Fantastic Sams vs Smartstyle
Compare FDD disclosures, investment range, royalty and ad fund burden, SBA lending outcomes, Item 20-style unit movement, Item 19 transparency, and data-confidence caveats 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
Confidence
High Confidence
Units
565
Smartstyle
Beauty/Salon
Investment
$184K to $336K
Franchise fee
$39,500
Item 19 status
Limited Data
Confidence
High Confidence
Units
1,234
Lower entry cost
Leans left
Based on disclosed minimum initial investment only; buyer cash needs may be higher after working capital, lease, and financing assumptions.
Better disclosed economics
Fantastic Sams
Uses the same Item 19 transparency hierarchy shown on franchise pages and rankings.
Lower SBA default risk
Leans right
Treat low-loan brands carefully; sample size and SBA borrower mix matter.
| Metric | Fantastic Sams | Smartstyle |
|---|---|---|
Franchise Fee From disclosed FDD fee data when available; excludes buyer-specific legal, diligence, and financing costs. | $40,000 | $39,500 |
Min Investment Lower bound of disclosed initial investment range, not a recommended capital budget. | $172K | $184K |
Max Investment Upper end of FDD range; still reconcile to site, lease, buildout, and working-capital assumptions. | $462K | $336K |
Royalty Rate Ongoing royalty burden before local store economics and owner salary. | 6.0% | 4.0% |
Ad Fund Rate National/brand fund rate when disclosed; local marketing may be additive. | 0.0% | 2.0% |
Total Ongoing Burden Royalty plus ad fund when available. | 6.0% | 6.0% |
Median Revenue (Item 19) Only meaningful when the franchisor provides an Item 19 financial-performance representation. | $299K | $248K |
Cash-on-Cash Return Estimated when revenue and margin assumptions are available. | 15.1% | 15.2% |
Payback Period | 6.6 yrs | 6.6 yrs |
Revenue per Dollar Invested | 0.94x | 0.95x |
Franchised Units Latest disclosed franchised-unit count in the corpus. | 565 | 1,234 |
1-Year Net Unit Change Item 20-style system movement signal; investigate transfers, closures, and refranchising before assuming organic growth. | -53 | -166 |
Net Unit Growth Rate | -8.6% | -11.3% |
Net Closure Rate Net closure proxy based on disclosed unit change. | 8.6% | 11.9% |
SBA Default Rate Historical SBA performance for matched loans, not a prediction for a new buyer or location. | 3.1% | 2.0% |
SBA Loan Count Use this to judge whether SBA default data is statistically meaningful. | 32 | 75 |
Average SBA Loan Size | $161K | $562K |
Item 19 Status Canonical transparency badge used across franchise, ranking, and compare surfaces. | Revenue Only | Limited Data |
Has Item 19 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Data Confidence Derived from the same data-quality thresholds used on franchise pages. | High Confidence · 100/100 | High Confidence · 100/100 |
What stands out
- • Fantastic Sams discloses an initial investment range of $172K to $462K, while Smartstyle discloses $184K to $336K. Treat these as FDD ranges, not a full purchase budget.
- • Fantastic Sams shows an Item 19 financial-performance disclosure; Smartstyle shows an Item 19 financial-performance disclosure. Missing Item 19 data should narrow confidence, not automatically kill a brand.
- • Fantastic Sams has 565 franchised units versus 1,234 for Smartstyle; use one-year net unit movement and closure proxies as early diligence signals, not final underwriting.
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Last updated: May 2026