Top 33 Salons & Beauty Franchises: Costs & Stats (2023)
If you’re considering getting into the beauty industry, buying a franchise can be a great option. Yet, which franchise should you choose? There are many salons and beauty franchises you can choose from, from hair care, nail salons, tanning, waxing, makeup salons and more.
In this article we are giving you our top 33 picks of the best beauty franchises in the US.
For each we’re giving you the key financials: the average initial investment cost and gross revenues. Also, if you want to dig deeper, you’ll find the links to our complete review for each franchise below.
Initial Investment
Average Revenue
The Complete List:
Great Clips
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 4,290 | $278,000 | $586,000 |
Great Clips is an American chain of hair salons headquartered in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis.
The franchise was founded by Steve Lemmon and David Rubenzer as Super Clips in 1982.
Great Clips franchises offer hair care services, such as haircuts, styling and treatments, as well as selling hair products.
The chain began franchising in 1983 and currently it has a total of more than 4,447 salons worldwide, with 4,290 of them in the US.
Supercuts
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 2,252 | $222,000 | $263,000 |
Supercuts is an American franchise of hair salons headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The chain was founded in 1975 by Geoffrey M. Rappaport and Frank E. Emmett in San Francisco.
Supercuts franchises offer a range of hair services, including men’s haircuts, women’s haircuts, kids’ haircuts, color services, waxing and professional haircare products.
Its franchising journey began in 1976 and it now has 2,364 locations globally, with 2,252 franchises in the US. It is a subsidiary of Regis Corporation LLC, along with brands such as Roosters, Cost Cutters and SmartStyle.
Sport Clips
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 1,778 | $353,000 | $379,000 |
Sport Clips is an American hair-cutting franchise focused on men and boys. It is based in Georgetown, Texas.
The franchise was founded in 1993 by Gordon Logan in Austin, Texas.
It began franchising in 1995 and today has over 1,779 franchises in the US and 1,895 worldwide.
SmartStyle
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 1,477 | $221,000 | $153,000 |
SmartStyle is a chain of professional hair salons located at convenient Walmart stores across the US, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Headquartered in Minnesota, the beauty brand provides a welcoming experience and a wide range of services, including women’s haircuts, men’s haircuts, perms, kid’s haircuts, styling, waxing and color services.
Besides this it offers complimentary services such as scalp massage and premium hair care products.
Founded in 1996, the hair salon is proudly owned and managed by Regis Corporation and has been franchising since 2016.
Today, SmartStyle operates in over 1600 locations worldwide, with approximately 1400 successful studios franchised in the US.
European Wax Center
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 888 | $465,000 | $878,000 |
European Wax Center is an American chain of franchised hair removal salons based in Plano, Texas.
It was founded by siblings Joshua and David Coba in Aventura, Florida in 2004.
The chain offers waxing services and skincare, body and brow products.
European Wax Center started franchising in 2006 and now has more than 893 locations worldwide, including 888 in the United States.
Fantastic Sam’s
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 667 | $398,000 | $359,000 |
Fantastic Sam’s is an American full-service haircare salon franchise headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts.
It was founded by Sam Ross in 1974 in Memphis, Tennessee. It is the pioneer of no-appointment walk-ins and its salons provide a full range of hair care products and services to men, women and children.
Fantastic Sam’s began franchising in 1976 and currently has over 658 salons, of which 652 are in the US.
Cost Cutters Family Hair Care
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 602 | $219,000 | $273,000 |
Cost Cutters Family Hair Care is an American chain of family-oriented hair salons headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Cost Cutters Family Hair Care was founded by Joe Francis in 1982. It offers a range of services including convenient haircuts for the whole family, styling, color and perms and haircare products.
The chain began franchising in 1982 and now it has over 700 salons in 37 states. It is owned by the Regis Corporation, one of the largest hair care salon chains in the world, along with Supercuts, City Looks, Roosters, First Choice Hair Cutters, etc.
