European Wax Center Franchise Cost & 2026 FDD Data
84/100
Strongest tier
84 this brand56 Personal Care & Beauty medianlikely 80–88 (high confidence)
Higher is better · an editorial assessment, not investment advice
#117 of 3,069 graded brands
Why an A: Helped by scale, legal record and transparency. See all six factors
- Total investment
- $332K – $777K
- Avg gross sales
- $902K
- “All Reporting Centers”, 1,028 outlets; not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 2.6%
1 in 38 SBA 7(a) loans to European Wax Center owners charged off (7 of 266 resolved loans, approved since FY1991); Personal Care & Beauty median 8.3%. Loans approved FY2014–FY2022: 7 of 264 resolved loans charged off (2.7%); newer loans have not had time to default, so this is not a trend.
Data from the FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records. Analysis by FranchiseVerdict · Methodology · Website · Report an error · Franchisor? Claim this listing
European Wax Center is a personal-care franchise specializing in body and facial waxing on a membership and walk-in model. Franchisees run salon-style centers staffing licensed wax specialists and managing recurring wax-pass revenue.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026 FDD
Per the 2026 FDD, a European Wax Center franchise requires a total initial investment of $332K – $777K, including a $36K – $45K franchise fee. Once open, the ongoing royalty is 6.0%. Per the 2026 FDD, average gross sales were $902K (Item 19 group “All Reporting Centers”, 1,028 outlets; gross sales, not profit). SBA 7(a) loans show a 2.6% charge-off rate on 266 resolved loans. Verdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice.
Sources: 2026 FDD · SBA 7(a) loan records (FOIA) · What one unit could make and lose →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low (issued within the last 12 months)
Evidence for the headline figures: 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 7 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
Quick verdict · vs Personal Care & Beauty median
Top edge: green = better than the Personal Care & Beauty median by more than 10%, red = worse by more than 10%, gray = within 10% or no benchmark. Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a).
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Methodology
Bottom line
- RETURNSAverage gross sales of $902K/year (Item 19 group “All Reporting Centers”, 1,028 outlets; gross sales, not profit).
- GROWTHIn the latest Item 20 year, the number of franchised outlets fell by 20 (12 opened, 32 closed).
- SCALEEstablished system with 1,047 units across 20 years of franchising. Strong brand recognition and operational playbook.
AT STAKEOne unit at the Item 7 midpoint: $72K a year in payments on assumed SBA 7(a)-style terms.You put in about $111K of your own cash and personally guarantee a $443K loan. Assumptions are labeled in Sales; not investment advice.See what one unit could make and lose
Things to check before you sign (4)
- Net -20 franchised outlets in 2025 (Item 20, outlet counts). Ask owners why outlets closed.
- 1 pending matter names the franchisor in Item 3 (litigation). Pending claims are allegations, not findings; for a system this size the score counts the legal record in the brand's favour. Read the matter in Item 3.
- The franchisor keeps the right to compete inside your territory (Item 12, territory).
- The franchisor receives rebates or payments from suppliers you buy from (Item 8, required suppliers).
Checked and clear: no auditor doubt that the franchisor can keep operating, SBA charge-off rate 2.6%, below the 8.3% category median, no jury-trial waiver, no rule that the owner must run it personally and the full filing on file, and an Item 19 average from 1,028 units.
What to do next
Step 1: Read the FDD itself.
Free: read the 2026 filing on this site, page by page. The franchisor must also give you its current FDD at least 14 days before you sign or pay. Or look it up in a state registry (Wisconsin, Minnesota, California). What to read first.
Step 2: Talk to current and former owners.
Free: Item 20 of the FDD lists every current owner and those who left last year, most with a phone number. Questions to ask.
Shortcut: the European Wax Center owner list as a CSV, in the Contacts section.
Step 3: Talk to an SBA lender.
Free: the SBA's Lender Match, or the lenders already lending to this brand in the SBA section. Ask what you would personally guarantee and what the monthly payment would be. If you plan to use retirement savings, ask a CPA about the rules for that first.
Step 4: Have a franchise attorney review the FDD and agreement.
Free: your state bar's lawyer referral service can name franchise lawyers, and many offer a short first consultation. Bring the checks listed above.
Research steps, not investment or legal advice.
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost (the Item 7 midpoint) is 24% above the Personal Care & Beauty median ($447K).
