Fred Astaire Dance Studios

The vendor opportunity at Fred Astaire Dance Studios

Fred Astaire Dance Studios operates 261 franchised locations across the United States, with no company-owned units reported in the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. The system grew 6.1% year-over-year, adding new franchised studios that each represent a potential software deployment. Average unit volume sits at $777,195.69, and the royalty rate is 7.0%. For a software vendor, the total addressable market is 261 units, all governed by a franchisor that mandates three core technology systems. The initial franchise term is 10 years, and renewal terms are also 10 years, creating a predictable cadence for contract evaluations tied to renewal cycles.

Who controls software purchasing

The franchisor exerts strong control over technology decisions. The 2025 FDD lists three mandated systems, meaning franchisees cannot freely choose alternatives for those functions. Key executives named in Item 1 include Luann Pulliam (Chief Executive Officer, President & Board Member), Gaetano Noce (Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Development Officer & Board Member), Stephen Knight (Vice President, Chief Dance Director & Class Experience Officer & Board Member), John Dearing II (Chief Financial Officer), and Pahjmon Lipsey (Vice President of Franchising and Business Development). No dedicated CIO or CTO is listed, but the concentration of operations and franchising leadership at HQ suggests that technology evaluation and selection run through the executive team, likely led by the COO and VP of Franchising.

Mandated and current tech stack

The 2025 FDD mandates three systems: AMP, an Internal Franchising Platform, and a Studio Management and Technology System. The document does not disclose the specific vendors behind these labels, so whether AMP refers to a third-party product or a proprietary tool is not clear from the filing. The Internal Franchising Platform likely handles franchisee communications, compliance, and reporting, while the Studio Management and Technology System presumably covers scheduling, point-of-sale, and class management. Vendors selling adjacent or replacement software should note that any solution competing with or integrating into these three mandated areas must win approval at the franchisor level.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

Item 8 of the 2025 FDD contains no procurement extract, so the franchisor’s supplier designation model—whether designated, approved, or open—is not publicly disclosed. However, the existence of three mandated systems implies a top-down procurement approach for those categories. Renewal terms, detailed in Item 17, require franchisees to notify the franchisor 6 to 12 months before the end of their 10-year term, sign the then-current franchise agreement (which may contain materially different terms), refurbish the studio to current specifications, complete all current training, and pay a renewal fee 30 days before expiration. This structured renewal process creates a recurring window during which franchisees must align with updated system standards, including any new or revised technology mandates.

How to read the Fred Astaire Dance Studios FDD

The 2025 Fred Astaire Dance Studios Franchise Disclosure Document is filed with state franchise regulators and is available for review below. Item 1 identifies the executives and the franchisor entity. Item 11 details the three mandated technology systems. Item 17 outlines the renewal conditions, including the 10-year term and the 6-to-12-month notice requirement. For software vendors, the most actionable sections are Item 11 (mandated systems) and Item 17 (renewal timing), as they define both the current tech stack and the moments when franchisees are contractually required to revisit their obligations. To see which franchise systems match your ideal customer profile, FranCloud can generate a ranked target list based on unit counts, growth rates, tech mandates, and renewal cycles.