100% Chiropractic Franchise Owners Allege Mistreatment, Failures, Closings
100% Chiropractic franchise owners have issued a press release alleging a toxic culture, a broken system and failing locations. We invite the franchisor, TACTIC Franchising employees and vendors, franchisees and others familiar with the 100% Chiropractic to share corrections, clarifications, rebuttals, experiences and opinions with a comment below or an email (in confidence) to UnhappyFranchisee[at]Gmail[dot]Com.
(UnhappyFranchisee.Com) 100% Chiropractic is a franchise opportunity offered by TACTIC Franchising, LLC of Scottsdale, AZ.
According to the 2024 100% Chiropractic Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), “The total investment necessary to begin operation of a 100% Chiropractic Franchised Business ranges from $339,742 to $782,080.”
TACTIC Franchising website claims “We are an exclusive tribe who offer one another support, motivation, and inspiration to transform communities—and ultimately the world—through the miracle of chiropractic.”
“Your choice to join our 100% Family comes with a ton of systems, support and training. We strive to stay on the cutting edge when it comes to the Vitalistic Healthcare Services we provide as well as the business systems that lead to better patient outcomes and profitability… We are excited to help you change the lives of so many people including your own!”
100% Chiropractic Franchisees Warn of “Misrepresentations,” a “Broken System,” and “Toxic Culture.”
The Independent Association of 100% Chiropractic Franchisees (IAOCF) is a chapter formed under the American Association of Franchisees & Dealers (AAFD).
The IAOCF has issued the following press release. In an email, the Association spokesperson stated:
Many of us invested our savings and futures into what we believed was a proven and supportive franchise model.
What we’ve experienced is far different. Clinics are closing, franchisees are being misled, and the system is unraveling—while leadership deflects, denies, and silences those raising concerns.
We believe it’s time to share the truth…
Please share your candid & confidential opinions and information with an anonymous comment below, or by emailing the author at UnhappyFranchisee[at]Gmail[dot]com.
IAOCF Press Release (PDF)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Independent Association of 100% Chiropractic Franchisees (IAOCF) Issues Public Statement on Franchisee Mistreatment and Systemic Failures
Enfield, CT – May 7, 2025 — The Independent Association of 100% Chiropractic Franchisees (IAOCF), representing 49 clinic owners across the nation, is speaking out publicly for the first time to share their collective experiences within the 100% Chiropractic franchise system. These owners, many of whom invested their life savings, are calling attention to what they describe as misleading practices, financial misrepresentation, and a toxic culture that has contributed to widespread failure within the system.
“We were promised partnership,” said a spokesperson for IAOCF. “What we got was something else entirely.”
Franchisees describe a stark contrast between the promises made during the sales process and the reality of running a clinic under the 100% Chiropractic brand. From broken financial projections to overpriced vendor requirements and a culture of silence and retaliation, the IAOCF alleges systemic flaws that have left many owners in financial ruin.
Key concerns highlighted by the IAOCF include:
- A business model misaligned with real-world market conditions
- Exclusive vendor arrangements that prioritize franchisor kickbacks over clinic viability
- Required systems and tools that cost franchisees thousands while delivering minimal value
- A pattern of emotional manipulation and public shaming of struggling owners
“The franchisor sold a dream of rapid profitability—often within 3 to 6 months—while internal data suggested otherwise,” the IAOCF reports. “When clinics failed to meet unrealistic expectations, the blame was shifted to mindset, rather than to the flawed system itself.”
The IAOCF also calls out the franchisor-owned billing company, 100% Epic, LLC, citing widespread financial losses and compliance issues that franchisees were forced to correct at their own expense.
Owner’s report being asked to sign away legal claims simply to leave the system.Following the acquisition of 100% Chiropractic by a private equity firm in early 2024, IAOCF members hoped for change. Instead, they report declining support, increasing legal pressure, and continued silence from leadership.
”Behind every failed clinic is a family,”said the IAOCF. “ We are not just business owners—we are people whose lives have been devastated by a broken system.”
The association is calling on regulators, the media, and investors to scrutinize the franchise model and the coercive tactics used in its growth. They are also urging current and former franchisees, including those who paid franchise fees but never opened a clinic—to join the association in reclaiming their voice.
