Fitness
Orangetheory Fitness Franchise
A 60-minute, heart-rate-based group fitness class combining cardiovascular and strength training, franchised as standalone studios. One of the largest boutique fitness franchise networks by unit count, backed by private equity ownership after a series of funding rounds through the 2010s.
Every franchisor has to file a document called an FDD before they can legally sell you a franchise. Buried in it are the two things a sales rep won't volunteer: what you'll actually spend to open, and whether existing locations are opening or closing. That's what's below, pulled straight from Orangetheory Fitness's own filing.
What it costs to open
From the filing's investment breakdown -- not a "starting at" number a sales rep quoted you.
Franchise fee
$59,950
Total to open
$764,577–$1,104,920
Ongoing royalty
8% of gross sales
What you'd actually spend, over time
The upfront cost is only part of it. Plug in what you expect a location to bring in, and see the real total once royalties over a few years are added on top.
Defaulted to a rough fitness industry average, not a figure from Orangetheory Fitness's own FDD -- change it to your own estimate.
Total cost of ownership over 5 years
$1,044,577 – $1,384,920
Startup investment
$764,577–$1,104,920
Royalty per year (8%)
$56,000
Total royalty, 5yr
$280,000
When would you break even?
Revenue alone doesn't tell you this -- it depends on what's left after rent, labor, and everything else. Orangetheory Fitness's FDD doesn't disclose a reliable profit figure (most franchisors don't), so this starts from a typical fitness profit margin (~15%) and applies it to the revenue you entered above -- adjust the percentage to your own realistic estimate.
Defaulted to a general fitness industry benchmark, not a figure from Orangetheory Fitness's own filing -- this is a starting point to adjust, not a promise about what franchisees actually make.
At that profit, you'd break even in about
7.3–10.5 years
Weigh that payback period against what you already know: Orangetheory Fitness is currently losing locations. A long payback period on a shrinking brand is a very different bet than the same payback period on a growing one.
Is Orangetheory Fitness actually growing?
Franchisors have to report, every year, how many locations opened, closed, or changed hands. Most franchise sites never show you this. Here it is:
Locations opened vs. closed, by year
ShrinkingFrom Item 20 of Orangetheory Fitness's FDD, the section franchisors use to disclose real openings and closings.
| Year | Franchised units, start | Franchised units, end | Net change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,281 | 1,311 | +30 |
| 2024 | 1,311 | 1,283 | -28 |
| 2025 | 1,283 | 1,209 | -74 |
Most recent year (2025): lost 74 franchised units, ending the year at 1,209 total.
What you're actually signing up for
The cost and growth numbers above are only part of the picture. These three FDD items are the ones a prospective franchisee tends to weigh most heavily once they're past the sticker price.
Training & ongoing support (Item 11)
Initial Training Program lasts four days, held online and/or at OTF's headquarters in Boca Raton, FL, covering fitness, operations, marketing, presales, real estate, and finance -- up to three trainees attend free, additional trainees cost $1,000 each. Ongoing support includes continued access to the Manuals, periodic evaluations, and Marketing and Franchisee Advisory Councils, plus administration of the Brand Fund (marketing/development fund) with an annual accounting available on request.
Territory protection (Item 12)
You will not receive an exclusive territory -- OTF states this explicitly up front. Once a site is accepted, OTF designates a Territory based on factors like population, traffic, and competitor locations (no minimum size specified), but reserves broad rights to sell online, license other channels, and operate three sibling fitness brands (Anytime Fitness, The Bar Method, Basecamp) in the same market. Territorial protection is also contingent on real Minimum Performance Standards ($300,000 gross sales Year 1, rising to $400,000 by Year 3) -- missing them two years running lets OTF reduce or eliminate your territory.
Renewal & termination terms (Item 17)
10-year initial term (up to 11 if aligned with a lease). There's no true renewal -- instead a one-time option to sign a new "successor" agreement (potentially on materially different terms), requiring six months' notice, a remodel, and retraining. Disputes go to binding AAA arbitration in Palm Beach County, FL (Florida law applies), and there's a 2-year, 10-mile non-compete after termination.
How Orangetheory Fitness compares to other Fitness franchises
Across the 10 fitness franchises we've hand-verified so far, the typical range to open runs $490,262–$1,286,375, with royalties averaging around 7.3% of gross sales (based on the 9 of them that charge a flat %-of-revenue royalty).
$445,299–$736,465 · 7% royalty
StretchLab$271,037–$814,192 · 8% royalty
Anytime Fitness$539,329–$905,482 · 8% royalty
Club Pilates$403,289–$1,029,811 · 8% royalty
Burn Boot Camp$291,145–$678,003 · 6% royalty
Planet Fitness$1,282,500–$5,386,000 · 7% royalty
The Joint Chiropractic$254,250–$520,800 · 7% royalty
F45 Training$362,300–$857,700 · 7% royalty
Hotworx$288,890–$830,380 · non-%-of-revenue royalty
Orangetheory Fitness Franchise FAQ
How much does it cost to franchise a Orangetheory Fitness?
Based on Orangetheory Fitness's own FDD, total initial investment to open one location runs $764,577–$1,104,920, including the $59,950 franchise fee. California DFPI Registration Renewal, App ID APP00004646, filed 3/31/2026, effective 5/27/2026.
What is the Orangetheory Fitness franchise fee and royalty rate?
The initial franchise fee is $59,950, and the ongoing royalty is 8% of gross sales, per the filing on record.
Is the Orangetheory Fitness franchise growing or shrinking?
Shrinking. Across 2023–2025, Orangetheory Fitness lost a net 72 franchised locations, per its own annual FDD filings.
Keep going
- Orangetheory Fitness and Anytime Fitness are both fitness franchises; Anytime Fitness's total investment starts about $225,248 lower than Orangetheory Fitness's. Anytime Fitness Franchise
- Orangetheory Fitness and Pure Barre are both fitness franchises; Pure Barre's total investment starts about $319,278 lower than Orangetheory Fitness's. Pure Barre Franchise
Where this came from: California DFPI Registration Renewal, App ID APP00004646, filed 3/31/2026, effective 5/27/2026. You can pull the same filing yourself from the California DFPI's public franchise search. Filed 2026-03-31. None of this is investment advice -- get the franchisor's current FDD and talk to a real attorney or accountant before you sign anything.
If you see a different unit count elsewhere: franchisors only have to refile their FDD annually, so the numbers here can run 6–18 months behind a franchisor's own real-time marketing claims -- which often aren't independently verified, and sometimes count signed-but-not-yet-open locations. A gap isn't necessarily an error on either side; it's two different snapshots in time from two different sources.