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7 (fees and startup costs)
Do you qualify? The filing states no minimum net worth or liquid capital. Ask EWC Franchisor LLC (Item 1: Granite Park V, 5830 Granite Parkway, Suite 300, Plano, Texas 75024) and your lender what they require, and keep living costs for the first year outside the deal.
Full Item 7 breakdown19 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise Fee | $36K | $45K | |
| Start-up Package | $18K | $21K | |
| IT Platform Set-up Fee | $0 | $350 | |
| Start-up Marketing Package | $3.5K | $6K | |
| Real Estate/Rent | $6.7K | $10K | |
| Utility Deposits | $0 | $500 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $147K | $386K | |
| Architectural and Engineering Fees | $6K | $18K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment | $18K | $74K | |
| POS System; Other Computer, Telephone, and Surveillance Camera Systems; Network Security; and Installation | $11K | $41K | |
| Insurance | $5K | $10K | |
| Office Supplies | $400 | $600 | |
| Additional Equipment and Supplies | $5K | $10K | |
| Training Expenses | $5K | $7.5K | |
| Signage and Digital Displays | $6K | $23K | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $12K | $35K | |
| Licenses & Permits | $1K | $2K | |
| Legal & Accounting | $6K | $12K | |
| Additional Funds (3 months) | $45K | $75K | |
| Total initial investment | $332K | $777K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. The total row is the total as printed in Item 7. Actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 6 · what you pay once you are open
Ongoing fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology feeTechnology & Security Fee of $310.00/month, plus IT Network/Cyber Security Insurance Fee of $100.00/year | $310/month |
| Training feeAdditional training charge listed in Item 6 | $7,500 |
| Transfer fee | $9,000 |
| Renewal fee | $5,000 |
| Total fee loadabove the Personal Care & Beauty median of 8.0% (heavy) | 9.0% of sales |
What do units actually make?
Average gross sales are 74% above the Personal Care & Beauty median ($519K).
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19 (sales and earnings)
Items 6 (other fees), 7 (startup costs) and 19 (sales and earnings) · assumptions labeled
What you could make and lose: one unit
What one European Wax Center unit would ask of you, from the filing's Item 7 total and labeled assumptions.
Average gross sales are $902K (FDD Item 19, p.75), and the royalty and ad fund take about $81K of that a year (Item 6). This brand's Item 19 does not print cost lines. Enter your own from a lease quote, a payroll plan and calls with current owners. So this box does not estimate a profit. To cover the loan payment alone, one unit has to clear $72K a year after its food, labor, rent and other costs and the franchisor's fees.
How these figures are worked out
- Loan (assumption): 80% of the $554K Item 7 midpoint is a $443K loan, paid over 10 years at 10.5%: $72K a year. SBA 7(a)-style terms on a long-term rate; your lender sets yours. European Wax Center's past SBA 7(a) loans averaged 6.3% at approval; 7(a) rates move with the prime rate, so 10.5% is a current-rate assumption, not this brand's history.
What you put at risk
Your own cash in: about $111K Assumption (the part the loan does not cover of the $554K Item 7 midpoint), plus whatever anything Item 7 leaves out (its notes say what). The loan is $443K.
Personal guarantee. SBA 7(a) loans require a personal guarantee from anyone who owns 20% or more of the business. If the unit cannot pay, the lender can collect from you personally, which can include your savings and your home. The worst case is losing the cash you put in and still owing the rest of the loan.
Gross sales are not profit, and none of these figures is take-home pay until tax and every operating cost are paid. The assumptions are ours, not the filing's. Not investment advice.
Returns modelOne unit · several units · editable
One unit
One unit: what is left after the loan payment
Gross sales, minus the franchisor's fees and the operating costs, is the unit's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization). Minus an assumed loan payment, that is what is left for you, before tax. Gross sales are not profit.
This brand's Item 19 does not print cost lines. Enter your own from a lease quote, a payroll plan and calls with current owners. Invested capital is the Item 7 total, which already includes its working-capital (additional funds) line.
Returns model · one unit
What would one European Wax Center unit leave you each year after the loan payment?
Item 19: $902,437 average for 1,028 outlets (All Reporting Centers). Use a figure for outlets like yours if yours differ.
Gross sales, not profit: the costs below decide what is left.
Item 6, as stored, a year. A fixed fee, so it comes off EBITDA as dollars, not a share of sales.
This brand's Item 19 does not print cost lines. Enter your own from a lease quote, a payroll plan and calls with current owners.
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.
