European Wax CenterFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A European Wax Center franchise requires a total initial investment of $328K – $837K, including a $45K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). SBA 7(a) loans show a 2.6% charge-off rate across 332 loans[1]. Verdict grade: F. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $328K – $837K
- 32nd pct Personal Care…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 34th pct Personal Care…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 9th pct Personal Care…
- Units
- 1,067
- 48th pct Personal Care…
- SBA default
- 2.6%
- 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
Large franchise systems benefit from brand recognition, supply chain leverage, and proven operations.
Bottom line
- Total investment $328K – $837K including a $45K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict F (Bottom Quintile) with a risk score of 95/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 2.6% across 332 loans (well below the franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- No Item 19 financial performance representation. Without franchisor-disclosed revenue data, you'll need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- EWC Franchisor LLC
- Parent company
- European Wax Center, Inc.
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 5830 Granite Parkway, Suite 300, Plano, Texas 75024
- Auditor
- Deloitte & Touche LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $221.0M
- vs $216.9M prior year
Overview
About
Franchisees operate full-service wax centers offering body waxing, eyebrow, and hair removal services to walk-in and appointment-based clientele. Daily operations involve staff management (typically 3-8 employees), scheduling, inventory of waxing supplies, customer service, and facility maintenance in leased salon spaces.
- CEO
- Chris Morris
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2006
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 45
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $45K | $45K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $45K | $75K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $238K | $717K |
| Total initial investment | $328K | $837K |
Source: European Wax Center 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
- $328K – $837K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $45K – $75K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $36K – $45K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- Gross Sales · 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% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $310 |
| Transfer fee | $9K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 9.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Personal Care & Beauty averages
How European Wax Center Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 1,067
- Opened
- 43
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 20
- Turnover rate
- 1.9%
- Company-owned
- 5
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +2.3%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +13.2%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 76
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 12 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
- 332
- Loan volume
- $131.6M
- Median loan
- $360K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 2.6%
- 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)
- 97.4%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 0.0%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 49
- Defaults
- 7
Vintage analysis
European Wax Center charge-off rate by loan vintage
Shaded area: recent vintages with few resolved loans; rates may change as loans mature.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into European Wax Center'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
- 14-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Mature wax center franchise with opaque unit economics, minimal growth momentum, and active litigation across multiple domains requires rigorous franchisee validation before committing $327k+ investment.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Deloitte & Touche LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 95 / 100 rating
- 01MINORNo Item 19 (Average Unit Volume) disclosure prevents accurate ROI assessment on $327k-$836k investment
- 02MINORStagnant unit growth (2.3% YoY) suggests market saturation or franchisee satisfaction issues in 1067-unit system
- 03HIGHMultiple active litigations including governmental investigation into non-poaching provisions indicate compliance/culture risks
- 04MINORHigh initial investment range ($509k median) with 6% royalty creates tight breakeven margins without revenue transparency
- 05MINORFranchise termination arbitration (Worley Wax) and vendor disputes signal operational/relationship friction
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 | Radius/Boundaries |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| 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 | Texas |
| Litigation count | 5 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 63 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 83 hrs
- POS system
- Violet (utilizing software from Zenoti)
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Violet (utilizing software from Zenoti)
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
98 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
European Wax Center · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a European Wax Center franchise?
The total investment to open a European Wax Center franchise ranges from $328K – $837K, with an initial franchise fee of $45K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do European Wax Center franchise owners earn?
European Wax Center does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is European Wax Center's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, European Wax Center has a charge-off rate of 2.6% across 332 loans, meaning 2.6% 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 European Wax Center franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, European Wax Center has 1,067 total units in the United States, including 938 franchised units and 5 company-owned units. 43 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is European Wax Center a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates European Wax Center as a F-grade franchise with a risk score of 95 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.