Celebree School offers new franchisees 0% royalty incentive

The school year may be coming to an end for many students across America, but one franchisor in the early childhood education space has their sites set on developing new locations this summer.

Celebree School, a provider of childcare programs that nurture and educate infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school age children, announced the launch of a new franchise development incentive program today. The program will help new schools get off the ground by eliminating royalty payments for the first 12 weeks of operation and extending a reduced 4% royalty on revenue for 12 additional weeks.

“This incentive program is about strengthening franchisee success from day one,” said Mark Lubin, Chief Development Officer of Celebree School. “The early months of opening a school are the most critical, and we want to ensure our franchise owners are positioned to focus on what matters most – building enrollment, developing strong local relationships, and delivering exceptional early childhood education. This structure provides a meaningful runway while maintaining a long-term, sustainable model.”

The goal Celebree’s new incentive program is to reduce pressure on franchise owners during the earliest stages of their go-live so they can dig in on getting their business off the ground and have more flexibility to reinvest in the business during that crucial time. Instead of paying royalties their first six months in business, operators can focus on staffing, building enrollment, marketing, and making connections within their communities.

Celebree School traces its history back to 1994, when Richard Huffman opened the Enchanted Child Care center in Ellicott, MD. By 1997, Huffman was operating four locations around Maryland and providing care to over 400 children. In 2002, the company rebranded as Celebree Learning Centers, and in 2007, they expanded outside of Maryland for the first time. They first launched their franchise model in 2016, by which point they’d built a network of 24 locations and nearly 700 employees.

“As we continue to expand into high-demand markets, we remain focused on building a system that supports both quality and scalability,” said Richard Huffman, Founder and CEO of Celebree School. “This incentive is another way we are investing in our franchise partners and ensuring they have the tools and flexibility needed to grow confidently.”