FacebookMeta
stablish from time to time in the Manuals or otherwise in writing. Digital Marketing We may, in our sole discretion, establish and operate websites, social media accounts (such as Facebook, Twitter, I
From the filings
+6.098% units YoYHQ-led decisions
Fred Astaire Dance Studios
FitnessFred Astaire Dance Studios requires franchisees to run DataCap for merchant services and a Studio Management and Technology System sourced from its affiliate FADSD, which is the sole approved supplier of the studio-management and learning-management software. The system runs 261 franchised units, growing 6.098% year over year on a 7% royalty. For a vendor, FADSD already owns the core software category; the opening is anywhere outside it.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
261
261 franchised
Unit growth YoY
+6.098%
vs prior filing
AUV
$777K
Item 19, 2024
Royalty
7%
of gross sales
Ad fund
—
national + local
Initial fee
$35K
per unit
Investment range
$296K–$658K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing. It is a floor, not a total — the filing discloses one of the two headline fees.
7%+of gross sales (FY2025)
15% reference
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.
InstagramMeta
to time in the Manuals or otherwise in writing. Digital Marketing We may, in our sole discretion, establish and operate websites, social media accounts (such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest
PinterestPinterest
the Manuals or otherwise in writing. Digital Marketing We may, in our sole discretion, establish and operate websites, social media accounts (such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.), ap
TwitterX
rom time to time in the Manuals or otherwise in writing. Digital Marketing We may, in our sole discretion, establish and operate websites, social media accounts (such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
29 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 2 explicit no's; 3 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must obtain, maintain and use the Studio Management and Technology System that we specify periodically in the Manuals for all sales processing, inventory, customer relations management, accounting, operations and other functions as we may otherwise require in the Manuals and as we may from time to time otherwise…
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesFranchise agreement
In addition, we and our affiliates may, through the Studio Management and Technology System or otherwise, have independent access to Personal Information.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Upon our written request, by March 30 of each year, you must submit your balance sheet and income statement for the previous calendar year.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We also require you to purchase certain supplies, marketing materials and equipment from us or our affiliates.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
We may change approved and required suppliers from time to time, and we or our affiliates may be approved or designated suppliers for certain items.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
339840Item 8
In our last fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, we received $339,840 in revenue from all required purchases and leases of products and services by franchisees, including purchases of items to be resold in Franchised Studios.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We or our affiliates may negotiate with suppliers, service providers and manufacturers to receive rebates, commission or other consideration based on certain items that you purchase or lease.
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?
25Item 8
We estimate that the cost to purchase or lease all equipment, inventory and other items and services that we require you to obtain from us or our affiliates, from designated suppliers or in accordance with our specifications ranges from 25% to 55% of the total cost to purchase or lease equipment, inventory and other…
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
You agree to pay us a charge not to exceed the reasonable cost of the inspection and our actual cost (including personnel and travel costs) of testing the proposed product or evaluating the proposed service or service provider whether or not the item, service, supplier or service provider is approved.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you desire to offer products or to lease, purchase or use any supplies, Operating Assets or services that we either have not pre-approved or from a supplier or service provider that we have not pre-approved, you must submit to us sufficient written information about the proposed new supplier to enable us to…
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesItem 17
cancel or transfer telephone number, post office boxes, domain names, social media accounts and directory listings
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must comply with all laws and payment card provider standards relating to the security of the Studio Management and Technology System, including the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 11
Make periodic visits to the Studio, conduct audits of your Studio for compliance with the FADS System Standards and evaluations of the products and services rendered to customers (Franchise Agreement Secs. 10.04 and 10.05).
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 11
We may amend, modify or supplement the Manuals at any time, so long as such amendments, modifications or supplements will, in our good faith opinion, benefit us and our existing and future franchisees or will otherwise improve the FADS System.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
You may not proceed to develop a Studio or enter into a letter of intent or other binding commitment for the proposed site unless we have approved the site in writing (e-mail approval is considered valid).
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesItem 11
You are not authorized to have a website for your Studio or to have a webpage related to your Studio in any third party website, including social networking sites.
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 11
In connection with the opening of the Studio, you must spend a minimum of $5,000, $2,500 of which must be paid to us 90 days prior to opening to do a marketing campaign on your behalf, for grand opening advertising and promotion in the four weeks prior to opening the Studio and the four weeks after opening the Studio…
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
you must spend 2% of your Gross Revenues for the previous calendar quarter on local advertising and promotional activities (the “Marketing Spending Requirement”).
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesItem 11
However, you must join and actively participate in any organizations or associations of franchisees or advertising cooperatives that we establish or that are established at our direction for the purpose of promoting, coordinating and purchasing advertising in local, regional or national areas where there are multiple…
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
If we have designated an approved/required supplier (which may be us or our affiliates), you must obtain the items from such supplier.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
If we have designated an approved/required supplier (which may be us or our affiliates), you must obtain the items from such supplier.
