From the filings
Software purchasing at Balloon Realm is controlled by its two-person HQ leadership team, Eugene C. Nifenecker II (The King) and Sha-Asia Castro (The Queen / Training Manager). The brand mandates BigCommerce for its e-commerce operations and operates just 2 total units—1 company-owned and 1 franchised—making this a micro-target for vendors. With an average unit volume of $140,329 and a 7% royalty, the addressable market is extremely small but may interest niche SaaS providers seeking early-stage franchise relationships.
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 (FY2024)
15% reference
Franchisor behaviours
23 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 7 explicit no's; 4 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?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee acknowledges that Balloon Realm has the right to remotely access Franchisee’s point-of-sale system to calculate Total Sales.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall provide such periodic financial reports as Balloon Realm may require in the Manual or otherwise in writing, including: (i) a monthly profit and loss statement and balance sheet for the Business within 30 days after the end of each calendar month; (ii) an annual financial statement (including profit…
How the franchisor buys
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesFranchise agreement
Balloon Realm may change any such requirement or change the status of any vendor.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
During the fiscal year ended December 31. 2022, we did not derive revenue from the sale of inventory system folders.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesFranchise agreement
Balloon Realm may receive rebates, payments, or other consideration from vendors in connection with purchases by 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?
75Item 8
We estimate that the required purchases and leases of goods and services to operate your business are 75% to 90% of your total purchases and leases of goods and services to operate your business.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you want to use a supplier that is not on our list of approved suppliers, you must request our approval in writing.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
to cancel or transfer to Balloon Realm or its designee all telephone numbers, post office boxes, directory listings, and Digital Marketing accounts used by Franchisee in connection with the Business or the Marks
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
complying at all times with the most current version of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards
Franchise management
Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall participate at its own expense in programs required from time to time by Balloon Realm for obtaining customer evaluations, reviewing Franchisee’s compliance with the System, and/or managing customer complaints, which may include (but are not limited to) a customer feedback system, customer survey…
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
Balloon Realm may enter the premises of the Business from time to time at any reasonable time (including during normal business hours) and conduct an inspection.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 8
We may issue new specifications and standards for any aspect of our brand system, or modify existing specifications and standards, at any time by revising our Manual and/or issuing new written directives (which may be communicated to you by any method we choose).
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 12
If the specific location is not known at the time you sign a franchise agreement, then your location is subject to our approval.
Marketing
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall sell or otherwise issue gift cards, certificates, or other pre-paid systems, and participate in any customer loyalty programs, membership/subscription programs, or customer incentive programs, designated by Balloon Realm, in the manner specified by Balloon Realm in the Manual or otherwise in writing.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
We have the right to require you to purchase or lease all goods, services, supplies, fixtures, equipment, inventory, computer hardware and software, real estate, or comparable items related to establishing or operating your business (1) either from us or our designee, or from suppliers approved by us, or (2)…
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You must purchase (or lease) the point-of-sale software and hardware, and related software and hardware, that we specify.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
We currently require you to pay royalty fees and other amounts due to us by pre- authorized bank draft.
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesFranchise agreement
At its own expense, Franchisee shall sell or otherwise issue gift cards, certificates, or other pre-paid systems, and participate in any customer loyalty programs, membership/subscription programs, or customer incentive programs, designated by Balloon Realm, in the manner specified by Balloon Realm in the Manual or…
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must hire or engage sufficient number of personnel to service its volume of Business, and Franchisee must comply with any System Standards regarding staffing levels
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall cause its personnel to comply with any dress attire, uniform, personal appearance, and hygiene standards set forth in the Manual.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
We require you to use “BigCommerce” as your primary point of sale and order fulfillment system.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
You must give us independent access to the information that will be generated or stored in these systems.
Training
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
The Principal Executive shall use reasonable efforts to attend all in-person meetings and remote meetings (such as telephone or video conference calls) that Balloon Realm requires, including any national or regional brand conventions or conferences.
Balloon Realm is a retail non-food franchise concept headquartered in New York. According to its 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, the system consists of just 2 total units—1 company-owned and 1 franchised—with no year-over-year unit growth disclosed. Average unit volume sits at $140,329, and franchisees pay a 7% royalty on a 10-year initial term. For software vendors, this is a micro-opportunity: the total addressable market is 2 locations, and any sale will almost certainly require direct engagement with the brand's two-person leadership team.
The brand's small footprint means vendors should treat Balloon Realm as an early-stage relationship play rather than a volume sale. The franchisor holds tight operational control from HQ, and any technology adoption at the franchised unit level is likely directed or heavily influenced by the home office.
The 2024 FDD lists only two executives in Item 1: Eugene C. Nifenecker II, titled "The King," and Sha-Asia Castro, titled "The Queen (Training Manager)." No separate IT, procurement, or operations leadership is disclosed. In a system this small, both individuals are the de facto buying center. Vendors should expect that any software pitch—whether for e-commerce, POS, training, or back-office—will be evaluated and approved by one or both of these executives. There is no multi-unit operator layer to navigate, as no operators are mapped in our corpus.
Balloon Realm's FDD mandates one technology system: BigCommerce. This is the brand's required e-commerce platform, and it is the only named vendor in the disclosed tech stack. No POS system, scheduling tool, CRM, or other operational software is identified as mandated or recommended in the FDD. For vendors selling complementary or replacement technology, the BigCommerce mandate is the single known integration point. Any pitch should acknowledge this existing commitment and explain how your solution coexists with or enhances their BigCommerce environment.
The FDD does not provide an extract for Item 8, meaning the brand's procurement model—whether designated supplier, approved supplier, or open—is not disclosed in the available data. Vendors should inquire directly about purchasing requirements during initial conversations.
On renewals, Item 17 offers some timing signals. Franchisees may obtain up to two additional 5-year successor terms, provided they meet conditions including compliance with all contractual obligations, no more than two defaults under the franchise agreement, and renovation to then-current standards. They must also sign the then-current form of franchise agreement and a general release. With only one franchised unit and a 10-year initial term, renewal-driven technology refresh cycles are not a near-term volume driver. Software contract windows are more likely to open when HQ initiates a system-wide change or when the franchised unit undergoes a required renovation tied to renewal.
The full 2024 Balloon Realm Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below. Vendors should focus on Item 1 for leadership and litigation history, Item 11 for the franchisor's obligations around technology and support, and Item 17 for renewal and transfer conditions that may trigger software evaluation windows. Because the system is so small, the FDD is the single best source of truth on who buys and what they require. For a ranked target list of franchise systems that match your software's ideal customer profile, FranCloud can help you prioritize where to pitch next.
Questions vendors ask
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FDD alert
We’ll email you the moment Balloon Realm files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
1 operators run 1 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Top states by locations
| WI | 1 |
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Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.