The question every serious franchise investor asks before writing a check is deceptively simple: does this business actually work? For anyone researching the Another Nine franchise, that question carries extra weight, because indoor golf entertainment is a sector that blends the premium experiential economy with a 24/7 self-service operating model in ways that most franchise categories cannot replicate. Another Nine was founded in 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio, by brothers-in-law Ethan Grob and Brett Jewell, two corporate professionals who hit a wall familiar to millions of working parents: they wanted to play more golf but had neither the time nor the flexibility that a traditional golf course demands. Grob brought a background in consulting, retail, and technology, while Jewell drew on years in consumer goods, specifically bringing new products to market and entering new verticals, a combination of skills that proved well-suited to building a franchise concept from scratch. The company began franchising in 2024, just one year after opening its first location, and as of 2025 operates one company-owned unit with active franchise development underway across target markets in North Carolina, Ohio, and Texas. Another Nine is not a mature system with hundreds of units and decades of historical data, but rather an early-stage franchise opportunity positioned at the intersection of two powerful consumer trends: the continued growth of golf participation and the accelerating demand for experiential, tech-enabled leisure. The brand's corporate headquarters in Cincinnati serves as the operational and intellectual hub for a concept designed to deliver a country club-caliber golf experience at an accessible price point, using private simulator suites, TrackMan technology, and fully self-service access infrastructure. For the franchise investor willing to conduct rigorous due diligence on a ground-floor opportunity, the Another Nine franchise investment deserves a structured, data-driven evaluation.
The indoor golf and golf entertainment industry sits within a broader recreation and experiential leisure market that has demonstrated remarkable post-pandemic resilience. Golf itself added approximately 3.2 million new participants in the United States during 2020 alone, and total U.S. golfer participation has held above 41 million players annually in the years since, according to National Golf Foundation estimates. Indoor golf simulators represent one of the fastest-growing subsegments of that participation surge, driven by consumers who want the physical and social benefits of golf without the four-to-five-hour time commitment of an eighteen-hole round. The experiential entertainment sector more broadly, encompassing concepts like simulator sports, axe throwing, pickleball clubs, and immersive dining, has grown at a compound annual rate that significantly outpaces traditional food and beverage or retail franchise categories, buoyed by a well-documented generational shift in consumer spending toward experiences over products. The millennial and Gen Z demographics, which represent Another Nine's core target consumer, spend a disproportionate share of discretionary income on activities that combine social interaction, skill development, and technology-enhanced engagement, precisely the combination that a private simulator suite with TrackMan technology delivers. The indoor golf segment also benefits from a fundamental structural advantage over outdoor golf: weather independence and 24/7 accessibility mean that a well-located simulator facility can generate revenue on days and at hours when traditional golf is completely inaccessible. The competitive landscape in indoor golf entertainment is still relatively fragmented, with a mix of single-location independents, small regional chains, and a handful of emerging franchise systems, meaning that franchisees who enter well-positioned markets in this early window retain significant potential for durable local market share. Consumer spending on recreation and wellness-oriented entertainment has proven more resilient than purely discretionary categories during periods of economic softness, though investors should note that any experiential leisure concept carries some sensitivity to broader macroeconomic conditions.