Sola Salon Studios
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 553 | $1,471,000 | $411,000 |
Headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado, Sola Salon Studios is an American chain of fully equipped high-end salon studios for beauty professionals.
Sola Salon Studios was founded in 2004 by Stratton Smith and Matt Briger. It creates ready-to-move-in spaces for estheticians, nail technicians, massage therapists and hairdressers.
Its franchising journey began in 2005 and it currently has over 628 locations worldwide, with 564 franchises in the US.
Phenix Salon Suites
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 331 | $899,000 | $404,000 |
Phenix Salon Suites is an American chain of salon suite concepts headquartered in Encinitas, California.
It was co-founded by Gina Rivera and her husband, Jason Rivera, in 2007.
The franchise provides beautiful salon suites in a spa-like setting to lifestyle professionals such as hairdressers, makeup artists, tattoo artists, facialists, lash gurus, personal stylists, smile experts, nail artists, barbers and wax technicians.
Phenix Salon Suites began franchising in 2010 and currently has more than 341 suites, including 334 in the US.
Palm Beach Tan
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 329 | $781,000 | $502,000 |
Palm Beach Tan is an American chain of indoor tanning salons offering sunbed tanning and spray tanning services, as well as tanning and skin care product sales.
It was founded in 1990 by Parrish Medley in Dallas and it is currently headquartered in Irving, Texas.
The chain began franchising in 1998 and today it has more than 329 franchises in the US and 546 locations globally.
Amazing Lash Studio
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 266 | $470,000 | $621,000 |
Amazing Lash Studio is America’s largest eyelash extension brand specializing in semi-permanent eyelash extension application, facial hair removal, eyebrow services and facial and beauty treatments, among other beauty products and services.
It is headquartered in Arizona and uses a patented process to attach eyelash extensions, create a beautiful lash line and improve confidence.
Offering a spa-like salon experience, the beauty brand works with professional stylists and a flexible pricing model that suits every budget, eye shape and preference.
Amazing Lash Studio was founded in 2010 by Jessica and Edward Le to capitalize on the beauty trend in an untapped eyelash extension industry.
It has been franchising since 2013. Today, the eyelash extension beauty brand has over 250 active salons franchised across 28 US states.
My Salon Suite
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 212 | $1,248,000 | $404,000 |
My Salon Suite is an American chain of franchised turnkey salon suite studios headquartered in Carrollton, Texas.
It was founded by Ken and Alanna McAllister in 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana, as a single business.
Its franchises offer beauty professionals salon suites with fully furnished amenities in a luxurious environment, providing health and beauty services.
My salon suite began franchising in 2012 and currently, it has more than 243 company-owned and franchised locations, with 212 of them in the US.
Drybar
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 143 | $813,000 | $809,000 |
Drybar is an American chain of blow dry bar salons synonymous with hair styling services known as blowouts, based in Irvine, California.
The chain was founded in 2010 by Alli Webb in Brent, California.
Drybar began franchising in 2012 and today has 143 franchised units in the US.
Salons by JC
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 121 | $1,322,000 | $489,000 |
Salons by JC is a leading salon suite franchise in San Antonio, Texas.
It was established in 1997 by Jack Griffey and Cecil Miller to empower beauty and wellness specialists with the best salon suite rental opportunities.
The brand gives beauty and fitness practitioners complete freedom to invest in a salon franchise, expand their businesses and reap the benefits.
Salons by JC has been franchising since 2011, leasing private suites to self-employed beauty practitioners who, in turn, operate their businesses independently.
Today, the salon suite operates in over 130 locations across 26 US states and Canada.
Deka Lash
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 120 | $381,000 | $326,000 |
Deka Lash is a leading beauty company offering customized lash extensions, brow lamination services and high-end beauty products.
Michale and Jennifer Blair founded the beauty brand in 2012 to make lash extensions easily accessible to consumers across the US and Canada.
Headquartered in Pennsylvania, the company offers online and in-studio proprietary lash care products and has been franchising since 2016.
