following the end of each of your fiscal years during the Term of this Agreement, you agree to furnish to us, in a form we approve, a statement of the licensed Business's profit and loss for the fiscal year and a balance sheet as of the end of the fiscal year, prepared on a compilation basis and…
How the franchisor buys
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
we reserve the right to, from time to time, designate products that must be purchased from us or our affiliates.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
During the 2025 fiscal year, we did not derive any revenue from required purchases or leases by our franchisees.
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?
0Item 8
During the 2025 fiscal year, we did not derive any revenue from required purchases or leases by our franchisees.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
If we elect to evaluate the proposed supplier, you agree to reimburse us for any and all costs and expenses we incur in connection with such evaluation.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If we name a supplier for a product or service, you may contract with an alternative supplier if you meet our criteria.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
At our option, either change the telephone numbers utilized by your licensed Business or, upon our written demand, direct the telephone company to transfer the telephone numbers (and associated listings) listed for the licensed Business to us or to any other person or location that we direct.
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
meet or exceed industry standards regarding Safeguards, including payment card industry (“PCI”) standards, norms, requirements and protocols to the extent applicable
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
We and/or our agents (who may be outside accountants and auditors), designees and/or employees will have the right, at any time, with or without written notice, during normal business hours, to enter your Institute and any other offices at which the Business is administered, in a fashion calculated not to disrupt…
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
In the exercise of our sole business judgment, we may from time to time modify any components of the System and requirements applicable to you by means of furnishing to you our Brand Standards, Supplements to the Brand Standards or otherwise
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesFranchise agreement
The Location will be subject to our advance written approval, and our determination will be final.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesFranchise agreement
You must obtain our prior written consent for each social media platform that you wish us to create for you to promote your Institute.
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesFranchise agreement
you agree to conduct local advertising and promotion of your Abbey Road Institute in your Territory in accordance with the following minimum annual expenditure requirements
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
You must purchase or lease any proprietary and/or private label branded programs, products, systems, methods, platforms, supplies, equipment, materials or services used in conjunction with, offered or sold at the Institute which now comprise, or in the future may comprise, a part of the System and which were…
Payments
Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You agree to become and remain a merchant for any credit cards and/or debit cards, and any credit and/or debit card processor(s), which we may specify in our Brand Standards or otherwise.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesItem 15
You must designate an “Institute Manager” to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Institute.
Point of sale
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We will have independent, direct and real-time access to your Computer and Point of Sale System and we may retrieve from your Computer and Point of Sale System all information that we consider necessary, desirable or appropriate.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
You agree to pay all of the expenses incurred by your Trainees in connection with any additional training programs we develop, including their salaries, travel costs, meals, lodging and other living expenses.
The filing answers no to 6 questions
- Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?Franchise agreement
- Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?Item 8
- Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Item 20
- Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
- Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
The vendor opportunity at Abbey Road Institute
Abbey Road Institute operates a single franchised location in the US, according to its 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. The brand is an education concept tied to the iconic Abbey Road name, focused on music production and audio engineering. For software vendors, the addressable market is precisely one unit—making this a highly concentrated, relationship-driven sales target rather than a volume play.
The franchisor does not disclose an average unit volume (AUV) in the FDD, and year-over-year unit growth is not available. The royalty rate is 12%, and the initial franchise term runs 10 years. There is no parent company on file; the brand appears independently owned. No operators are mapped in our corpus, meaning the sole franchisee is not individually profiled here.
Who controls software purchasing
Software purchasing decisions at Abbey Road Institute are centralized at headquarters. The 2025 FDD Item 1 names Luca Barassi as Company Director and Chief Executive Officer, and Carlos Lellis as Programme Director of Abbey Road Training Limited. Marketing Manager Hannah Fitzgerald is also listed. For a vendor pitching martech, Fitzgerald and Barassi are the likely buying center; for instructional or studio technology, Lellis is the relevant technical decision-maker. There is no CIO or CTO named in the disclosure.
Because the system has only one franchised unit, the franchisor likely exerts direct control over technology selection and deployment. The renewal terms in Item 17 reinforce this: the franchisor reserves the right to inspect equipment and software at the institute and require upgrades or replacements before granting a successor license.
Mandated and current tech stack
The FDD mandates two technology categories. First, a digital audio workstation (DAW) is required for student and studio computer workstations. The specific DAW vendor is not named in the extract, leaving an opening for vendors in the pro-audio space to inquire about the current standard. Second, HubSpot by HubSpot, Inc. is mandated, indicating that the franchisor has already standardized on HubSpot for marketing, CRM, or related functions.
No other operational or point-of-sale systems are disclosed as mandated. The absence of a named POS, LMS, or scheduling platform suggests either an open stack at the unit level or gaps that a vendor could explore, provided they align with the brand's creative-education focus and the franchisor's approval process.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 of the FDD, which typically outlines procurement restrictions and designated suppliers, is not extracted in our data. This means the formal procurement model—whether designated supplier, approved supplier, or open—is not publicly confirmed. Vendors should approach the HQ directly to understand how software purchasing decisions are made and whether the franchisor imposes supplier criteria.
The renewal cycle offers a potential entry point. The initial term is 10 years, and Item 17 requires the franchisee to notify the franchisor between six and nine months before expiration. The franchisor may then inspect equipment and software and mandate upgrades before a successor license is granted. This creates a defined window where software replacement or upgrade discussions are likely to occur, even in a single-unit system.
How to read the Abbey Road Institute FDD
The 2025 FDD is embedded below for full reference. Key sections for software vendors include Item 11 (the franchisor's obligations), which lists the mandated DAW and HubSpot requirements, and Item 17 (renewal, termination, and transfer), which details the software inspection and upgrade clause. Item 1 identifies the executives who control purchasing. Because the system is so small, the FDD itself is the most direct intelligence asset available—read it closely before outreach.
For a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software category, FranCloud can help you prioritize the right doors.
Questions vendors ask
Abbey Road Institute, answered from the filing
CEO Luca Barassi and Programme Director Carlos Lellis are the named executives in the 2025 FDD. Marketing Manager Hannah Fitzgerald may influence martech decisions, especially around the mandated HubSpot instance.
The FDD mandates a DAW (digital audio workstation) for student and studio workstations, and HubSpot by HubSpot, Inc. No POS or other operational systems are disclosed as mandated.
The 2025 FDD discloses 1 franchised unit. Company-owned unit counts are not disclosed. This is a single-unit education franchise with no mapped operator footprint in our corpus.
Item 8 procurement signals are not extracted in the available data. The FDD does not publicly clarify whether the franchisor uses designated suppliers, approved suppliers, or an open procurement model.
The initial term is 10 years. Renewal requires notice 6–9 months before expiration and may mandate software/hardware upgrades at the franchisor's discretion, creating a potential window tied to that inspection cycle.
The 2025 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can review the embedded PDF viewer below for the full legal text, including Item 11 tech mandates and Item 17 renewal conditions.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Abbey Road Institute files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
6 operators run 6 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit6
Top states by locations
| CA | 1 |
|---|---|
| FL | 1 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind Abbey Road Institute
single_brand_holdco of Abbey Road Institute.
Related Education brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.