Franchising FAQ

As a franchisee, you will own your own business that uses the Brooklyn Robot Foundry name, offers exclusively our programs, and strictly follows the systems established by the Foundry.

All franchisees sign a Franchise Agreement, a legal document that explains the responsibilities and requirements of all parties. The current term for the Brooklyn Robot Foundry Franchise Agreement is 10 years with renewal options.

You will receive training and ongoing guidance from the Brooklyn Robot Foundry team and fellow franchisees. You will benefit from the Foundry’s long business experience, brand name recognition, established systems & best practices, pre-made materials, production services, and much more.

You will be responsible for running all aspects of your business, including but not limited to staffing, finances, inventory, marketing, sales, and office management. You will also be responsible for paying Brooklyn Robot Foundry Corporate all ongoing fees as agreed to in the Franchise Agreement, which includes the Royalty Fee, Brand Marketing Fee, and Technology Fee.

Great, we’re so glad you’re interested!

The first step is to let us know! Simply fill out this form and our recruitment team will reach out to you very soon to set up a time to talk about everything. After that, we’ll continue to meet once or twice a week so we can tell you everything about the business and learn more about you. We will discuss potential territories, planning, financials, and so much more.

In addition to our meetings, there will be “homework assignments”, calls with current franchisees, meetings with other leaders at the Foundry,  and an in-person visit at our Brooklyn headquarters. All of this will give you a full understanding of what is involved in running your own franchise as well as help both parties determine whether this will be a good fit.

Unfortunately, we are not able to disclose any financial forecasts to you at this time. There are a lot of laws protecting prospective candidates that restrict the information we are allowed to share. As our franchise system continues to grow and we accumulate more data from our franchisees, additional financial information will appear in Item 19 of our FDD.

However, we will provide you with financial and business planning tools during the discovery process that will help you put together educated projections. We will also connect you with current franchisees so you can discuss their unit’s performance to date.

Rather than carry the burden of an expensive storefront classroom with limited attendance, Brooklyn Robot Foundry franchises bring their classes directly to their students. But there’s no bus involved! Instead, we push into spaces where kids already are – schools, community centers, out-of-school-time programs, etc.

Our programs have been designed with this in mind and all of our systems fully support it. Teachers are equipped with special carts and bags to transport all of the materials needed to setup and run each class, including individual robot kits for each student.

The benefits of this model are plentiful, including lower costs and increased access, diversity, and enrollment. For more information on our business model, please check out this page.

No! Mature franchises require a roster of teachers to lead all of their programs. It’s necessary for our franchise operators to “work on their business, not in their business” to continue to grow and succeed.

Many of our owners choose to teach the classes when they are just starting up, as this gives them to best insight into our programs and it’s most efficient. But it is not necessary. As the business gets further established the operator’s focus will be on building connections and partnerships within the territory, managing the business and its employees, and continuously growing the business.

Our franchisees are required to have a dedicated office space (approx 400 sq ft) outside the home as a base of operations. This office space will house all of the inventory and host staff regularly. The location needs to be strategically located within the territory with consideration to commuting to/from events.

Operating a Brooklyn Robot Foundry is a full-time job. While most of our franchisees serve as the Owner/Operator, we do have some options for a franchise owner to hire a separate operator to administer the business daily. In this case, we would need to incorporate the operator into our discovery and training processes along with the owner.

The total initial investment is $91,000 – $118,000. This includes the $30,000 initial franchise fee as well as the initial inventory, 3 months working capital, and other expenses typical of starting a new business.

There are many financing options available to cover these and any subsequent costs. During our discovery process, we will help explain the various funding options and can connect you with potential lenders if you choose.

The financial qualifications for candidates are:
Minimum net worth: $350,000
Minimum in liquid capital: $30,000
At least 12 months of living expenses on hand or available through a line of credit

Our discovery process (the time we use to decide if it will be a good fit) usually takes 60-90 days, but we’ll work with you on a timeline that feels comfortable. Our team will meet frequently with you during this time so that you’re fully informed about our business model, the terms of the Franchise Agreement, and have had plenty of time to research your funding options, the projected financial impact of the investment on your household, and the potential opportunities in your territory.

Once you’ve signed the Franchise Agreement, you can begin training and be ready to run classes in approximately 6-12 weeks. The exact length of time will be determined by training session timing and seasonality.

Inventory for Brooklyn Robot Foundry franchisees is not scary, because we make it all very easy for them!

Our production team sources and tests all components and then packages individual robot kits for each class. The franchisees use our custom software to order these kits for their upcoming classes and then simply await delivery! It’s that simple!

Managing extra parts and other classroom materials is just as easy with our approved materials and suppliers lists.

We provide unique programs in the highly sought-after STEAM enrichment category.

We believe in empowering the children, parents, teachers, and other members of our community through collaborative, creative, hands-on learning. Our mission says it all: “Launching tomorrow’s creative leaders by providing awesome programs that kids want and parents need.”

Our immersive, hands-on programs are unmatched. Schools, camps, governments, and parents recognize the need for more screen-free STEAM learning for all students,  but they do not have the capacity to offer it adequately themselves. They not only need us, they love us because we accomplish all of that while also making fun and easy!

Read more about how our business model is forged to thrive.

Yes, each Brooklyn Robot Foundry franchise is granted an exclusive territory. While we can’t prevent you facing competition from other brands, we ensure that our franchisees will never be in competition with each other!

These mutually agreed-upon territories are based on a combination of zip codes, square mileage, schools, and population statistics.

We are always looking for teachers who share our passion for creative STEAM learning!

Please reach out directly to the franchise with whom you would like to work for information on current job availability. Contact information is located here.