Item 7 midpoint of $332K to $777K
Item 7's $45K to $75K additional funds are already in the total
Left after the loan payment · per year
The unit's EBITDA minus the assumed loan payment. Before tax, depreciation and any cost your inputs leave out (insurance, accounting and legal, licenses, technology fees): not take-home pay.
Gross sales are not profit. Neither the filing nor a stated assumption on this page supplies direct costs, labor, rent / occupancy and other operating costs. Enter your own (a lease quote, owner calls) and the model runs on it.
Loan of $443K at 10.5% over 10 years, an assumption, not a quote. Return and payback are before tax, depreciation and the costs above. The loan usually needs your personal guarantee.
Buying several existing units? The acquisition scenario
Buying several units
What buying a few existing units could return
Prices an existing operator of a few units off the single-unit EBITDA above, after shared services, and finances it with an SBA 7(a) loan, a conventional loan and a seller note. It shows the yearly return on your cash (IRR), whether year-1 earnings cover the loan payments (DSCR) and how the price is paid for. It starts at 5 units; every deal term is an assumption you can change, and none is from the FDD.
Not modelled yet
Gross sales are not profit. Neither the filing nor a stated assumption on this page supplies direct costs, labor, rent / occupancy and other operating costs. Enter your own (a lease quote, owner calls) and the model runs on it.
This scenario starts from a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in the one-unit model above and it runs on that figure, or take it to the full ROI workbench, where the multi-unit and acquisition models accept your own per-unit economics.
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: 2026 FDD · filed by EWC Franchisor LLC
Financial performance
- Range (low → high)
- $135K→$2.4M2026 FDD p.75
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Top and bottom 25%
- $476K→$1.4M
- Bottom group → top group: the top and bottom 25% as the filing reports them
Percentile ranks within Personal Care & Beauty
Each rank is among the Personal Care & Beauty brands that report that figure (the count is under each bar).
vs Personal Care & Beauty medians
How European Wax Center 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.
Who are you contracting with?
EWC Franchisor LLC, owned by EWC Ventures, LLC.
Item 1 (the franchisor) · who you're contracting with
The franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- EWC Franchisor LLC
- Parent company
- EWC Ventures, LLC
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2026 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- European Wax Center, Inc.
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2026 FDD
- Predecessor
- EWC Franchise, LLC (formerly EWC Franchise Group, Inc.)
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Chris Morris
- Incorporated in
- Delaware
- HQ
- Granite Park V, 5830 Granite Parkway, Suite 300, Plano, Texas 75024
- Auditor
- Deloitte & Touche LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $206.6M
- latest fiscal year in the 2026 FDD; $216.9M the year before
Overview
About
- CEO
- Chris Morris
- Franchised outlets in
- 45 states and territories
- Item 20 Table 3, at year end
- States and territories listed
- 45
- registered or offered in, as the filing lists them (DC and territories included); not where units may open
Is the system healthy?
+4 franchised outlets over the two years to 2025 (1,038 to 1,042, +0.4% in total, +0.2% a year compounded).
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20 (outlets opened, closed and transferred)
Item 20 (outlet counts) · unit dynamics
The growth chart
- Company-owned
- 5
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
Last fiscal year · Item 20 rates and pipeline
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Item 20 · franchised units at year end
Franchised units rose from 1,038 in 2023 to 1,042 in 2025
Axis does not start at zero.
Source and method
Item 20 (outlet counts) Table 3 · franchised outlets at year end
Where current outlets are
Franchised outlets at year end by state, as the filing's Item 20 Table 3 counts them. Not a list of where the franchisor may sell new units.
Current outlets (count on the tile) · 44 states and DCNo current outlet
1,042 franchised outlets at year end in 45 states (Item 20 Table 3).
Government records
SBA loan data
Lenders charged off 2.6% of 266 resolved SBA 7(a) loans, below the 8.3% category median. 7(a) is the SBA's main small-business loan; a resolved loan was paid in full or charged off.
- Loans on file
- 332
- SBA 7(a) loans matched to this brand, incl. those still being repaid
- Loan volume
- $131.6M
- Average loan
- $396K
- loan volume divided by loans
- Charge-off rate
- 2.6%
- 7 of 266 resolved loans
- Paid in full
- 97.4%
- of resolved loans
- Charge-off, loans approved FY2014–FY2022
- 2.7%
- 7 of 264 resolved loans; newer loans have not had time to default, so this is not a trend
- Lenders
- 49
- Average interest rate
- 6.3%
- Jobs reported
- 4,201
- Lender concentration
- 71%
- top lender's share
Cumulative: every 7(a) loan matched to this brand in the SBA’s FOIA files, approved FY1991 onward. Historical lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
Benchmark: the median Personal Care & Beauty brand charges off 8.3% (27 brands with a published rate, same cumulative window and source). This brand is 5.7 points below it.
