How Much Does a Sculpture Hospitality Franchise Cost?

The 2026 U.S. Franchise Disclosure Document gives three Estimated Initial Investment ranges: $45,500 to $49,500 for a territory with approximately 150 Establishments, $50,500 to $54,500 for approximately 250 Establishments, and $60,500 to $64,500 for approximately 500 Establishments. The territory size changes the Initial Franchise Fee and later minimum fee schedule; it does not create a separate storefront, leasehold-improvement, or opening-inventory model.

The brand's official franchise territory overview identifies the same 150-, 250-, and 500-Establishment choices. Its “starting at” figures describe the Initial Franchise Fee, not the complete 2026 U.S. Item 7 investment.

The most important distinction is between the total Item 7 investment, the Initial Franchise Fee, and the fees that continue after opening. The following figures are all from the 2026 U.S. disclosure and are not interchangeable.

Sources: Items 5–7, pp. 5–15; Item 11, pp. 23–27.

All three territory ranges use the same non-franchise cost categories. The only Item 7 line that changes by territory is the Initial Franchise Fee. Required Training, travel, hardware and equipment, professional fees, insurance, and Additional Funds are otherwise disclosed at the same amounts.

Source: Item 7, pp. 12–15. The official totals are preserved; no midpoint or “typical” budget has been created.

The territory selection determines which official range applies, but it does not determine where a buyer will land inside that range. The spread within each territory is created by third-party and buyer-specific expenses rather than by a second franchisor charge. Travel arrangements, the devices already owned, the equipment that satisfies current specifications, professional-service rates, and the insurance quote can move the result toward either end.

Training travel is sensitive to the location and timing of required sessions, the number of people attending, and whether the Required Trainee needs lodging or local transportation. The disclosure assumes one required attendee for the startup estimate. Sending another person can create a separate program charge as well as additional transportation, lodging, meals, and wage expense. A buyer should therefore ask which phases will be remote, which will occur in the territory, and which events require travel before booking anything.

The hardware category also needs a current specification check. A laptop, phone, scanner, or scale already in the buyer's possession may be usable only if it meets the system's then-current requirements. Conversely, buying every device listed in the training materials without confirming necessity could overstate the startup need. The useful comparison is not “new versus used” in the abstract; it is the cost of bringing the exact equipment set into compliance before operations begin.

Legal, accounting, and insurance costs are presented as estimates rather than negotiated prices. The relevant documents, ownership structure, financing terms, and state-specific addenda can affect the amount of professional review required. Insurance pricing can also depend on the applicant, coverage selections, and local market. These variables explain why the disclosure gives a range without authorizing a midpoint or a single expected budget.

A disciplined buyer can reconcile quotes without replacing the official estimate. First, assign every quote to the matching disclosure category. Second, separate required items from optional services. Third, confirm whether taxes, shipping, deposits, or recurring subscriptions are included in the quote. Fourth, preserve the official total as the franchisor's estimate and show any buyer-specific difference as a separate planning adjustment. That method prevents a training payment, early operating allowance, or equipment purchase from being counted twice.

No office is required, and the 2026 FDD says a franchisee does not have to establish either a leased office or a home office. That is why Item 7 does not include rent, leasehold improvements, furniture, signage construction, or opening inventory. The operating model instead requires a compliant Computer System and field equipment for Client Evaluations.

Item 8 estimates that equipment, inventory, and other items or services obtained from the franchisor, designated suppliers, or under required specifications represent approximately 50% of establishment-stage purchase and lease costs and 60% to 80% of operating-stage purchase and lease costs. The proprietary software is currently the only sole-source item identified, and access is included in the Initial Franchise Fee. Source: Item 8, pp. 15–18.

Item 7 aggregate

$1,000 to $3,000 for Computer Hardware and Other Equipment across every territory size.

Computer System

Item 11 estimates $500 to $1,500 for an internet-enabled computer capable of running current browser technology.

Recommended bottle scale

$50 to $700, including embedded Bluetooth or an approved adaptor as needed.

Recommended keg scale

$50 to $300.

Recommended scanning hardware

$100 to $800 for a UPC-compatible solution.

Mobile device

Required to be compatible with approved software and hardware, but the FDD does not state a separate dollar estimate.

The largest payment event is signing the Franchise Agreement. The remaining Item 7 amounts are paid before opening, during training, or during the first three months of operation rather than as one additional lump sum.

Sources: Items 5–7, pp. 5–15; Item 11, pp. 20–33.

Use separate cash buckets for signing, pre-opening purchases, the opening-period allowance, continuing contract charges, and personal reserves. Combining those buckets into one figure can hide when money must be available and can make financing appear to cover costs that remain payable from other sources.

Keep the signing payment separate from third-party startup costs

The upfront payment to the franchisor is known by territory and is described as nonrefundable. Travel providers, insurers, professionals, and equipment vendors are different payees with different due dates and refund terms. A cash plan should therefore show the agreement date as its own milestone, followed by a second pool for purchases and services that occur before or during training. This distinction matters because a lender may approve only a portion of the franchise charge while leaving every third-party expense and the onboarding charge to the buyer.

