Max Muscle franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a Max Muscle franchise takes $128,500 – $278,500 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $57,000 – $162,500. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 6% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 2%. To qualify, Max Muscle asks for $50,000 in liquid cash and a $200,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Max Muscle franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $57,000 | $162,500 | $57,000 to $162,500 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $128,500 | $278,500 | $128,500 to $278,500 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $200,000 | $200,000 | $200,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $128,500 | $278,500 | $128,500 to $278,500 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 6% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 2% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 10 years |
See the full Max Muscle cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How Max Muscle's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Max Muscle's disclosed cost sits against the Food & Beverage category:
- Minimum startup cost of $128,500 — about 55% below the Food & Beverage median of $282,500.
- Initial franchise fee of $57,000 — about 1.6× the Food & Beverage median of $35,000.
Category medians are computed from the Food & Beverage brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Food & Beverage franchises
Free info kit — costs, fees, and unit track record. You choose who may follow up.
Figures look outdated? Report outdated info.
How Max Muscle's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2012–2017: began the window at 149 units; 66 units opened, 85 closed, ending at 124 units.
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Max Muscle or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask Max Muscle for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What this data can't tell you
Everything on this page comes from disclosure filings — fees, ranges, and unit counts. Four questions that matter just as much are not in any filing we can source, so we say so instead of guessing:
- The hours and the labor
- No dataset field says whether Max Muscle is a manage-from-a-laptop business or a 60-hour week in disguise. Item 15 of the FDD states whether you're obligated to run the business personally, and Item 11 lists what the franchisor actually does for you — then ask current owners what their week looks like (validation calls), not the sales team.
- How hands-on the ownership really is
- "Semi-absentee" is a pitch, not a filing field. Treat any hands-off claim as unverified until it's consistent with Item 15 and with what multiple current franchisees tell you — what absentee ownership actually means.
- Your territory — whether it's protected, and whether it's open
- Two territory questions sit outside our data. Whether Max Muscle grants a protected or exclusive area is set in Item 12 of the FDD and varies brand to brand — some grant none, and the carve-outs (online sales, national accounts) matter as much as the map. And filing data can't say what's open in your market this month; only Max Muscle can confirm current availability. Ask both before you inquire, and get the answer in writing.
- What owners earn
- Covered honestly above: our dataset has no earnings fields, the only primary source is the brand's own Item 19, and here is how to read that evidence.
About the Max Muscle franchise
Max Muscle is a food & beverage franchisor with 124 units at the end of 2017 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2012 and 2017, it began the window at 149 units; its filings record 66 unit openings and 85 closures, ending at 124 units. Its parent company is Dakota One Franchising, LLC.
Disclosure filings report 1 franchise-related lawsuit. Review Item 3 of the FDD. (as of 2026-05)
From the franchisor's materials
We offer franchises for the use of our Max Muscle trademarks, trade names, service marks and logos (“Marks”) for the operation of retail outlets (“Max Muscle Stores”) that offer proprietary nutritional supplements, proprietary nutraceuticals, accessories (“Max Muscle Products”) and assorted other products (“Authorized Third-Party Products”) that are common in the health and fitness industries. The standard size of a Max Muscle Store ranges between 900 square feet of retail space (including restrooms) and 1,200 square feet of retail space (including restrooms). In some cases we allow you to establish a satellite store (“Satellite Store”) within your authorized territory. A Satellite Store is a business location within your Authorized Territory which functions as a part of another store, such as a kiosk or a display rack located in a gym. A Satellite Store will be a maximum of 600 square feet and will not have a separate store front or entrance. The franchise is operated under a business format per a unique system, including our valuable know-how, information, trade secrets, methods, Operations Manual, standards, designs, methods of Max Muscle 2019 Unit FDD v2 2 trademark usage, copyrights, sources and specifications for Max Muscle Products, and Authorized Third Party Products, proprietary licensed software, confidential electronic and other communications, methods of internet usage, marketing programs, and research and development connected with the operation and promotion of Max Muscle Stores (“System”). We reserve the right to change or otherwise modify the System at any time in our sole discretion. Each Max Muscle Store offers the general public a variety of products in the fitness and health and wellness industries. The products include nutritional supplements, such as whey protein powders, glutamine, protein concentrates, creative, and other supplements. Customers are given advice on fitness and nutrition by Max Muscle Store owners and their employees. You must operate your Max Muscle Store per our standard business operating practices and sign our standard franchise agreement (“Franchise Agreement”). Your Max Muscle Stores must carry Max Muscle Products, including approved supplements and accessories. You may also carry authorized products produced by unaffiliated companies and distributed by one or more of our Affiliate (“Distributed Products”) per our guidelines. You may also sell certain Authorized Third-Party Products provided we have authorized such products that are to be sold from your Max Muscle Store in advance. If we do authorize the sale of Third-Party Products, sales of those Third-Party Products can never exceed 20% of the Gross Revenue from your Max Muscle Store. Therefore, your Max Muscle Store's Gross Revenue must at all times consist of at least 80% of Max Muscle Products. We reserve the right to add, modify, or delete any Max Muscle Products, Distributed Products, or Authorized Third-Party Products at any time in our sole discretion. In addition, it is important that you understand the fact that a product is on the Authorized Third Party Product list does not mean that the product has been tested and approved by us, and you have the obligation to indemnify, defend, and hold us harmless for any claims made against us if you choose to sell any Authorized Third-Party Products. A franchise is available to anyone who is interested in operating a Max Muscle Store and satisfies our qualifications. As a franchise operator you may operate 1 Max Muscle Store for each Franchise Agreement you sign with us. We also offer to select qualified persons the opportunity to acquire the exclusive right to develop multiple Max Muscle Stores in a designated development area (“Development Area”). Although we no longer offer the opportunity to become a regional director (“Regional Director”), we do have existing Regional Directors. Except as listed in Item 2, no Regional Director has management responsibility for Dakota One.
Max Muscle franchise: quick answers
- How much does a Max Muscle franchise cost?
- $128,500 – $278,500 all-in to open, per Max Muscle's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many Max Muscle units are there?
- 124 units at the end of 2017 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).
- How have Max Muscle's units held up?
- 72.1% of units at risk between 2015 and 2017 did not close, per our metric recomputed from FDD Item 20-style unit history (methodology published on our verification page).