Borrower mix: of 117 loans with a business-age entry, 110 recorded an age: 74 (67%) went to startups or businesses under two years old and 36 (33%) to established businesses or ownership changes; 7 were marked unanswered.
The approval-year breakdown covers 264 of the 266 resolved loans and 7 of the 7 charge-offs (FY2014 to FY2022).
SBA 7(a) · charge-off rate by approval year
European Wax Center: below all franchise loans in each of the 7 rated years
Hollow rings on the axis: years with fewer than 10 resolved loans, not rated (recent years: too early to judge while loans are still being repaid). Their numbers are in the table.
Show the numbers by year
| Year | Resolved | Charged off | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 38 | 1 | 2.6% |
| 2015 | 72 | 1 | 1.4% |
| 2016 | 49 | 1 | 2.0% |
| 2017 | 36 | 2 | 5.6% |
| 2018 | 29 | 1 | 3.4% |
| 2019 | 17 | 1 | 5.9% |
| 2020 | 9 | 0 | Too early |
| 2021 | 11 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | Too early |
Dashed line: all franchise 7(a) loans approved the same year.
Source and method
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Full SBA lending reportlenders · charge-off rate · trend
Lender network · SBA 7(a)
SBA Lending Report
Lender, state and yearly detail for European Wax Center from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records.
- Average SBA guarantee
- 75%
- Average interest rate
- 6.3%
- Lender concentration
- 71%
- Jobs reported
- 4,201
Top 10 SBA lenders by loan count
| Loans | Volume | Charge-off |
|---|---|---|
| Simmons Bank | ||
| 236 | $82.7M | 2.0%196 resolved |
| Wells Fargo Bank National Association | ||
| 10 | $3.8M | Too few9 resolved |
| PNC Bank, National Association | ||
| 5 | $1.5M | Too few2 resolved |
| TD Bank, National Association | ||
| 4 | $1.1M | Too few3 resolved |
| Stearns Bank National Association | ||
| 4 | $1.9M | Too few4 resolved |
| Firstrust Savings Bank | ||
| 4 | $1.8M | Too few4 resolved |
| Live Oak Banking Company | ||
| 4 | $5.3M | Too few0 resolved |
| The Huntington National Bank | ||
| 3 | $965K | Too few3 resolved |
| Cadence Bank | ||
| 3 | $984K | Too few3 resolved |
| LendingClub Bank, National Association | ||
| 3 | $4.2M | Too few2 resolved |
A lender’s rate counts only its resolved loans, the loans that have finished (paid in full or charged off); a 0.0% often means few of its loans have finished. Under 10 resolved loans, the rate reads “Too few”.
Charge-off rate by state (top 10 by loans)
| State | Loans | Charged off | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| TX Texas | 46 | 0 | 0.0%38 resolved |
| CA California | 40 | 1 | 3.6%28 resolved |
| FL Florida | 31 | 3 | 10.0%30 resolved |
| NY New York | 29 | 1 | 4.0%25 resolved |
| AZ Arizona | 18 | 0 | 0.0%15 resolved |
| PA Pennsylvania | 18 | 0 | 0.0%15 resolved |
| NJ New Jersey | 17 | 0 | 0.0%14 resolved |
| IL Illinois | 11 | 0 | 0.0%10 resolved |
| MN Minnesota | 10 | 0 | Too few8 resolved |
| NC North Carolina | 10 | 0 | Too few8 resolved |
Rate: charged-off loans over resolved loans (paid in full plus charged off), shown from 10 resolved loans. "Too few": under 10 resolved. The Loans column counts every approval in the window, including loans still being repaid.
SBA 7(a) loans approved per year
Borrower profile
The SBA's own business-age labels (7)
Industry context
Most of this brand’s borrowers recorded NAICS 812199 (Other Personal Care Services) on their loans. Across every SBA 7(a) loan in that industry code, all approval years, franchised businesses charged off 17.4% (1,519 resolved loans) and independent businesses 20.9% (4,921 resolved loans). Franchising does not lower the rate in every industry.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level data, matched to the brand by FranchiseVerdict.
