Monkey Joe's franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a Monkey Joe's franchise takes $681,000 – $1,240,500 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $40,000. Ongoing, franchisees pay a royalty of 5% on sales plus an ad-fund contribution of up to 2%. To qualify, Monkey Joe's asks for $150,000 in liquid cash and a $500,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Monkey Joe's franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $40,000 | $40,000 | $40,000 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $681,000 | $1,240,500 | $681,000 to $1,240,500 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $500,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $150,000 | $150,000 | $150,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $681,000 | $1,240,500 | $681,000 to $1,240,500 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | 5% |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Up to 2% |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | 10 years |
See the full Monkey Joe's cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How Monkey Joe's's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Monkey Joe's's disclosed cost sits against the Professional Services category:
- Minimum startup cost of $681,000 — about 8× the Professional Services median of $84,700.
- Initial franchise fee of $40,000 — about in line with the Professional Services median of $39,700.
Category medians are computed from the Professional Services brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Professional Services franchises
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How Monkey Joe's's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2012–2021: began the window at 59 units; 36 units opened, 77 closed, ending at 14 units. (partial records: 2018 is not in the source data — totals span the reported years only.)
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Monkey Joe's 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 Monkey Joe's 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 Monkey Joe's 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 Monkey Joe's 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 Monkey Joe's 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 Monkey Joe's franchise
Monkey Joe's is a professional services franchisor with 14 units at the end of 2021 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2012 and 2021, it began the window at 59 units; its filings record 36 unit openings and 77 closures, ending at 14 units (partial records: 2018 is not in the source data — totals span the reported years only). Its parent company is Monkey Joe's Franchising, LLC. The filings indicate financing options are available; terms come from the franchisor, not from us.
Disclosure filings report 2 franchise-related lawsuits. Review Item 3 of the FDD. (as of 2026-05)
From the franchisor's materials
We are offering franchises to operate a family entertainment and party facility that offers groups a large environment that features games, inflatable and play equipment, food and beverages, and related products and services under the service mark "MONKEY JOE’S. "
Monkey Joe's franchise: quick answers
- How much does a Monkey Joe's franchise cost?
- $681,000 – $1,240,500 all-in to open, per Monkey Joe's's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many Monkey Joe's units are there?
- 14 units at the end of 2021 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).
- How have Monkey Joe's's units held up?
- 33.3% of units at risk between 2019 and 2021 did not close, per our metric recomputed from FDD Item 20-style unit history (methodology published on our verification page).
- Is Monkey Joe's SBA-eligible?
- Monkey Joe's is flagged SBA-eligible in our dataset (as of 2026-05). Confirm current status on the SBA Franchise Directory before relying on it for financing.