The Another Nine franchise cost structure reflects both the premium nature of the guest experience and the technology-intensive infrastructure required to deliver a fully self-service, 24/7 operation. The initial franchise fee is $49,500, which sits at the higher end of mid-tier franchise entry costs but is consistent with experiential entertainment concepts that require proprietary technology onboarding, territory exclusivity, and meaningful pre-opening support from headquarters. The total estimated initial investment to open an Another Nine franchise ranges from $333,950 at the low end to $824,350 at the high end, a spread driven primarily by real estate and build-out costs, which alone account for $160,000 to $410,000 of the range depending on market, lease terms, and the condition of the selected space. Simulator equipment represents another significant variable, ranging from $50,250 to $188,000 depending on the number and configuration of bays, with equipment installation adding up to $30,000 in additional cost. Other notable line items include grand opening advertising budgeted at $20,000 to $25,000, onsite technology at $6,750 to $13,500, access control systems at $1,050 to $3,000, interior signage at $1,900 to $6,800, exterior signage at $4,000 to $10,250, and a working capital reserve of $34,000 to $38,000 allocated for the first three months of operation. The ongoing royalty fee is 7.00% of gross revenues, which sits modestly above the franchise industry average of approximately 5% to 6% for most service and entertainment categories, though it reflects the relatively small total unit count and the higher per-unit support cost typical of early-stage franchise systems. The brand fund contribution has been cited at 1% in disclosure materials, though some sources reference a range of 2% to 5%, making it critical for prospective investors to review the current Franchise Disclosure Document for precise fee confirmation. Financing partners affiliated with the brand include FranFund, CRF USA, First Bank of the Lake, and Golden Capital Solutions, providing prospective franchisees with structured pathways to capital that may reduce the liquidity barrier to entry for qualified candidates.
Another Nine's operating model represents one of its most genuinely differentiated characteristics relative to the broader franchise universe. The concept is built around a fully self-service infrastructure that allows the physical facility to operate around the clock, every day of the year, without requiring full-time on-site staff. Access to the facility and to individual simulator suites is managed through secure digital access codes, enabling guests to book a suite online, arrive at any hour, and enjoy a private, premium golf experience entirely independently. The practical implication for franchisees is a reported owner time commitment of only 5 to 10 hours per week for most operators, a figure that places Another Nine in the same operational efficiency tier as vending, ATM, and storage concepts, while delivering a premium experience product rather than a commodity service. Revenue streams are deliberately diversified across hourly bookings, league play, membership programs, individual golf lessons, and private events, giving franchisees multiple demand drivers to optimize across different customer segments and time blocks. The BYOB model, which allows guests to bring their own beverages, eliminates the licensing complexity, inventory management, and staffing overhead associated with a liquor service operation, further streamlining operational burden. Training is delivered through a comprehensive onboarding program coordinated from the Cincinnati headquarters, covering technology systems, facility management, booking platform operations, and local marketing execution, with the stated goal of producing a fully operational, turnkey business at opening. Dedicated headquarters support continues through the operational phase, with the founding team and their development infrastructure remaining actively engaged with franchisees. Target locations are characterized by specific demographic thresholds including median household incomes above $75,000, population densities of 2,500 or more people per square mile, and a high concentration of millennial and Gen Z consumers, with additional site selection factors including proximity to complementary businesses, accessibility from major thoroughfares, ample parking, and strong visibility.
Item 19 financial performance data is not disclosed in the current Franchise Disclosure Document for Another Nine in the standard format that provides audited multi-unit averages across a mature system. However, the 2025 FDD does include a representation of unit-level EBITDA performance described as north of positive 40%, which, if validated through independent due diligence, would represent an extraordinarily strong margin profile for a brick-and-mortar franchise concept. For context, the average EBITDA margin across food and beverage franchise concepts typically runs between 10% and 20%, and even high-performing service franchises rarely sustain EBITDA margins above 30% at the unit level over a full operating cycle. The average gross revenue figure associated with the Another Nine model is $261,168 annually, which, applied against a 40% plus EBITDA margin, suggests potential annual owner earnings in the range of $100,000 or more from a single unit before debt service and owner draws, though prospective investors must treat this analysis as directional rather than definitive given the system's early stage and single-unit operating history. The total investment range of $333,950 to $824,350 implies a potential payback period that ranges meaningfully depending on build-out costs, local market performance, and ramp-up trajectory. Investors evaluating the Another Nine franchise revenue potential should request the complete current FDD, speak directly with the one existing company-owned location's operational team, and model conservative, base, and optimistic revenue scenarios against their specific market demographics before drawing conclusions about unit economics. The self-service model's inherent labor cost advantage is structurally real: eliminating the need for full-time on-site staff removes what is typically the single largest operating expense category for most service franchise concepts, which in turn creates the mathematical foundation for the EBITDA margin claims that the brand highlights.