Payments
Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
In addition, you currently must use DataCap for merchant services.
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 11
Contributions to the FADS Advertising Fund will be paid on a monthly basis via automatic debit from your bank operating account.
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesItem 11
You must participate in all in-Studio promotional programs that we offer to franchisees.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesItem 15
Additionally, you must appoint a Key Manager to manage the day-to-day business of your Studio.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You may not use any other cash registers or computer systems in your Studio.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We may access and retrieve daily any information concerning the Studio stored on the Studio Management and Technology System or any off-site server, including information regarding gross revenues, customer information, inventory, expenditures, marketing information and such other information contained or stored on…
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We may charge a reasonable fee for each trainer assigned to your Studio and any remedial training.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
As of the Effective Date, we require your Operating Principal or Key Manager(s) to attend our annual Fred Astaire Conference & Training (“FACT”).
The filing answers no to 2 questions
- Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Franchise agreement
- Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?Item 11
The vendor opportunity at Fred Astaire Dance Studios Fred Astaire Dance Studios runs 261 franchised units under a 7% royalty and a 10-year initial term, growing 6.098% year over year, inside FADS Holding's ownership. The FDD makes a financial performance representation in Item 19. The system's core software is already sole-sourced through affiliate FADSD, so the vendor opportunity sits in payments processing, marketing, or anything the filing does not route through that affiliate.
Who controls software purchasing The FDD names Luann Pulliam as Chief Executive Officer, President and Board Member, Gaetano Noce as Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Development Officer, Stephen Knight as Chief Dance Director, John Dearing II as Chief Financial Officer, and Pahjmon Lipsey as Vice President of Franchising and Business Development. Because FADSD is the only approved supplier of the studio-management and learning-management software, purchasing for those systems runs through HQ.
Tech named in the FDD, and what is actually required The filing's own words state franchisees currently must use DataCap for merchant services, must obtain and use the Studio Management and Technology System the franchisor specifies, and currently require the use of a proprietary studio management software from affiliate FADSD as well as a proprietary learning management system from the same affiliate. Franchisees must also currently use the Internal Franchising Platform and the Astaire Management Program through the Dance Store Kiosk. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter (X) are separately named in Item 11.
Procurement, renewals, and timing Item 8 runs an approved-supplier list. Franchisees must buy certain supplies, marketing materials and equipment — including an initial start-up kit of branded retail merchandise, dance shoes and equipment — only from suppliers the franchisor designates, recommends or approves. Item 17 renewal requires 6-to-12 months' written notice, a studio refurbished to current standards, a signed general release, completed training, and the then-current franchise agreement, which may carry materially different terms.
How to read the Fred Astaire Dance Studios FDD The embedded PDF viewer below carries Fred Astaire Dance Studios' full 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. Talk to FranCloud for a ranked list of similar fitness-segment targets by mandate structure and growth rate.
Questions vendors ask
Fred Astaire Dance Studios, answered from the filing
The FDD names Luann Pulliam as Chief Executive Officer and President, and Gaetano Noce as Chief Operating and Chief Development Officer. With the affiliate FADSD as the sole approved supplier of the studio-management software, purchasing decisions for the core system run through HQ.
Fred Astaire Dance Studios currently requires DataCap for merchant services, a proprietary studio-management system and learning-management system from its affiliate FADSD, and the Internal Franchising Platform and Astaire Management Program through the Dance Store Kiosk. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter (X) are also named in Item 11.
261 locations, all franchised: 254 in the United States and 7 in 6 other countries, in the fitness segment. Franchised outlets grew 6.098% year over year.
Item 8 runs an approved-supplier list. Franchisees must buy certain supplies, marketing materials and equipment from Fred Astaire Dance Studios or its affiliates, including the studio-management and learning-management software from sole approved supplier FADSD; a franchisee may propose an alternate supplier for other items.
Item 17 requires 6-to-12 months' notice, a refurbished studio, a signed release, and completed training before renewing the 10-year initial term on the then-current franchise agreement. With franchised outlets growing 6.098% a year, new-studio openings are a steady vendor entry point alongside renewal timing.
The embedded PDF viewer below holds Fred Astaire Dance Studios' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document in full.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Fred Astaire Dance Studios files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
314 operators run 421 mapped locations. 20 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit294
2–9 units17
10–24 units3
Top states by locations
| NY | 54 |
|---|---|
| FL | 50 |
| TX | 35 |
| CT | 24 |
| NJ | 23 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind Fred Astaire Dance Studios
unknown of fads holding.
Related Fitness brands
Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.