Franchise Facts Report → compare → Do It Best vs Once Upon a Child
Do It Best vs Once Upon a Child
Two retail franchises, compared on the numbers their own Franchise Disclosure Documents put on record — investment, fees, Item 19 earnings, outlet churn, and litigation. Not marketing copy.
| Do It Best | Once Upon a Child | |
|---|---|---|
| Total initial investment FDD Item 7 | $852,500 – $1,580,500 | $287,800 – $420,800 |
| Initial franchise fee FDD Item 5 | $8,500 | — |
| Royalty FDD Item 6 | — | — |
| Item 19 earnings disclosed FDD Item 19 | Not disclosed | Yes |
| Avg unit revenue (headline) FDD Item 19 | — | in report |
| Franchised outlets FDD Item 20 | 3,555 | 416 |
| Net outlet change (latest yr) FDD Item 20 | +148 | +10 |
| Closure rate FDD Item 20 | — | 0.2% |
| Franchisee lawsuits FDD Item 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Risk level our read | High | Medium |
| FDD year registration | 2025 | 2024 |
Are Do It Best and Once Upon a Child the same company?
No — Do It Best and Once Upon a Child are franchised by separate companies. Do It Best's franchisor is DO IT BEST CORP.; Once Upon a Child's is Winmark Corporation (Once Upon A Child). Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
Cost to open
Once Upon a Child is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $287,800 – $420,800, against $852,500 – $1,580,500 for Do It Best.
How much does each make? (Item 19)
Only Once Upon a Child disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation, while Do It Best's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Closures & failure rate
Do It Best reports 3,555 franchised outlets, net change +148 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20). Once Upon a Child reports 416 franchised outlets, net change +10 in the latest reported year, a 0.2% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Outlet churn — closures, terminations, non-renewals — is the closest thing an FDD has to a failure rate; the full report puts both brands' churn against retail medians.
Litigation
Do It Best discloses 4 franchisee-vs-franchisor proceedings in FDD Item 3. Once Upon a Child discloses 1 franchisee-vs-franchisor proceeding in FDD Item 3.
This page is the headline numbers. The Deep report compares up to three brands on the complete FDD record — every fee line, the actual Item 19 figures and what they represent, each lawsuit, and churn benchmarked against retail peers.
Only looking at one of them?
Do It Best vs Once Upon a Child — frequently asked
Are Do It Best and Once Upon a Child the same company?
No — Do It Best and Once Upon a Child are franchised by separate companies. Do It Best's franchisor is DO IT BEST CORP.; Once Upon a Child's is Winmark Corporation (Once Upon A Child). Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
What is the difference between Do It Best and Once Upon a Child?
Do It Best and Once Upon a Child are retail franchises from different franchisors (DO IT BEST CORP. and Winmark Corporation (Once Upon A Child)). Once Upon a Child is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $287,800 – $420,800, against $852,500 – $1,580,500 for Do It Best. Only Once Upon a Child disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation, while Do It Best's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Is Do It Best more profitable than Once Upon a Child?
Only Once Upon a Child disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation, while Do It Best's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Which is cheaper to open — Do It Best or Once Upon a Child?
Once Upon a Child is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $287,800 – $420,800, against $852,500 – $1,580,500 for Do It Best.
Is Do It Best or Once Upon a Child growing faster?
Do It Best reports 3,555 franchised outlets, net change +148 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20). Once Upon a Child reports 416 franchised outlets, net change +10 in the latest reported year, a 0.2% closure rate (FDD Item 20).
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Retail rankings
Figures are as disclosed in each brand's most recent registered FDD (Do It Best 2025, Once Upon a Child 2024). “—” means the FDD does not disclose it or the table did not parse cleanly — never an estimate.