About the IAOCF
The Independent Association of 100% Chiropractic Franchisees (IAOCF) is a chapter of the American Association of Franchisees & Dealers (AAFD). The IAOCF exists to support, protect, and amplify the voices of those impacted by the 100% Chiropractic franchise system.About the American Association of Franchises and Dealers (AAFD):
The American Association of Franchises and Dealers is a non-profit trade association dedicated to protecting the rights and interests of franchisees and independent dealers. The AAFD promotes fair and equitable franchise and dealer relationships through advocacy, education, and member support.
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TAGS: 100% Chiropractic, 100% Chiropractic franchise, Chiropractic Franchise, Chiropractor franchise, Tactic Franchising, IAOCF, Independent Association of 100% Chiropractic Franchisees (IAOCF), American Association of Franchisees & Dealers, AAFD, franchise failures, unhappy franchisees
I am a franchisee and we have been profitable with the help of 100%. This is a group of franchisees that decided not to put the work in to be successful and now blame everything with a pulse so that they can come to terms with their own failures.
If that was truly the case, why was there 130 office open in 2024 and now in 2025 there is 90?
Dr. Ty & Jason:
Thank you for your comments & participation. I hope these are the first in a constructive discussion.
Dr. Ty: Dismissing franchisee complaints and associations as being from franchisees who 1) didn’t follow the system, 2) are not willing to put in the effort to succeed is almost the universal first response from franchisors or franchise sellers. In my 37 years of experience, I’ve very rarely come across any franchisee who put their reputations on the line and risked their family’s financial futures for a franchise but weren’t willing to do nearly everything in their power to succeed.
I have seen individual franchisees who meet that description, but never an entire group.
It would be most productive to address the specific areas of their complaints. Just a suggestion.
Jared:
I tried to verify your numbers but can’t find a 2025 100% Chiropractic FDD. Do you know if they’ve issued one? Can someone provide me with a copy or link?
If they do not have a current FDD, they are required to “Go Dark” (cease franchise sales activities). either way, they are required to go dark in registration states where their registration has expired. It looks like most or all of their state registrations have expired. For example:
State Expiration Date
New York Apr 30, 2025
California Apr 21, 2025
Wisconsin May 16, 2025
Indiana October 18, 2024
Minnesota – Registration withdrawn (2x) ?
Maryland, North Dakota, and IL also may have expired.
Registrations are still current in WA & VA but they still couldn’t legally sell franchises if without an FTC-compliant FDD.
Thanks, all, for an open and constructive conversation.
Sorry, I don’t have a published fdd where I got that information. I did get it from a zoom meeting from Jason a few months ago though.
The truth will come out about how poorly run this franchise system has been and is. So many people have lost their livelihoods because they bought in to the lies and false promises made by the Helfrichs. Good people, who actually did everything they could to make it work, were taken advantage of. It’s been happening for years and now it’s time for the truth to come out.
This past February, Franchise Times wrote “100% Chiropractic has more than 100 locations, a notable increase since Franchise Times last covered the brand three years ago, when it had around 70 units. The company operates in 24 states, and its franchise disclosure document reports average annual gross sales hit $780,447 in 2023, up from $730,583 in 2020.
The company expects to open about 25 units by the end of this year…”
In the absence of a current FDD, I reviewed the 2024 FDD.
It states that at the start of 2024 there were 117 100% Chiropractic locations open (including 6 company owned).
There were 59 franchise agreements signed that were not yet open at that time.
There should be, one would assume, 170 outlets open by now.
However, the 100% Chiropractic website lists only 86 locations in the following 21 states:
FL 16
GA 16
CO 10
CA 9
TX 9
TN 5
AZ 4
NC 3
MI 2
States with 1 location: AL, CT, ID, KY, LA, MO, NJ, OH, OR, PA, SC, UT
States with a listing page but no locations*: IA, MT, OK, VA
* The pages with no locations indicate that there were once locations in the state but they’ve closed.
There certainly seems to be a wide disparity between what the company and the franchisee association are claiming in regard to franchisee turnover.
UnhappyzeePost author,
What you have found on their website is very close to the accurate number of current open offices. The number peaked at just over 125 in mid-2024, and then has rapidly declined to less than 90 offices, with more closing every week.
