Franchise Facts Report → compare → GNC vs Ellie Mental Health
GNC vs Ellie Mental Health
Two health & wellness 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.
| GNC | Ellie Mental Health | |
|---|---|---|
| Total initial investment FDD Item 7 | $187,219 – $503,642 | $290,300 – $508,875 |
| Initial franchise fee FDD Item 5 | $20,000 | $60,000 |
| Royalty FDD Item 6 | — | 7.5% |
| Item 19 earnings disclosed FDD Item 19 | Yes | Yes |
| Avg unit revenue (headline) FDD Item 19 | in report | in report |
| Franchised outlets FDD Item 20 | 750 | 245 |
| Net outlet change (latest yr) FDD Item 20 | -24 | +61 |
| Closure rate FDD Item 20 | 1.9% | 6% |
| Franchisee lawsuits FDD Item 3 | 3 | disclosed |
| Risk level our read | High | Medium |
| FDD year registration | 2024 | 2024 |
Are GNC and Ellie Mental Health the same company?
No — GNC and Ellie Mental Health are franchised by separate companies. GNC's franchisor is GNC Holdings, LLC; Ellie Mental Health's is ELLIE FAM LLC. 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
GNC is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $187,219 – $503,642, against $290,300 – $508,875 for Ellie Mental Health.
How much does each make? (Item 19)
Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation — the detailed figures are in each brand's FDD and in the full report.
Closures & failure rate
GNC reports 750 franchised outlets, net change -24 in the latest reported year, a 1.9% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Ellie Mental Health reports 245 franchised outlets, net change +61 in the latest reported year, a 6% 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 health & wellness medians.
Litigation
GNC discloses 3 franchisee-vs-franchisor proceedings in FDD Item 3. Ellie Mental Health discloses litigation in FDD Item 3 (case detail in the full report).
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 health & wellness peers.
Only looking at one of them?
GNC vs Ellie Mental Health — frequently asked
Are GNC and Ellie Mental Health the same company?
No — GNC and Ellie Mental Health are franchised by separate companies. GNC's franchisor is GNC Holdings, LLC; Ellie Mental Health's is ELLIE FAM LLC. 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 GNC and Ellie Mental Health?
GNC and Ellie Mental Health are health & wellness franchises from different franchisors (GNC Holdings, LLC and ELLIE FAM LLC). GNC is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $187,219 – $503,642, against $290,300 – $508,875 for Ellie Mental Health. Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation — the detailed figures are in each brand's FDD and in the full report.
Is GNC more profitable than Ellie Mental Health?
Both franchisors make an Item 19 financial performance representation — the detailed figures are in each brand's FDD and in the full report.
Which is cheaper to open — GNC or Ellie Mental Health?
GNC is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $187,219 – $503,642, against $290,300 – $508,875 for Ellie Mental Health.
Is GNC or Ellie Mental Health growing faster?
GNC reports 750 franchised outlets, net change -24 in the latest reported year, a 1.9% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Ellie Mental Health reports 245 franchised outlets, net change +61 in the latest reported year, a 6% closure rate (FDD Item 20).
Go deeper on each brand
Health & wellness rankings
Figures are as disclosed in each brand's most recent registered FDD (GNC 2024, Ellie Mental Health 2024). “—” means the FDD does not disclose it or the table did not parse cleanly — never an estimate.