Deka Lash Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $286K – $461K
- Disclosed sales
- $282K
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 14.6%
- on 73 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Deka Lash is a personal-care franchise specializing in eyelash extensions, lifts, and brow services on a membership model. Franchisees run studios staffing licensed lash artists and managing scheduling and retention.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Deka Lash franchise requires a total initial investment of $286K – $461K, including a $20K – $60K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $282K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 14.6% charge-off rate across 73 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium - issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored7 of 8 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $286K – $461K
- 31st pct Personal Care…
- Avg gross sales
- $282K
- Outlet subset2nd pct Personal Care…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 12th pct Personal Care…
- Units
- 124
- 45th pct Personal Care…
- SBA charge-off
- 14.6%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Personal Care & Beauty · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Personal Care & Beauty median · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $286K – $461K including a $60K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $282K/year (median $264K) (reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system).
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 54/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 14.6% across 73 loans (above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHNegative: net -6 franchised outlets in the latest year (7 opened, 13 closed) (Item 20).
- FLAG12 units terminated last reporting year (9.7% of the system). Ask existing franchisees why.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- DL Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- DL Brands, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 9 of the 2025 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- Look Good Brands, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 9 of the 2025 FDD
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Jennifer Blair
- Incorporated in
- UT
- HQ
- 3527 Washington Road, McMurray, PA 15317
- Auditor
- MG CPA
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $8.3M
- vs $9.3M prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Jennifer Blair
- Headquarters
- PA
- Founded
- 2015
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 30
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost is about typical for a personal care & beauty franchise (near the category median).
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $60K | $60K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $6K | $15K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $220K | $386K |
| Total initial investment | $286K | $461K |
Source: Deka Lash 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $286K – $461K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $6K – $15K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $20K – $60K
- Middle of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% |
| Technology fee | $399 |
| Training fee | $4K |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $4K |
| Inventory (initial) | $14K – $25K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 46% below the personal care & beauty norm.
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for Deka Lash until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$384K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Deka Lash unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system
- Avg gross sales
- $282K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $264K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross revenue by segment
- Sample size
- 119 outlets
- vs category median 38 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $38K→$773KCited, not corroborated — printed on page 56 of the 2025 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2024
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- Disclosed in the 2025 filing, covering 2024
- Transparency
- 3 / 10
- vs category median 4 / 10 · below
Compared against 177 Personal Care & Beauty brands
Revenue is only 0.8x the investment. This means each unit may take 5+ years to recoup the initial outlay at typical margins.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $282K/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 0.8x. Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 9.0% (near the Personal Care & Beauty median).
Disclosure
Transparency score 3/10 — moderate disclosure depth. Average and range data are available but detailed cohort breakdowns may be limited.
Operator retention
System roughly stable (+0.8% 3-year CAGR) with 124 units.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Personal Care & Beauty medians
How Deka Lash Compares
Category median of published Personal Care & Beauty brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 124
- Opened
- 7
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 13
- Terminated
- 12
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 10.5%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -4.6%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +0.8%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 12
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 30 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
129 current owners across 30 states.
- FL 15
- CA 12
- GA 11
- PA 11
- TX 11
- OH 8
- IL 6
- NJ 6
- CO 5
- NC 5
- MI 4
- OK 4
- +18 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 73
- Loan volume
- $17.1M
- Median loan
- $240K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 14.6%
- on 73 loans · rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 85.4%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 14.3%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 22
- Defaults
- 6
- Typical loan rate
- 7.7%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 12.1%
- brand above franchise avg ↑
- Jobs supported
- 826
- 4.8 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 37%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 95% went to startups / new businesses, 5% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in beauty salons, franchised businesses charge off at 12.1% vs 18.6% for independents — franchising is associated with 35% lower SBA default risk in this category.
Vintage analysis
Deka Lash charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Deka Lash franchisees
Showing 3 of 22 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Deka Lash from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 4.9%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 74%
- Avg interest rate
- 7.68%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $141K
- Lender concentration
- 37.0%
- Job velocity
- 4.8 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 10.9%
- NAICS 812112
- Jobs supported
- 826
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 37% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stearns Bank National Association | 27 | $5.8M | 14.3% |
| 2 | The Huntington National Bank | 15 | $2.7M | 100.0% |
| 3 | Cadence Bank | 4 | $1.2M | 0.0% |
| 4 | United Community Bank | 3 | $875K | 0.0% |
| 5 | Simmons Bank | 2 | $579K | 50.0% |
| 6 | Choice Financial Group | 2 | $586K | 0.0% |
| 7 | Midwest Regional Bank | 2 | $544K | 0.0% |
| 8 | Old National Bank | 2 | $381K | 0.0% |
| 9 | Citizens Bank | 2 | $403K | 0.0% |
| 10 | First Bank of the Lake | 2 | $858K | 0.0% |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| TXTexas | 18 | 4 | 36.4% |
| FLFlorida | 7 | 0 | 0.0% |
| COColorado | 5 | 0 | 0.0% |
| MNMinnesota | 5 | 1 | 50.0% |
| OHOhio | 5 | 0 | -- |
| PAPennsylvania | 5 | 0 | 0.0% |
| GAGeorgia | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| NENebraska | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| VAVirginia | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| CACalifornia | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans here charge off near the 16.0% national average.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Deka Lash shows system contraction and profitability opacity, presenting moderate-to-cautious risk for franchisees despite protected territory and no litigation.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · MG CPA
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Consolidated total revenues of DL Franchising, LLC (audited) for FY ended 12/31/2024: initial franchise fees $1,922,860; product sales $2,261,483; royalty income $1,918,264; brand development income $661,388; other operating revenue $1,570,683. Member's capital (net worth) is negative.
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 54 / 100 verdict
- 01MEDUnit count declined 4.6% YoY (124 units) — indicates system contraction rather than growth
- 02MEDNet income not disclosed in FDD — cannot assess actual profitability or ROI despite $282k avg revenue
- 03MINORHigh initial investment ($285.9k-$460.8k) with royalty floor of $1,000/month minimum creates fixed cost burden
- 04MINORAverage revenue of $282k may not support $1,000/month minimum royalty + operating costs in mature/declining market
- 05MINOR6% royalty + $1,000 minimum royalty structure heavily favors franchisor over struggling locations
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 9.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Territory type | Exclusive territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory radius | 1 mi |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 30 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | PA |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 46 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Pittsburgh, PA or online (virtual)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 9 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
129 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Deka Lash franchise?
The total investment to open a Deka Lash franchise ranges from $286K – $461K, with an initial franchise fee of $60K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Deka Lash franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Deka Lash FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $282K. The median is $264K. Important context: Reported for a subset of outlets rather than the whole system. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns Deka Lash?
Deka Lash is franchised by DL Franchising, LLC. Its parent company is DL Brands, LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is Look Good Brands, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Deka Lash FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Deka Lash FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Deka Lash's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Deka Lash has a charge-off rate of 14.6% across 73 loans, meaning 14.6% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Deka Lash franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Deka Lash has 124 total units in the United States, including 124 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 7 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Deka Lash a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Deka Lash as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 54 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.