Today, Deka Lash has over 120 franchised studios in the US and Canada.
Waxing The City
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 119 | $359,000 | $550,000 |
Waxing The City is a salon-styled beauty studio offering the best head-to-toe waxing services.
Founded in 2003 by Summer Hartshorn Vasilas and her friends, the Minnesota-based brand offers body waxing, facial waxing, eyebrow waxing, bikini waxing, Brazilian waxing, salon and hair removal services.
The exclusive waxing studio has been franchising since 2010.
Today, Waxing The City operates in 125 locations worldwide, with 118 studios in the US.
The Lash Lounge
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 114 | $372,000 | $278,000 |
The Lash Lounge is a premier salon franchise that offers in-demand eyelash extension services using cutting-edge technology and a dedicated team of beauty specialists.
Founded in 2006 by Anna Philips, the beauty brand operates on an all-inclusive, membership-based model, offering additional services such as eyebrow threading, eyelash tinting and lash lifts.
The Lash Lounge is headquartered in Texas and started franchising in 2010.
Today, the company operates over 116 studios in the US.
Sharkey’s Cuts For Kids
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 114 | $194,000 | $230,000 |
Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids is a leading provider of kid’s haircuts, targeting children aged 0-14.
It provides a fun, kid-friendly environment, unmatched haircuts and hair care expertise.
All kid’s haircuts include complimentary services and products such as wash, cut, fun chairs, mini-cure, balloons, lollipops, Xbox One and PS4 and glamour rings – to name a few.
Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids was founded by Linda and Scott Sharkey in 2001 and is headquartered in Michigan.
The kids’ hair care brand has been franchising since 2004.
Today, Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids operates in over 117 locations worldwide, with 114 franchised studios in the US.
Cookie Cutters Haircuts for Kids
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 108 | $249,000 | $298,000 |
Cookie Cutters Haircuts for Kids is an American children’s hair care franchise headquartered in Lake City, Utah.
The chain was founded in 1994 by Neal and Alexis Courtney in Indianapolis.
Its franchises provide a one-of-a-kind store design that includes an in-store playground, televisions at each station for the kids to watch shows or play video games and fantasy cars while they get haircuts in a safe, fun, and family-friendly environment.
The chain started franchising in 1996 and currently has more than 113 company-owned and franchised salons worldwide, with 108 franchises in the US.
Roosters Men’s Grooming Centers
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 89 | $275,000 | $304,000 |
Roosters Men’s Grooming Centers is an American men’s grooming franchise headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
It was founded by Joe Grondin in 1999 in Lapeer, Michigan and its parent company is Regis Corporation.
Its franchisees operate a unique full-service grooming center that provides personal grooming services primarily to men, including haircuts, beard trims, hair color and shaving.
Roosters Men’s Grooming Centers’ franchising journey began in 2002 and today it has more than 92 salons, with 89 of them in the US.
Blo Blow Dry Bar
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 76 | $315,000 | $284,000 |
Blo Blow Dry Bar is an American women’s haircare chain headquartered in Toronto, Ontario.
It was founded in 2007 by Ari and Vanessa Yakobson in Vancouver.
Its franchises offer a one-stop shop for women with services such as blowouts, blowouts with bonded extensions, blowouts with deep conditioning, up do la carte, hidden assets, head massages and braids.
Blo Blow Dry Bar began franchising in 2009 and as of today has 95 units worldwide, with 76 franchises in the US.
Pigtails & Crewcuts
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 67 | $178,000 | $260,000 |
Pigtails & Crewcuts is an American children’s hair salon franchise based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Pigtails & Crewcuts was founded by Wade Brannon in 2002.
It provides a fun, friendly and convenient environment for kids and their parents to enjoy a great salon experience. In addition, it provides a custom line of kid-centric hair products and a private party room that you can customize for your dream party.
Pigtails began franchising in 2004 and currently has 69 locations in the United States, 67 of which are franchised.
