Franchisor Stories

City Cave Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025
Franchise Opportunity Deep Dive: City Cave is a global wellness brand offering float therapy, infrared sauna and massage services.

Franchisor Stories

Franchise Opportunity Deep Dive: City Cave is a global wellness brand offering float therapy, infrared sauna and massage services.

City Cave is a float and wellness center offering scientifically backed therapies such as Floatation-REST, infrared saunas and massage therapy. With its roots in Australia, City Cave is expanding rapidly across the United States and beyond, giving entrepreneurs an opportunity to build a purpose-driven business in the booming health and wellness sector.
City Cave was founded in Australia and is now expanding internationally, with a goal of eventually opening 3,000 locations in the U.S. The brand was created to offer a space where individuals can unplug, reconnect with themselves, and invest in their physical and mental wellness.
Mission: To give people a safe place to feel good — emotionally, physically and spiritually — through evidence-based self-care modalities.
Vision: To become the world’s leading wellness destination by offering services that enhance the mind-body connection and promote holistic health.
City Cave is expanding across the U.S. with the goal of eventually having over 3,000 locations in the country. It is currently seeking franchise partners with a passion for wellness.
Initial Costs: The estimated initial investment required to begin operation of a City Cave franchise ranges from $708,750 to $967,000. The 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) breaks these costs down as follows:
| Type of Expenditure | Min | Max |
| Initial Franchise Fee | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| Initial Training Fee | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Specialty Equipment | $80,000 | $100,000 |
| Furniture, Fixtures & Other Equipment | $20,000 | $20,000 |
| Leasehold Improvements | $430,000 | $550,000 |
| Project Manager Fees | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Architectural and Engineering Fees, Permits & Licenses | $30,000 | $52,000 |
| Lease Payments (3 Months) | $24,000 | $54,000 |
| Security Deposit | $6,000 | $18,000 |
| Signage | $10,000 | $20,000 |
| Utility Deposits | $2,000 | $4,000 |
| Computer System | $1,500 | $5,000 |
| Initial Inventory | $3,000 | $6,000 |
| Initial Digital Marketing & Advertising | $16,000 | $20,000 |
| Professional Fees | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| Insurance | $1,000 | $3,500 |
| Initial Training Expenses | $250 | $4,500 |
| Additional Funds (3 Months) | $10,000 | $30,000 |
Initial Franchise Fee: City Cave charges a standard initial franchise fee of $50,000 for a single location, which covers pre-opening support and helps offset franchise recruitment costs. This fee is due upon signing the franchise agreement, is non-refundable, and is considered fully earned once paid. However, a discounted rate of $45,000 is available to qualified U.S. military veterans and active-duty service members.
Ongoing Fees: According to the 2025 FDD, City Cave franchisees are responsible for the following ongoing payments and fees:
| Type of Fee | Amount |
| Royalty | 8% of gross sales/monthly |
| Brand Contribution Fund | 2% of gross sales/monthly |
ROI Potential: Gross sales for the Australian reporting group in FY 2024 were as follows:
Average | High | Low | Median |
$924,137 | $1,492,439 | $418,533 | $866,888 |
City Cave offers ongoing training to ensure franchisee success. Multi-unit owners are involved in shaping and delivering training programs, with award-winning franchisees like Kathy Rees contributing their expertise.
Support from City Cave includes marketing, HR and systemized operations designed for simplicity and profitability. Franchisees also benefit from a collaborative network of existing owners.
Franchisees are supported by the City Cave App, which allows for booking, membership management, messaging with local centers and gift card/package sales — all from a single platform.
City Cave seeks franchisees who are passionate about wellness and community impact.
Franchisees are expected to be actively engaged in running the business, ensuring a high-quality guest experience and brand representation.
“We fell in love with the warm, relaxed, inviting feel it has when you walk in and throughout the centre. It concentrates on treatments rather than a tonne of retail stock constantly having to be monitored, ordered etc. It is such a good place to be in, to know you are making a positive difference to people’s lives and to see and hear the happiness of the customers after their treatments, it’s extremely rewarding.”
– Deb & Jeff Booth
With the global wellness market set to reach $8.5 trillion by 2027, having a grasp of the vast complexities of the market is vital to tapping into its revenue potential. From stress-reduction treatments to recovery-focused therapies, the demand for holistic, drug-free wellness solutions continues to grow rapidly — positioning brands like City Cave at the forefront of this expansion.
City Cave stands out with its spa-like experience, open float pools and app-based infrastructure. Competitors include The Now Massage, Restore Hyper Wellness and other boutique wellness franchises, although few offer the same multi-modality model in a serene environment.
Want to learn more about franchise opportunities on 1851 Franchise? Be sure to visit our Power Rankings to read more on brands making moves.
Every great franchisee had help buying a franchise. Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit www.1851growthclub.com and start your journey.
Disclaimer: This content is for information only. You should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Nothing contained on this site constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer to buy or sell any franchises, securities, or other financial instruments in this or in any other jurisdiction in which such solicitation or offer would be unlawful under the franchise and/or securities laws of such jurisdiction.
All content in this article is information of a general nature and does not address the detailed circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Nothing in the article constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information in the email constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. You alone assume the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information or other content in this article before making any decisions based on such information or other content.
Sign up for the 1851 Franchise newsletter to get our biggest stories before everyone else
By signing up, you agree to our user agreement (including class action waiver and arbitration provisions), and acknowledge our privacy policy.
