Fantastic Sams vs Palm Beach Tan

Compare franchise fees, investment range, royalties, SBA lending performance, unit growth, and Item 19 transparency with a permanent shareable URL.

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Fantastic Sams
Beauty/Salon
Investment
$172K to $462K
Franchise fee
$40,000
Item 19 status
Revenue Only
Units
565
Palm Beach Tan
Beauty/Salon
Investment
$648K to $1.1M
Franchise fee
$30,000
Item 19 status
Full Disclosure
Units
398
Lower entry cost
Leans left
Based on minimum initial investment.
Better disclosed economics
Even
Uses Item 19 availability and transparency status.
Lower SBA default risk
Leans right
Treat low-loan brands carefully, sample size matters.
MetricFantastic SamsPalm Beach Tan
Franchise Fee
$40,000$30,000
Min Investment
$172K$648K
Max Investment
$462K$1.1M
Royalty Rate
6.0%6.0%
Ad Fund Rate
0.0%2.0%
Total Ongoing Burden
Royalty plus ad fund when available.
6.0%8.0%
Median Revenue (Item 19)
$299K$468K
Cash-on-Cash Return
Estimated when revenue and margin assumptions are available.
15.1%7.4%
Payback Period
6.6 yrs13.6 yrs
Revenue per Dollar Invested
0.94x0.53x
Franchised Units
565398
1-Year Net Unit Change
-53-1
Net Unit Growth Rate
-8.6%-0.3%
Net Closure Rate
Net closure proxy based on disclosed unit change.
8.6%0.3%
SBA Default Rate
3.1%0.0%
SBA Loan Count
Use this to judge whether SBA default data is statistically meaningful.
3212
Average SBA Loan Size
$161K$1.4M
Item 19 Status
Revenue OnlyFull Disclosure
Has Item 19
✓ Yes✓ Yes
Data Quality Score
100100

What stands out

  • Fantastic Sams opens at $172K to $462K, while Palm Beach Tan ranges from $648K to $1.1M.
  • Fantastic Sams shows an Item 19 disclosure; Palm Beach Tan shows an Item 19 disclosure.
  • Fantastic Sams has 565 franchised units versus 398 for Palm Beach Tan.

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Last updated: April 2026