DrybarFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Drybar franchise requires a total initial investment of $391K – $1.1M, including a $50K franchise fee and an ongoing 7.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $853K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 0.0% charge-off rate across 29 loans[1]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $391K – $1.1M
- 36th pct Personal Care…
- Avg gross sales
- $853K
- 26th pct Personal Care…
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- 28th pct Personal Care…
- Units
- 198
- 41st pct Personal Care…
- SBA default
- 0.0%
- system-wide median varies by category
Quick verdict · Personal Care & Beauty · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Personal Care & Beauty avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Only 0.0% of 29 SBA loans charged off, well below the 16% franchise average.
Bottom line
- Total investment $391K – $1.1M including a $50K franchise fee, 7.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $853K/year (median $754K).
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 31/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 0.0% across 29 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- System growing at 24.5% CAGR over 3 years with 198 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- DB Franchise, LLC
- Parent company
- Pomp Holdings, LLC
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 1890 Wynkoop Street, Unit 1, Denver, Colorado 80202
- Auditor
- Grant Thornton LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $24.9M
- vs $29.3M prior year
Overview
About
Drybar franchisees operate blow-dry salons offering on-demand styling and hair care services to retail customers. Day-to-day operations include managing stylists, scheduling appointments, inventory of products/tools, and delivering consistent brand experience across a protected territory. Revenue is primarily service-based with ancillary product sales.
- CEO
- Amanda Clark
- Headquarters
- CO
- Founded
- 1996
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 40
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $20K | $110K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $321K | $937K |
| Total initial investment | $391K | $1.1M |
Source: Drybar 2026 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Single-unit · estimated
Returns at a glance
Indicative numbers using FDD Item 7 / Item 19 inputs and category-benchmarked cost ratios. Full single-unit, 25-unit portfolio, and LBO models (with every input editable to stress-test your own scenario) live on the financials page.
Store EBITDA · annual
$179K
21.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
22%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
4.5 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $391K – $1.1M
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $20K – $110K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 7.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 2.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 7.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 2.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $775 |
| Transfer fee | $25K |
| Renewal fee | $13K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $853K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $754K
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 167 units
- vs category median 35 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $216K→$2.5M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 4 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · typical
Compared against 186 Personal Care & Beauty brands
vs Personal Care & Beauty averages
How Drybar Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 198
- Opened
- 27
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 5
- Turnover rate
- 2.5%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +12.5%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +24.5%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 20
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 40 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.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 29
- Loan volume
- $15.6M
- Median loan
- $606K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- 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)
- 100.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 24
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Drybar's SBA lending history: lender network, geographic footprint, interest rates, and more.
SBA Lending Report
- Principal loss rate and NAICS industry benchmark
- 10 lenders with concentration factor
- Per-state charge-off rates across 15 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 9-year lending trend
- SBA 504 real estate/equipment data
Instant access. No subscription.
With a 0.0% charge-off rate across 29 loans, banks have historically viewed this brand favorably for lending.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Drybar presents moderate-to-elevated risk due to missing profitability data, going concern status, and a cost structure that may compress franchisee margins despite solid top-line revenue.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Grant Thornton LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 31 / 100 rating
- 01MINORNo Item 19 (Net Income) disclosure limits visibility into actual profitability despite $852K avg revenue
- 02MINORWide investment range ($391K–$1.1M) suggests inconsistent unit economics or hidden costs
- 03HIGHGoing Concern = False indicates potential franchisor financial instability or restructuring
- 04MINOR12.5% YoY unit growth is modest for a lifestyle brand in expanding market; no disclosure of unit closures
- 05MINOR7% royalty on gross receipts (not net) is aggressive; leaves thin margins in service-based business
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | protected |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Colorado |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 34 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 20 hrs
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
202 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Drybar · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Drybar franchise?
The total investment to open a Drybar franchise ranges from $391K – $1.1M, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Drybar franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Drybar FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $853K. The median is $754K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Drybar's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Drybar has a charge-off rate of 0.0% across 29 loans, meaning 0.0% 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 Drybar franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Drybar has 198 total units in the United States, including 159 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 27 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Drybar a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Drybar as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 31 out of 100, based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. 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.
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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.