Gymboree Play & Music

Home
Education
Arts / Sports

Gymboree Play & Music

Gymboree Play & Music Franchise FDD, Costs & Fees (2025)

Gymboree Play & Music is a children's enrichment franchise providing play, music, and art classes designed to support the development of young children through interactive learning.

Founded in 1976 by Joan Barnes in California, Gymboree Play & Music began with a simple mission: to provide a safe, enriching play environment for young children. Headquartered in San Francisco, the brand quickly gained popularity among parents and educators alike. It began franchising in 1978 and has since expanded globally, operating over 700 centers in more than 30 countries.

Gymboree Play & Music offers classes for children from birth to five years old, designed to support physical, cognitive, and social development.

Their programs include parent-child play classes, music and art sessions, and preschool readiness activities, all created by early childhood development experts. The curriculum is centered on the "whole child" approach, aiming to nurture every area of development through age-appropriate, play-based learning.

What makes Gymboree Play & Music stand out is its dedication to research-backed curriculum and active parent involvement. Each class is structured to ensure engagement and developmental value, not just entertainment.

Initial investment

Here's what you would need to invest if you were to start this franchise. These costs are provided by the franchisor in the Franchise Disclosure Document.

Gymboree Play & Music offers 3 types of franchises:

Franchise Type Initial Investment
Gymboree Play & Music® Mobile Play Center $56,250 - $95,800
Gymboree Play & Music® Metro Play Center – Standard and Mini sizes $124,300 - $244,600
Gymboree Play & Music® Center – Standard and Mini size $153,000 - $389,100

We are summarizing below the main costs associated with opening a Gymboree Play & Music® Center – Standard and Mini sizes franchise.

For more information on the various types of franchises and its costs, refer to the Franchise Disclosure Document (Item 7).

Type of Expenditure Amount
Initial Franchise Fee (1st Center) $45,000
Lease Rental and Deposits (3 months’ rent) $3,000 - $30,000
Broker Commissions, Key Money for Real Estate $0 - $2,000
Construction, Architectural Fees, Related Expenses $0 - $150,000
Equipment $50,000 - $53,700
Décor and Signage $4,000 - $9,000
Opening Inventory $11,000 - $13,000
Pre-opening Salaries and Training (travel and living expenses) $250 - $4,000
Office Equipment and Supplies $5,000 - $10,000
Insurance $3,000 - $6,100
Utility Deposits $250 - $500
Professional Fees $1,000 - $5,000
Music Rights $500 - $800
Additional Funds for First 3 Months $30,000 - $60,000
Total $153,000 - $389,100

Franchise Disclosure Document

Sign up and download one FDD for free

Already have an account? Login here
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Thank you for signing up
Complete your upgrade now
Signup successful!
Download the FDD
Complete your upgrade

Competitors

Below are some of

Gymboree Play & Music

key competitors in the

Arts / Sports

sector.

Started franchising
Franchisees

?

Franchise fee

?

Royalty fee

?

Investment

?

Revenue (AUV)

?

Gross Profit

?

EBITDA

?

Home-based

?

Passive investment

?

FDD
Gymboree Play & Music
1978
40
+
-17%
-17%
$45,000
6.00%

$56,000

-

$389,000

n.a.

$221,000

Upgrade

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade
No
Upgrade
No
No
Upgrade
No
2008
91
+
-9%
-9%
$4,000
1.00%

$3,000

-

$71,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$0

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade
Upgrade
Upgrade
2022
4
+
n.a.
n.a.
$59,500
6% - 8%

$98,000

-

$131,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$264,000

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade
Yes
Upgrade
Yes
No
Upgrade
No
2015
22
+
57%
57%
$35,000
up to 15%

$41,000

-

$99,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$93,000

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade
Yes
Upgrade
Yes
No
Upgrade
No
2006
7
+
0%
0%
$55,000
8.00%

$322,000

-

$475,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$431,000

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade

22.0%

n.a.

Upgrade
No
Upgrade
No
No
Upgrade
No
2022
8
+
n.a.
n.a.
$39,000
7.00%

$83,000

-

$330,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$75,000

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade
No
Upgrade
No
Yes
Upgrade
Yes
2019
1
+
0%
0%
$22,500
6.00%

$57,000

-

$83,000

Upgrade

n.a.

$201,000

n.a.

n.a.

Upgrade

36.0%

n.a.

Upgrade
No
Upgrade
No
No
Upgrade
No

Access the most comprehensive franchise database

For franchisees

Find the best franchises to invest into

For franchisors

Compare your brand to competitors

Upgrade to Pro
$49 / month
Total investment

?

Revenue (AUV)

?

Revenue growth (last 3 years)

?

Profit margin

?

Franchise Disclosure Documents
Advanced filtering and sorting
Watchlist

?

Priority support

?

A comprehensive and transparent look at franchising finances. The inclusion of profit margins and disclosure documents offers insights you can’t find elsewhere. Essential for anyone considering a franchise investment.

Darren M.

Franchisee

Been waiting for years for this. All the most important franchises and their latest Franchise Documents to download. The team also updates the franchises very quickly.

Emily V.

Franchisee

Training

Gymboree Play & Music provides a comprehensive training program to equip franchisees with the necessary skills and knowledge for successful operation. The training includes:

  1. Initial Franchise Training (IFT)
    A 7 to 8-day program covering essential aspects of running a Gymboree Play & Music center, including curriculum delivery, business operations, and customer engagement.
  2. Ongoing Online Training
    Quarterly online sessions focusing on program updates, operational best practices, and continuous improvement strategies.
  3. Ad Hoc Training
    Additional training provided as needed, ensuring franchisees stay current with any changes or enhancements in the business model.

Territory Protection

Gymboree Play & Music provide its franchisees a form of territory protection, although it is not fully exclusive. The franchisor agrees not to open or license another Gymboree center under the same branding within the specific territory defined in the franchise agreement.

This territory is clearly detailed in an exhibit and can be based on a set radius or geographical boundaries such as city limits or zip codes. However, franchisees are explicitly told that they do not receive an exclusive territory in a broader sense.

Gymboree reserves the right to operate or license other centers outside of the defined territory, even if those centers are close in proximity. Additionally, franchisees may still face competition from other franchisees, franchisor-owned outlets, or competing brands controlled by the franchisor.

Number of units

2024
Franchised units

48

41

40

Company-owned units

0

0

0

Total units

48

41

40

Competitors

Kuk Sool Won

Franchisees

?

91
+
-9%
-9%
Investment

?

$3,000 - $71,000

Hudson Valley Swim

Franchisees

?

4
+
n.a.
n.a.
Investment

?

$98,000 - $131,000

The Knight School

Franchisees

?

22
+
57%
57%
Investment

?

$41,000 - $99,000

Romp n' Roll

Franchisees

?

7
+
0%
0%
Investment

?

$322,000 - $475,000

Access the most comprehensive franchise database

For franchisees

Find the best franchises to invest into

For franchisors

Compare your brand to competitors

Get unlimited access to:
2,145 franchises data
Number of locations
Franchise fees
Total investment

?

Download unlimited FDDs
Revenue (AUV)

?

Revenue growth (last 3 years)

?

Profit metrics

?

Upgrade to Pro