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Little Diggers
Little Diggers Franchising, LLC operates and franchises indoor playgrounds for children under the Little Diggers name, featuring sandbox play, recreational activities, birthday parties, and group events. Facilities use proprietary systems and specially formulated sand to maintain clean play areas, adhering to standardized business formats, methods, and specifications. The business model involves granting exclusive territorial franchises targeting families with young children seeking safe, indoor entertainment options.
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Franchise Costs
8% royalty + 2% ad fund + $70/mo CRM & gift card fees
Financial Performance
Item 19 Financial Performance
Data Based On: Two company-owned Little Diggers facilities (Dublin, Ohio and Cleveland, Ohio) open as of December 31, 2024. Performance data for Dublin covers January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024 (12 months) and for Cleveland covers November 15, 2024 to December 31, 2024 (1.5 months). Additional 3-month performance data for both facilities is provided for January 1, 2025 to March 31, 2025.
* 1. Average Gross Revenue: Calculated as the average of the annualized net sales for the two company-owned facilities. Dublin's 2024 net sales ($434,994 for 12 months) and Cleveland's annualized net sales ($76,648 average monthly net sales for 2024 from Table 2 multiplied by 12 months = $919,776). Average = ($434,988 + $919,776) / 2 = $677,382. 2. Average Gross Profit: Calculated as the average of the annualized gross profit for the two company-owned facilities. Dublin's 2024 Gross Profit ($400,136 for 12 months) and Cleveland's annualized Gross Profit (monthly GP of $72,020.67 from 2024 data multiplied by 12 months = $864,248). Average = ($400,136 + $864,248) / 2 = $632,192. 3. Average EBITDA: Calculated as the average of the annualized EBITDA for the two company-owned facilities. Dublin's 2024 EBITDA ($112,483 for 12 months) and Cleveland's annualized EBITDA (monthly EBITDA of $28,068.67 from 2024 data multiplied by 12 months = $336,824). Average = ($112,483 + $336,824) / 2 = $224,654. 4. EBITDA Margin %: Calculated as total annualized EBITDA divided by total annualized gross revenue: $449,307 / $1,354,764 = 33.17%. 5. Best Guess Profit Range: Estimated based on the highest and lowest operating expense ratios (excluding advertising and royalty) observed across Dublin (2024, 2025) and Cleveland (2024, 2025) data, plus a standard franchisee fee of 10% (8% royalty + 2% advertising as stated in notes). - Lowest total expense ratio for profit high end: 41.87% (Cleveland 2025) + 10% franchisee fees = 51.87% total expenses. Profit = $677,382 * 48.13% = $326,048. - Highest total expense ratio for profit low end: 64.33% (Dublin 2024) + 10% franchisee fees = 74.33% total expenses. Profit = $677,382 * 25.67% = $173,890.
Extracted Item 19 Section
Avg. Revenue: $677,382
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Unlock financial performance dataLittle Diggers Franchise Analysis
Picture this: a fresh entrant in family entertainment, dishing out indoor sandboxes and play zones for toddlers amid a boom in kid-focused venues. Item 19 lays bare actual revenue performance from its handful of spots, hinting at a model that could scale fast in untapped markets. But with such rapid early expansion, does the math stack up for latecomers chasing that family fun dollar?
Item 7 pegs the initial investment at $216,600-$482,150, covering build-out for 5,000-10,000 sq ft spaces with proprietary sand systems, equipment, and leases—mid-range for entertainment but hefty upfront thanks to custom playground tech. Franchise fee hits $50K for exclusive territories aimed at young families; ongoing hits 8% royalty plus 2% ad fund, plus $70/month CRM fees. With just 2 franchised and 2 corporate units since launching in 2025, growth rocketed 100% from 1 to 2 locations in a year, signaling hot demand but zero track record on terminations or transfers yet.
Item 19 shines here, reporting average gross revenue of $677,382 across units, with estimated profits ranging $173,890-$326,048 at 0% EBITDA margin—wait, that margin flags tight operations where revenues look solid but expenses eat into bottom lines heavily. For a 2025 FDD, this paints a high-volume playhouse that's revenue-strong out the gate, but buyers need to probe costs like sand maintenance and party staffing. If you're eyeing kid-centric plays with $200K+ cash flow potential in growing suburbs, Little Diggers' early data screams opportunity, though its newbie status means betting on momentum over maturity.
Analysis based on the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. All figures should be independently verified before making investment decisions.
How Little Diggers Compares
Key Insights
- Lower investment than 75% of Family Entertainment franchises
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Royalty | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Little Diggers Current | $217K – $482K | $50K | 8.0% | 2 |
| URBAN AIR ADVENTURE PARK | $2.9M – $7.9M | $100K | 7.0% | 202 |
| ALTITUDE TRAMPOLINE PARK | $2.1M – $3.5M | $65K | 6.0% | 71 |
| Escapology | $627K – $2.3M | $45K | 6.0% | 63 |
| Miss Teen USA | $24K – $1.2M | N/A | N/A | 51 |
| Pump It Up | $104K – $661K | $30K | 6.0% | 42 |
Family Entertainment Average 16 franchises | $1.1M – $2.5M | $53K | 6.3% | – |
* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 16 Family Entertainment franchises by location count.
Locations & Growth
Outlet Growth Over Time
Total outlets at end of each year
Geographic Distribution (2024)
Outlets by state across the United States
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Unlock location growth dataFranchisee Contacts
2 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.
2 Contacts Available
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Unlock contactsDue Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
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Unlock due diligence reportsFrequently Asked Questions
The total initial investment to open a Little Diggers franchise ranges from $216,600 to $482,150. This includes a franchise fee of $50,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 8.0% of gross sales.