How does the F45 Training franchise opening process work?
Plan around a contract-driven site, buildout, training, and readiness sequence. F45 Training Incorporated estimates approximately 12 months from signing to operation, while the Franchise Agreement separately requires the Studio to open within 12 months of the Effective Date unless F45 grants a written extension. Permit, landlord, construction, staffing, and inspection delays can make the estimate longer without changing the contractual deadline.
What must an F45 applicant qualify for before opening?
F45 does not disclose a universal minimum net worth, liquidity figure, credit score, education level, or fitness-industry experience requirement in the 2026 FDD. It does require a criminal background check, credit check, evidence of sufficient funding, and ownership/entity documentation satisfactory to F45. Passing those checks does not guarantee approval.
Sources: 2026 F45 Training FDD, Items 1 and 15; Franchise Agreement §§1.E, 6.A–6.H; Attachment A, Principals’ Guaranty.
What are the actual steps from inquiry to opening?
The public inquiry is only the start of F45’s sales process. Qualification, FDD receipt, contract execution, site approval, lease approval, construction approval, training completion, and written opening authorization remain separate decisions.
Federal disclosure timing: FTC Franchise Rule Compliance Guide and 16 CFR §436.2. F45 sequence: 2026 FDD, Items 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15–17; Franchise Agreement §§1.E–2.G, 4, 6–10.
Does an approved F45 territory mean the site and lease are approved?
No. At signing, the Designated Area is a search area, not a Protected Area and not an approved Location. F45 establishes the Protected Area after acquisition of an approved site under the Franchise Agreement. Site acceptance also does not approve the lease, architectural plans, construction, permits, or opening.
| Decision | Who controls it | Evidence required | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Designated Area | F45 at signing | Map in Summary Addendum | Protected territory or site acceptance |
| Site acceptance | F45 | Site data, proposed lease, plans, photos | Lease or buildout approval |
| Lease approval | F45, franchisee, landlord | Lease and Attachment D terms | Permits or construction approval |
| Opening authorization | F45 | Completed, compliant, inspected Studio | Future profitability or regulatory approval |
Local zoning, building permits, business and health-club requirements, inspections, utility work, and certificate timing vary by jurisdiction. The FDD places those third-party approvals on the franchisee; F45’s review does not replace government or landlord approval.
Sources: 2026 F45 Training FDD, Items 11 and 12; Franchise Agreement §§2.A–2.F; Attachment D, Addendum to Lease.
Who must complete F45 training before the Studio can open?
The Key Person attends a five-day Induction Seminar in Austin after the Franchise Agreement and approved lease are in place. The Head Trainer completes a four-day induction, while trainers complete online and on-the-job modules. Training does not itself authorize opening; staffing, membership pre-sales, site compliance, and written F45 approval still remain.
The curriculum totals 110 classroom or online hours plus 10 on-the-job hours.
Interpretation: Training is role-specific; one attendee cannot automatically satisfy every role. Source: 2026 F45 Training FDD, Item 11, training table at p. 11-9.
Which opening dependencies belong to the franchisee, F45, or third parties?
F45 provides standards, reviews, training, approved-source controls, project-management support, and the final opening decision. The franchisee remains responsible for execution. Landlords, lenders, contractors, suppliers, insurers, and government authorities control separate dependencies that F45 does not guarantee.
What must be complete before F45 authorizes opening?
The Studio must be legally operable, built to approved plans, insured, equipped, staffed, trained, marketed, and inspected. F45 may inspect in person or by video and can withhold written authorization until the Franchise Agreement and Manuals are satisfied.
Sources: 2026 F45 Training FDD, Items 8, 11, 15–17; Franchise Agreement §§2.F–2.G, 6, 7, 8.F, 10.G and 16; FTC guidance for prospective franchise buyers.
Is the multi-unit F45 opening path governed by a Development Agreement?
Not under the current 2026 offer described here. F45 states that earlier separate development deals are no longer offered. A Franchise Agreement may instead list rights and obligations for multiple Studios in its Summary Addendum, with an establishment payment for each additional Studio.
If a different entity will operate an additional Studio, the Franchise Agreement requires that unit to use a separate, then-current franchise agreement approved by F45. A buyer should verify each Studio’s Location, Designated Area, opening deadline, operator entity, Key Person, payment trigger, and whether the same or separate agreement controls it.
Sources: 2026 F45 Training FDD, Items 1 and 5; Franchise Agreement §3.C and §4.A; Summary Addendum Items 1–5.
What should a buyer verify before signing and before opening?
Before signing, obtain the final applicant-specific Summary Addendum, state amendments, Designated Area map, Equipment Pack schedule, guaranty package, and the exact 30-day qualification conditions. Compare the completed documents with the versions attached to the FDD and ask counsel about any material change.
Before committing to real estate, verify the site-submission package, lease contingency, Attachment D acceptance, Protected Area definition, permitted use, utilities, parking, zoning, construction responsibility, and landlord cure or assignment rights. Before opening, obtain a written readiness list and confirmation that inspection, training, insurance, staffing, Foundation Memberships, soft opening, and opening authorization are complete.
Use Item 20 contacts to ask current and former F45 franchisees how long site approval, lease negotiation, permits, equipment delivery, construction, training, pre-sales, and final authorization actually took in comparable markets. Their experience can test the disclosed process but does not amend the Franchise Agreement.
What is the practical opening decision?
F45’s verified path is inquiry and discretionary qualification, FDD review, agreement execution, site and lease approval, design and buildout, approved equipment and systems, role-specific training, staffing and pre-sales, inspection, and written opening authorization. The approximately 12-month total is an official estimate, while the 12-month opening requirement is a contractual deadline—not a promise.
The most important applicant-controlled dependency is securing an approvable site and completing buildout, staffing, and pre-sales on time. The most important external dependency is the combined response of F45, the landlord, contractors, suppliers, insurer, and local authorities. Before signing, verify the six-month site deadline, the 12-month opening deadline, any written extension terms, and every unit-specific obligation in the Summary Addendum.