Tan Republic
| US franchised units | Investment | Average Unit Volume |
|---|---|---|
| 62 | $242,000 | $176,000 |
Tan Republic is an American tanning salon franchise based in Salem, Oregon. Tan Republic salons provide high-pressure UV tanning, sunless spray tanning, red light&spa treatments and skin care products.
It was founded in 2005 by Lance Donnelly. The chain began franchising in 2008 and currently has over 60 company-owned and franchised locations in the US.
Merle Norman Cosmetics
Merle Norman Cosmetics is a chain of skincare and retail business studios headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The company undertakes the research, development, manufacture and distribution of skin care and color cosmetic products for women, which are distributed through its cosmetic studios across the US and other countries.
Merle Norman Cosmetics was founded in 1931 by Merle Nethercutt Norman in Santa Monica, California. Merle Norman embraced the principle of “try before you buy,” and it really worked, propelling the company to success and giving her an opportunity to empower other women by selling her products in their studios.
Today, Merle Norman Cosmetics franchise operates independently owned retail studios selling multiple lines of high-quality skin care, color and other cosmetic products and offers customers free individualized instruction relating to skin care and the use of Merle Norman products.
Merle Norman Cosmetics began franchising in 1973 and it has 1007 locations worldwide, with 950 franchises in the US.
First Choice Haircutters
First Choice Haircutters is a chain of franchised hair salons headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario.
The franchise operates salons that offer professional, affordable hair care to value-conscious families in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Its services include adult and kids haircuts, deep conditioning treatments, color or highlights and other services.
First Choice Haircutters was founded by A. Bud Cowan in 1980 in Ontario. It expanded into one of the most recognized salon brands in Canada, which operates on a walk-in or no appointment necessary basis. In 2000, First Choice Haircutters was purchased by Regis Corporation, a brand management company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which also owns Supercuts and Smart Style, among others.
The brand began franchising in 1982 and as of 2022 it had 327 company-owned locations in the US and Canada.
SEVA
SEVA Beauty is a fast-casual spa franchise headquartered in Humacao, Puerto Rico. It offers a variety of services such as brow shaping, eyelash extensions, eyebrow tinting, body waxing as well as skincare and body care products, makeup and beauty accessories.
The spa franchise was founded in 2010 by Vas and Sonal Maniatis in Indianapolis, Indiana. Today, SEVA Beauty is termed the pioneer of fast casual spa services that can be performed within 15 minutes and nationwide locations that maximize one-stop shop convenience as it continues to grow and achieve its mission of bringing beauty to the people. It has flexible store designs, such as the Seva Express layout with an open floor plan of 150 to 475 feet that can conveniently fit into most available locations.
SEVA Beauty began franchising in 2010 and by 2019 it had 142 franchises in the US and Puerto Rico.
Radiant Waxing
Managed by WellBiz Brands, Inc., a leading franchise brand management platform in the beauty and wellness space, and with a new name and rebranding, Radiant Waxing, formerly known as LunchboxWax, is a waxing salon franchise headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
Each Radiant Waxing location is a full-service, speed-waxing salon offering waxing procedures, pre- and post-waxing care and at-home products.
Radiant Waxing was founded in 2010 by Debi Lane with the idea of helping its customers look and feel smooth. Since its inception, the brand has expanded into many locations, offering a premium guest experience through a proven three-step speed-waxing process that combines expert techniques and the highest quality products.
Radiant Waxing began franchising in 2013 and as of 2022 it had 64 franchises in the US.
V’s Barbershop
V’s Barbershop is a chain of barbershops that incorporate traditional barbering services in an upscale and uniquely masculine environment.
It was founded in 1999 by Jim “V” Valenzuela in Phoenix, Arizona, where it is headquartered, growing the barbershop into a business that has locations in multiple states across the country.
What began as a father looking for a barber shop that would let him make childhood barbershop memories with his son turned into a classic, old-time barbershop offering traditional barbering services combining a rich mix of modern amenities and classic style in a great environment where men and their sons could enjoy memorable haircuts or a traditional hot-lather shave.
