DALLAS, Jan. 29. 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Unleashed Brands and The Little Gym today shared an update regarding the conclusion of a long-standing franchise disagreement, marking the end of a challenging journey and the beginning of a renewed focus on supporting franchisees and families.
After an extended and thoughtful process, the matter has been fully resolved. We are thankful that the former franchisee recognized she could not operate a competing business that conflicted with the non-compete provisions in her franchise agreement and elected to close that operation in Frederick, Maryland. While situations like this are unfortunate, they are important to address to protect the many franchisees who have invested their time, resources, and trust in our brands and intellectual property.
“We approach this outcome with empathy and gratitude. We appreciate the former franchisee’s decision to close the competing business and bring this matter to a conclusion, and we are pleased that she has since opened a new, non-competing business. We wish her the best in her future endeavors,” said Stephen Polozola, Unleashed Brands’ Chief Legal Officer.
Protecting our intellectual property and enforcing brand standards are essential to maintaining the integrity, quality, and consistency that franchisees and families expect. Doing so ensures that our systems, programs, and proprietary methods remain protected for the benefit of the entire network.
With this case now behind us, we are elated to return 100% of our attention toward what matters most: supporting our franchisees, building profitable gyms, and delivering exceptional experiences to the families we serve. Our primary focus is, and always will be, providing systems, processes, and teams that simplify operations so franchisees can focus on delivering the best customer experience possible.
Accelerating Investment Across Five Key Areas
As part of our continued growth and strategic direction, Unleashed Brands is accelerating investment across five core areas designed to strengthen franchisee performance and guest experience:
- People
Hiring additional Home Office support staff in marketing, business coaching, and finance.
Today, our franchisee-to-support-staff ratio is approximately 5:1, compared to an industry norm closer to 25:1. - Point of Sale
Enhancing sales and e-commerce systems to ensure the quickest, most intuitive path to purchase for each brand’s customers. - Consumer Mobile Application
Designing and delivering a world-class consumer mobile application that serves as a single front door into the Unleashed ecosystem—making it easy for families to discover programs, purchase experiences, manage accounts, and stay engaged with our brands throughout their entire journey with us. - Data Analytics
Providing franchisees with clear, actionable data at their fingertips to better manage and grow their businesses. - Training
Expanding training tools and processes that drive operational excellence and consistent execution across all brands.
A Platform Built for Long-Term Growth
As an acquisition-focused platform, Unleashed Brands will continue to seek world-class youth enrichment concepts that complement our portfolio. This approach allows us to offer parents and kids a more complete experience – from birth through young adulthood – while creating organic growth opportunities for franchisees within the Unleashed ecosystem.
A True “Win-Win” Partnership
We firmly believe the relationship between franchisor and franchisee must be a true win-win. A franchisor is only successful when franchisees are successful, and vice versa.
Our role as franchisors is to:
- Create the systems, processes, and teams that simplify operations so franchisees can focus on delivering the best product and service possible.
- Protect our brands and franchisees by enforcing standards that ensure consistent, high-quality delivery.
The role of franchisees is to:
- Operate the franchise day-to-day by following the systems, processes, and standards that enable excellence.
- Serve as brand ambassadors by embracing the mission, values, and vision of the brand, actively promoting it in their local communities, and building strong relationships with customers and partners.
With this chapter closed, Unleashed Brands and The Little Gym move forward with clarity, optimism, and an unwavering commitment to the franchisees and families who trust us every day.
About Unleashed Brands
Unleashed Brands currently includes portfolio brands Urban Air, The Little Gym, Sylvan Learning, Snapology, Class 101, Premier Martial Arts and Water Wings Swim School. The platform was founded to curate and grow a portfolio of the most innovative and profitable franchise brands that help kids learn, play, and grow. Over the last 10 years, the team at Unleashed Brands has built a proven platform for scaling businesses focused on serving families. Its mission is to impact the lives of every child by providing fun, engaging, and inspiring experiences that help them reach their full potential. For more information, visit UnleashedBrands.com.
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SOURCE Unleashed Brands
