Special Strong
Fitness · Personal Training Services
- Active units
- 9
- Avg unit volume
- $174k
- Royalty
- 8.0%
Franchised, year-end 2024
of weekly Net Sales
About Special Strong
Special Strong is a brand that offers adaptive fitness personal training and specialized fitness programs for individuals with mental, physical, and cognitive challenges. Their mission is to help people with conditions such as Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and rare genetic conditions, to improve their strength and overall well-being through adaptive fitness training. They provide a range of services including adaptive fitness training, group fitness socialization classes, aquatic therapy, and virtual personal training. Their team of highly trained and certified personal trainers are experienced in working with individuals with special needs and disabilities, and they tailor their programs to meet the unique needs of each individual. Special Strong has received positive feedback from clients who have seen significant improvements in strength, coordination, confidence, and overall happiness. With their commitment to inclusivity and their focus on helping individuals live more independent and abundant lives, Special Strong is making a difference in the lives of people with special needs worldwide.
Key terms
- Franchise fee
$47k
- Multi-territory pricing
First territory at $47,250 (or $44,888 for veterans) plus $30,000 per additional territory; examples: 2 territories $77,250; 3 territories $107,250
- Brand fund
2.0% of Net Sales
- Local advertising
8.0% of Net Sales
- Veteran discount
5.0% off franchise fee — 5% discount for qualifying military veterans; first territory fee $44,888
Brand Percentile Rankings
Rankings compare brands in the same operating year. Fee and investment figures come from the FDD (2026 filing); filings on file: 2025, 2026.
Growth
- Total locations20
Franchised units open at year-end
- New openings13
Gross new units opened during the calendar year
- 1-year unit growth rate122.2%
Net unit growth versus prior year
- 3-year unit CAGR69.0%
Compound annual growth rate of unit count over the trailing 3 years
- Unit growth ratio13.0×
Cumulative opens / closures through year-end
Unit economics
- Annual unit volume (Median)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- Annual unit volume (25th percentile)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- Annual unit volume (75th percentile)—
Per FDD Item 19 disclosure
- 1-year Median AUV growth rate—
Year-over-year change in median AUV
- Store-level EBITDA Margin53.3%
Median unit-level EBITDA / AUV
Investment profile
- Estimated initial investment$110k
Midpoint of estimated initial investment range
↓ Lower is better - Time to open120 months
Midpoint of average time from agreement to opening
↓ Lower is better - Royalty rate8.0%
Percent of net sales paid to the franchisor
↓ Lower is better - Sales-to-investment ratio—
Median AUV / estimated initial investment midpoint
- Cash-on-cash returns116.5%
Median unit-level EBITDA / estimated initial investment midpoint. Steady-state estimate; year 1 returns will be lower as the unit ramps to median volumes.
Franchisee healthLocked
- Unit closure ratio
- Transfer vs. closure ratio
- Percent multi-unit franchisees
- Litigation rate
- EBITDA multiple on sales & transfers
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Location footprint
Showing 14 of 14 mapped locations
Sources
Financial and operating figures are sourced from the brand's Franchise Disclosure Documents. Brand percentile rankings are based on comparisons to other brands that include the same metrics in their Franchise Disclosure Documents.