V’s Barbershop operates full-service barbershops offering men haircuts, straight razor shaves, shampoos, edge-ups, men’s facials, face massages, moustache and beard trims, and shoe shines.
V’s Barbershop began selling franchises in 2005 and as of 2022 it had opened 54 franchises in the US.
Snip-Its
Snip-Its is a leading children’s hair salon franchise based in Burnsville, Minnesota. Its salons offer services such as kids’ haircuts, custom add-on services like shampooing and braiding, kid-friendly spa services and a proprietary hair care product line.
The salon was founded by Joanna Meiseles in 1995. She turned what used to be an unpleasant experience for kids and their parents into an entertaining, fun-filled adventure where parents feel comfortable knowing their kids are in good hands and children leave looking their best with smiles.
Its system is designed with an entertainment facility with proprietary characters, games and stories to keep kids entertained while they get their hair cut and at the end of each visit, they receive a prize plus the locations also hold children’s birthday parties.
Snip-its began franchising in 2003 and currently has 44 franchised locations in the US.
Lemon Tree Family Salons
Lemon Tree Family Salons is a full-service family hair salon franchise that has provided families of all ages with a full range of salon services at affordable prices with convenient hours for the last 50 years.
Headquartered in East Hanover, New Jersey, Lemon Tree Family Salons was founded in 1974. Today, the company has emerged as a leading hair salon franchise offering services such as basic shampoo, haircut, facial waxing, to name a few.
Being a Paul Mitchell Focus Salon, Lemon Tree Family Salons offers customers great results and experience, providing them convenience with locations in six states open seven days a week, five nights a week, without appointments, with no age limit or minimum.
Lemon Tree Family Salons’ franchising journey began in 1976 and by 2022 the brand had 33 franchises and 9 company-owned locations in the US.
MassageLuXe
MassageLuXe is a massage spa franchise headquartered in Chesterfield, Missouri, that combines cutting-edge technology with traditional, proven methods.
It was established in 2007 in St. Louis, Missouri and started franchising in 2008. Currently, the brand has 74 locations in the US, all of which are franchise-owned.
A MassageLuXe spa offers massages, facials, waxing and skin care treatments and products. It is a membership-based franchise offering therapeutic massage services not only for luxury but also for healing, stress relief and chronic pain relief to customers in its single and multiple spa locations across the country.
This has seen astronomical growth in the brand’s services and locations, as it aims to reach the 250 locations mark by 2025.
Spavia
Spavia is a spa franchise brand based in Centennial, Colorado that delivers a resort-like experience to your neighborhood in the ever-growing $19 billion spa industry.
Its services include more than ten types of popular massages, men’s treatments, skincare, body treatments, artificial tanning, among many other services.
The brand was established in 2005 when the founders Allison and Marty Langenderfer opened the first location with the mission and vision of making a positive difference in the world one guest at a time and delivering an exceptional experience to their guests. The brand has grown with a wide variety of services offering individualized spa experiences in a relaxing environment.
Spavia also prides itself on its membership-based business model and offers one-time services for massages, retail, skincare, and various body treatments to improve service delivery, increase conversion and attract partners to open more locations.
Spavia began franchising in 2007, and as of 2022, it had 52 franchises in the US.
LaVida Massage
LaVida Massage is a holistic wellness center headquartered in Brighton, Michigan. It offers customized therapeutic massage and skincare services such as massages, facials, waxing, peels, hydrotherapy, infrared body wraps and more.
The center was founded in 2007 with the aim of showing their clients that massage is not only valuable but a necessary part of their health and wellness routines.
The brand has continued to grow, positioning itself as a leading franchise in the provision of holistic health and wellness services, catering to busy, active lifestyles in gender-neutral settings.
Also, LaVida Massage offers its guests 7 days a week convenience, exceptional experiences in treatments, products, education and customer care to improve their lives, and it continues to expand into more locations across the country.
LaVida Massage began franchising in 2007 and currently has 47 franchises in the US and three company-owned locations.
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