Another Nine entered the franchise market in 2024 with one company-owned unit and zero franchised units, a starting position that is simultaneously a risk factor and a first-mover advantage depending on the investor's risk tolerance and strategic horizon. The brand is actively developing franchise locations across identifiable markets including Charlotte and the Cornelius area in North Carolina, multiple Cincinnati-area submarkets including Columbia-Tusculum, Deerfield Township, Liberty Township, and Montgomery in Ohio, and the Oak Ridge North area of Houston in Texas, suggesting a disciplined geographic expansion strategy focused on high-income suburban corridors. The founding team's stated philosophy of growing with intent rather than speed reflects a deliberate franchisee selection posture that prioritizes cultural and operational alignment over unit count velocity, a model that has historically produced more durable franchise systems than growth-at-all-costs approaches. The competitive moat for Another Nine is built on several reinforcing elements: TrackMan simulator technology delivers a premium, data-rich golf experience that meaningfully differentiates the brand from lower-tech competitors; the 24/7 self-service model creates a structural cost advantage that enables competitive pricing relative to staffed competitors; and the private suite format serves a consumer preference for semi-private experiences that accelerated significantly during the pandemic years and has remained elevated. Another Nine has also joined the 1% Pledge, committing to donate one percent of all profits to organizations including the Ronald McDonald House of Cincinnati and the Freestore Foodbank, a community positioning decision that serves both values alignment and local marketing purposes. The brand has not made acquisitions or launched materially new product lines as of 2025, reflecting its early stage, though the core concept's multiple revenue streams provide a natural product evolution pathway as individual locations mature.
The ideal Another Nine franchisee is not defined by golf expertise but rather by operational temperament and financial profile. The self-service, technology-driven model is explicitly designed for semi-absentee operators, making it particularly well-suited for multi-unit franchise investors who are running other concepts simultaneously, corporate professionals seeking a business ownership vehicle alongside their primary careers, or entrepreneurs who want meaningful income without the daily management burden of a fully staffed operation. The founding team has expressed particular interest in franchisees who align with the brand's culture and long-term vision, not merely its financial profile, which suggests that the franchise development process includes values and fit assessment alongside financial qualification. Target markets are defined by specific metrics including median household incomes exceeding $75,000 and population densities above 2,500 per square mile, concentrating available territories in affluent urban and suburban corridors across major U.S. metropolitan areas. Geographic focus as of 2025 includes active development in Ohio, North Carolina, and Texas, with the broader U.S. market available to qualified candidates who identify strong demographic-aligned territories. Franchise agreement terms, renewal conditions, and transfer provisions are detailed in the current FDD, and prospective investors should engage franchise legal counsel to review these terms as part of standard due diligence, particularly given the early-stage nature of the system and the relatively limited precedent of resale transactions.
For the franchise investor conducting serious due diligence on the Another Nine franchise opportunity, the investment thesis rests on three compounding factors: the structural growth of indoor golf and experiential leisure as a consumer category, the operational efficiency advantage of a 24/7 self-service model that removes the labor cost burden endemic to most brick-and-mortar franchises, and the first-mover positioning available to early franchisees in a system that is actively shaping its geographic footprint across high-income U.S. markets. The Another Nine franchise cost, ranging from $333,950 to $824,350 with a $49,500 franchise fee and 7% royalty, is a meaningful capital commitment that demands rigorous analysis of local market demographics, realistic revenue modeling, and thorough review of the current FDD including any updates to Item 19 financial disclosures. The brand's early-stage status means that investors are accepting more uncertainty than they would with a 500-unit mature system, but the corresponding upside is territory availability, direct access to the founding team, and the ability to influence the brand's development in ways that later entrants cannot. PeerSense provides exclusive due diligence data including SBA lending history, FPI score, location maps with Google ratings, FDD financial data, and side-by-side comparison tools that allow investors to benchmark Another Nine against comparable experiential leisure and indoor entertainment franchise concepts across dozens of operational and financial dimensions. Explore the complete Another Nine franchise profile on PeerSense to access the full suite of independent franchise intelligence data.
Investment
$1,500 – $824,350