As of today I believe there is under 75 open clinics with clinics closing about every two weeks. It appears that over 40 clinics have closed over the last 18 months. I doubt that 100% will continue franchising, and likely will not issue a 2025 FDD. They will choose to go dark and attempt to calm things down for a couple years before trying to startup again
Just curious if Dr. Ty is Ty Helfrich (relation to Dr. Jason and Vanessa Helfrich founders and CEOs). Its easy to be profitable when mommy and daddy own the company
Things have been poorly run with this company since the inception of the franchise model. Previously, the Helfrichs would “partner” with an office and “split” earnings. After a predetermined amount was met “usually 750k”, a doctor could “buy them out”. Once the Helfrichs realized that clinics were not able to cover the MASSIVE overhead (typically more than the projected overhead), they were then on the hook for the damages instead of raking in half the income of a successful clinic. At a company quarterly, they strong armed everyone into signing the new franchisee agreement and sold it as a way for clinics to “immediately increase their share of revenue”. It was clear to everyone there that it was a way for them to push all of the struggling clinics off to the doctors running them. They would no longer be “partners” and would no longer have the burden of saving a clinic they were directly partnered with. However, they WOULD now be privvy to $2000 per month from every clinic which was a guarantee win for them.
Everything mentioned is true. Public shaming. Unnecessary quarterly meetings that the doctors would be forced to attend (even if not financially reasonable). Doctors on food stamps. Husbands and wives nearly divorcing. Cookie cutter care plans with hard sales tactics. Doctor focused care vs patient focused care. Doctors being forced to file bankruptcy because of the legal demands from the Helfrichs.
Additionally, the father of Mrs. Helfrich was the President of Life University. It was also rumored that he was an investor. This arrangement was perfect for them to have access to “soon to be” graduates and recent graduates looking for a way to navigate the real world of owning a chiropractic practice and to be sold on “what could be” if they were to joing 100%.
This company does not care about patient care. They do not want doctors that think. They want smiling salesmen that are able to mindlessly tell the same “empowerment session” speech to patients on a Day 2 visit and then hard sell them the same care plan that they have sold every other patient. It is not healthcare. It is a money grab that grew too big for the Helfrichs to control and the truth is coming out. Had they listened to their “partners” instead of berating them on stage at a company quarterly where everyone is fighting over some stupid baseball bat trophy; they might not be in this situation.
I was a doctor/owner. I was promised the world by corporate and my own chiropractor that was also a doctor/owner. I was told that I would pay off the franchise fee within the first few years by my consultant. “If you don’t pay this off within the first 3 years then something is seriously wrong with you” is what I was told. They are predatory towards students, which is where they found me. I opened an office and a year later I went bankrupt, was evicted and on EBT with 2 infants. Overhead was killing me and when I asked corporate to put a pause on royalty payments they told me no and that I could pay them daily instead of monthly because somehow that would be easier. I took my wife to the mandatory quarterly meeting and she was shocked at how they treated offices that weren’t performing well. One of the leaders even told an owner that if they were their employee they would have fired them by now because they were performing so poorly. Doctors reduced to tears standing in a room full of colleagues because of the way the Helfrichs and their top performing offices were speaking to them. This company is an absolute disgrace and we need to get them OUT of our universities before they ruin more lives.
The system continues to decline. Whether or not they are actively selling franchises in 2025, multiple franchise broker sites still have them listed with outdated and misleading information. Those I know still in the system have nothing positive to say as the unit count is half of what it was just a year ago. Less than 65 offices now, I believe.
A system with such rapid decline will leave a trail of financial and personal ruin for those who bought in. There should be an update to this article in addition to other franchise and media publications picking up this story.
The Dr. Ty above must be Jason and Vanessa’s kid, so naturally he’ll deflect this franchise’s horrific practices and failures onto the doctors and franchisees that were belittled and bullied into bankruptcy. Must be easy to only be set up for success by mommy, daddy, and grandpa’s money.
I worked for this franchise as a fresh graduate and 100%’s strategy is predatory against recent graduates, with shallow promises of profitability and next to no training all the while, so it’s “thanks for signing the contract, now you’re on your own”. The mandatory quarterly meetings are nothing but a party for the select top offices while every other office and doctor is berated for not being those top few locations.