Treat the opening-period allowance as part of the total, not an add-on

The early operating allowance is already embedded in the official startup range. It should be scheduled across the covered opening period rather than added again on the first day. A buyer can create a monthly use plan for approved promotion, routine overhead, and other launch expenses, but that internal plan remains a buyer calculation. It should not be described as the franchisor's expected allocation unless the disclosure supplies that allocation.

The allowance also should not be assumed to cover the owner's household needs. Business cash and personal cash serve different purposes. A prospective owner who will rely on the business as a primary source of support must determine separately how living expenses, taxes, health coverage, debt payments, and emergencies will be funded while the operation develops. The absence of a stated personal-reserve number does not mean no reserve is needed; it means the franchisor has not quantified one.

Model continuing charges according to their actual formulas

For the Full-Service and Shared Service models, calculate the percentage result and the territory minimum independently, then use the higher result for each applicable charge. Do not add a percentage amount to its minimum as though both were due. The Self-Service model uses a different formula and should remain on a separate line in any forecast. Mixing client types without preserving their fee bases can overstate or understate the monthly obligation.

Local promotion is another distinct line. It is an expenditure requirement rather than automatically a remittance of the entire percentage to the franchisor. The mandatory centralized program can offset part of that requirement when the expenditure is approved and credited for the same month. The planning file should therefore track the required spend, the amount already credited, excluded activities, supporting receipts, and any remaining amount that must be deployed locally.

Show contract events outside the ordinary monthly budget

Renewal, transfer, additional training, convention attendance, supplier review, expansion, audit findings, late payments, and termination are not routine startup categories. They belong in a contingency schedule with the event that activates each charge. This keeps the ordinary operating budget readable while still recognizing obligations that can become material later in the term.

Finally, reconcile the funding plan to the current agreement package immediately before signing. Confirm the territory, fee schedule, state addenda, equipment specifications, training calendar, financing note, and any written credits or reductions. A public webpage or earlier worksheet should not override the executed documents. The objective is a timed cash schedule that preserves the official categories while making buyer-specific assumptions visible.

For Full-Service and Shared Service Clients, the first six months use percentage-only Royalty Fee and Marketing Development Fund Contribution calculations. Beginning in month seven, each becomes the greater of its percentage basis or the territory's minimum monthly amount. Self-Service Clients use a separate fee basis.

“Gross Sales” is defined in Item 6 as total sales of the Franchised Business, less sales, use, or service taxes actually collected and paid to taxing authorities. Sources: Item 6, pp. 6–12; Item 11, pp. 23–26.

How do the minimum schedules change over time?

Item 6 contains several charges that are not part of the initial investment and are not ordinary fixed monthly fees. They become payable because of payment method, default, training, transfer, renewal, expansion, supplier review, or other contract events.

Sources: Item 6, pp. 9–12; Item 11, pp. 25–26; Item 17, pp. 39–41.

SHH Group, LLC may finance up to 50% of the Initial Franchise Fee for as long as three years at 8% annual interest, but financing is discretionary and depends on creditworthiness and other factors. The 2026 FDD does not disclose a numeric Liquid Capital, Net Worth, or Non-Borrowed Funds threshold for a prospective franchisee.

At the contractual maximum, the amount considered for financing is one-half of the applicable upfront franchise charge. That ceiling is an arithmetic limit, not an approval promise, and the actual amount and repayment period may be lower.

The financing covers only a portion of the Initial Franchise Fee, not the $10,000 Required Training fee or third-party Item 7 costs. The Note uses monthly payments, does not give the franchisor a security interest, and permits payoff of principal without a penalty for remaining months. Owners of an entity franchisee must personally guarantee the obligations. Default can accelerate the unpaid principal and create enforcement costs. Source: Item 10, pp. 19–20.

The $7,000 Additional Funds line is included in every Item 7 total and covers the first three months of initial business overhead. The FDD gives marketing as an example, but it does not identify owner compensation or personal living expenses as included.

• Already included: do not add the $7,000 again to the official total investment range.
• Covered period: the first three months of operation, not a full year.
• Business purpose: initial startup overhead, with marketing named as an example.
• Not expressly included: owner draws, salary, personal living expenses, debt service, or a buyer-specific emergency reserve.
• Unresolved variation: actual local marketing, insurance, travel, professional fees, replacement equipment, and optional services may differ from the estimates.

The FTC's franchise buyer guide explains why Item 7 should be reviewed alongside operating and personal cash needs that may not appear in the franchisor's estimate. That general guidance does not change the Sculpture Hospitality FDD figures.

The verified 2026 U.S. startup range is divided among three territory sizes. The first decision is territorial because the selected number of Establishments sets both the upfront franchise charge and the later monthly minimum schedules.

The Item 7 total already includes Required Training, equipment, insurance, professional fees, training travel, and $7,000 of Additional Funds for three months. It does not disclose a numeric liquidity or net-worth threshold, and it does not settle personal living reserves, owner compensation, future equipment replacement, or every optional and event-triggered charge. After opening, percentage-based charges, territory minimums, fixed platform charges, and approved local promotion spending must be budgeted separately from startup cash.