Franchise opportunities compared
Learning Express vs Uptown Cheapskate
Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.
Before you compare
- Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
- Learning Express and Uptown Cheapskate disclose more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
- Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Learning Express: 3, Uptown Cheapskate: 16). Different groups are not directly comparable.
| Disclosure | LELearning Express |  Uptown Cheapskate |
|---|---|---|
| Financial commitment | ||
| Estimated initial investment (Item 7) | $25,375 – $387,514 2026 FDD · Item 7 | $364,015 – $728,030 2026 FDD · Item 7 |
| Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5) | $7,500 2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11 | Not available No single standard fee identified |
| Royalty (Item 6) | $1,500 Royalty minimum monthly 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11 | 1.5% e of Fee Amount Due Date Remarks Interest on Unpaid Royalty and Other Fees Lesser of — 1.5% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16 |
| Brand / advertising fund (Item 6) | 1% Advertising contribution — 1% 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11 | $2,000 ertising Expenditure National Marketing Program — “NMP”) Y ou must spend a minimum of — 2000 2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14 |
| System scale & health | ||
| Total outlets (Item 20) | 86 Outlets at end of 2024 2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 36 | Not available No reviewed outlet counts |
| Net outlet change (Item 20) | −4 Calculated: 90 at end of 2022 → 86 at end of 2024 | Not available Only one year reported |
| Outlet exits (Item 20) | Not available No complete exit records for a year | Not available No complete exit records for a year |
| Franchising since (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Franchisor founded (Item 1) | Not available Not in reviewed records | Not available Not in reviewed records |
| Performance (Item 19) | ||
| Financial performance (Item 19), by location group | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Learning Express stores open at least one full year and comparable in size/scop… 84 stores other Reported stores · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 34 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Learning Express stores open at least one full year and comparable in size/scop… $1,081,417 other Sales 2022 · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 35 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Learning Express stores open at least one full year and comparable in size/scop… 83 stores other Stores sample count 2023 · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 35 | Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — COMPANY - OWNED LOCATIONS SECOND QUARTILE 3 units other COMPANY - OWNED LOCATIONS SECOND QUARTILE sample · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 62 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — FRANCHISED LOCATIONS GROUP AVERAGE 115 units other FRANCHISED LOCATIONS GROUP AVERAGE sample · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 58 Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — COMPANY - OWNED LOCATIONS GROUP AVERAGE 14 units other COMPANY - OWNED LOCATIONS GROUP AVERAGE sample · 2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 61 +13 more groups in the full report |
Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.
Learning Express vs Uptown Cheapskate: common questions
- Which costs less to open, Learning Express or Uptown Cheapskate?
- Learning Express: $25,375 – $387,514 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Uptown Cheapskate: $364,015 – $728,030 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Learning Express. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
- How do Learning Express and Uptown Cheapskate royalties compare?
- Learning Express: $1,500 (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11); Uptown Cheapskate: 1.5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
- Do Learning Express and Uptown Cheapskate disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
- Learning Express has reviewed Item 19 figures for 3 location groups; Uptown Cheapskate has reviewed Item 19 figures for 16 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.
Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.