This franchise is just ‘The Joint’ but with extra steps. The cookie cutter and hard sales pitch approach doesn’t work when every patient, every person is inherently unique. Jason arrogantly boasted during a company-wide meeting once that “no 100% location has ever closed, nor will one ever close”. I guess the cat is out of the bag about how poorly managed and how deeply rotten to the core this franchise is. A mere shadow of its former self with more locations closing each month, less than half as many offices are still open compared to a few years ago.
The sooner this franchise folds the better — 100%’s system is carcinogenic and a disgusting representation of the chiropractic profession. From the top down, the 100% franchise is predatory, false, and destructive to both the chiropractic profession and the chiropractor that is misled into joining this franchise.
I am, however, thankful for the opportunity to learn from this franchise and its vile C-suite owners how NOT to run a business. Who would have thought a business model that uses and abuses doctors and franchisees, treats patients and people like dollar signs and not individuals, and monthly overhead quotas upwards of $50,000 and $60,000 before breaking even would be doomed for failure?
I also think it speaks volumes the way Dr. Ty is speaking about people that lost EVERYTHING. I was on food stamps and EVICTED with 2 toddlers because of this company. So PARDON ME if I think the franchise that promised us so much failed us.
“Blaming everything with a pulse to come to terms with their own failures.”
NO TY. WE’RE BLAMING YOUR PARENTS THAT DON’T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THEIR FRANCHISEES. They only care about their royalties and flying to Tribe on their private jet. Did you fly private with mommy and daddy too?? I bet you did you little weasel.
I have invested in 2 of their clinics, with pretty much all of my life-time savings, and they both closed within a year or so after they took my money. One doctor filed for bankruptcy and the other doctor called to inform me that his clinic had to close and that he would do the right thing. That was almost a year ago.
Communication with the coorporate office had always been poor, both before and after the investment.
Curious to see how they hold up in the Federal lawsuit they are facing in the Southern District of California.
As an investor in 100 percent chiropractic care, I can tell you that this company is built on lies and deception. While the chiropractor I invested with closed his office because he had a child and shut his office down for weeks, his wife was receiving paychecks but not going into the office, office hours were posted with no weekend hours, etc—-as if I borrowed money from people–I would have opened Saturdays, not closed at noon on Fridays, and done whatever it takes to make the business survive and not ruin other peoples lives. Some people have no business being in business and have no desire to dig deep and survive but with that said—these offices are closing throughout the country very fast. I definitely believe that the director of operations and top company officials, don’t do the best job getting these young chirorpactors off to good starts and over estimate sales and profitability. Yes, there are successful offices, but I honestly believe this company just cares about royalties and does anything and everything to just get offices opened while overexaggerating profits. The director of operations signed a note with me for over $90,000 and less than a month he closed the office and giving it zero chance and he himself blames everyone else. AFter he closes the office, my equipment investment disappeared?? Where did my equipment go that I loaned the money for?? Unfortunately, in my case, both the chiropractor himself and the director both blame each other–neither one tried zero percent to allow me to repossess my equipment that I loaned the money for. Would the chiropractor in Pennsylvania call me up and say “hey I am filing bankruptcy and moving on–come out and you can get what you invested in.. NOPE.. Guy was really a loser and had no heart and character whatsoever and his wife???? she’s a real one. The director has been scrambling and blaming everyone else including the chiropractors and the owners of the company. This company is in real trouble and anyone even thinking about signing up with them better not like money. I would love to join any class action suit against the company itself and the director of operations if anyone can get it started!!!!
Please contact me if you need people to join any class action suit. I would love to join in–I would love the money back–but more I would like to get the people that were in charge.
I forgot to mention, the director of operations is now declaring bankruptcy himself and says he has lost millions??? I don’t believe anyone in this organization as the lies come from every direction. If your director of operations is declaring bankruptcy and is losing “so called” millions because offices are closing very fast—you yourself have made an unbelievable amount of bad decisions. This same guy said he was making $30,000 month at his Georgia office but is filing bankruptcy in Arizona??? When the director of operations of the company signs a promissory note with you– he is representing the company he works for and then closes the office in 25 days and gives you no chance to at least get your equipment back that your investor loans went to pay for–this tells you enough about this company and the character of its employees… I plead with anyone looking to do business with this company to stay far away and if I were a current owner of a franchise–I would contact an attorney and see what it would take to get out of their franchise agreement.
Former:
How can I get information on the lawsuit in Califromia???