What are the risks?
SBA loans charge off at 2.6% on 266 resolved loans, below the Personal Care & Beauty median of 8.3% (27 brands).
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Verdict grade + FDD Items 3 (litigation), 4 (bankruptcy), 8 (required suppliers), 16 (what you may sell), 21 (audited financials)
Risk and legal
Grade A: Strongest tier, 84/100 (category median 56); the full grade is at the top of the page.
How the grade is built
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.
Why an A, factor by factor
- Financial health NeutralAudited financials; no going-concern doubt; statements are the parent's, so this stays near neutral
- Unit economics NeutralAvg gross sales $902K on a $554K investment midpoint, 1.6x (gross sales, not profit)
- Unit growth Neutral+4 franchised outlets over the two years to 2025 (1,038 to 1,042, +0.4% in total, +0.2% a year compounded); turnover 3.1%
- Scale Helps1,042 franchised units, +5 company-owned (1,047 in all); franchising since 2006
- Legal Helps4 matters naming the franchisor among the Item 3 matters we list (0.4 per 100 outlets)
- Transparency HelpsItem 19 discloses financial performance; audited financials
- Adjustments after the six dimensions (+5 points)SBA loan record: the SBA charge-off rate (2.6% on 266 resolved loans) is between 2% and 5%, a range the score counts in a brand's favour, so it added 5 points.
From the six scored dimensions, an editorial assessment, not investment advice. How the score is built
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
Pending: putative class action re: website communications interception (settlement fund cap $5,000,000, court-approved 2026); franchisee (EWC Michigan Management) dispute re: POS system access/termination. Prior: vendor trade-secret suit settled $179,000; parent-entity ownership dispute settled $140,000,000; franchisee arbitration re: wrongful termination settled $400,000. Governmental: WA AG investigation into no-poach provisions, resolved via Assurance of Discontinuance with no fines.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Deloitte & Touche LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
The revenue figures are in the Franchisor tab, under The franchisor.
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
ⓘ 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
Ask what the franchisor earns on the supplies it sells you or the rebates it takes (Item 8).
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Franchisor takes supplier rebates: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Notes from the filing review · not the score inputs
- 01HIGHMultiple active litigations including governmental investigation into non-poaching provisions indicate compliance/culture risks
- 02MINORFranchise termination arbitration (Worley Wax) and vendor disputes signal operational/relationship friction
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
Litigation case detail6 matters · Item 3
Litigation cases
The franchisor and its predecessor
Pending (1)
EWC Michigan Management, Inc. v. EWC Franchise, LLC
pendingBrought by a franchisee · EWC Franchise, LLC · filed 2026-03-30 · Circuit Court of Wayne County, Michigan; removed to the United States District Court, Western District of Michigan · 2026-005737-CB; 26-cv-11284
“… Case No. 2026-005737-CB (Circuit Court of Wayne County, Michigan); Case No. 26-cv-11284 (United States District Court, Western District”Page 16 of the 2026 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “the Company removed the action to federal court, where it is currently”
Concluded (3)
Worley Wax, LLC and Kelly Worley v. EWC Franchise, LLC
concludedBrought by a franchisee · EWC Franchise, LLC · filed 2021-06-11 · American Arbitration Association · 01-21-0004-2691
“… AAA Reference No. 01-21-0004-2691 (American Arbitration Association, Filed June 11, 2021).”Page 16 of the 2026 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “On December 23, 2021, EWC Franchise, LLC and Worley entered into settlement agreement, pursuant to which EWC Franchise, LLC agreed to pay $400,000 to Worley, in” (page 17)
Within this matter, as the filing narrates it
EWC Franchise, LLC v. Renew Waxing Center, LLC d/b/a Pride Wax and Thandar Hlaing
concludedBrought by the franchisor · names a predecessor · EWC Franchise, LLC · Circuit Court for Pinellas County, Florida · 21-005630-CI
“EWC Franchise, LLC filed a Complaint against Renew Waxing Center, LLC d/b/a Pride Wax and its owner, Thandar Hlaing, in the Circuit Court for Pinellas County, Florida (Case No.”Page 16 of the 2026 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “to dismiss with prejudice the lawsuit against Renew Waxing Center, LLC d/b/a Pride Wax and Thandar Hlaing in the Circuit Court” (page 17)
Counted as one matter, the way Item 3 groups it.
In Re Franchise No Poaching Provisions Investigation by the Office of the Attorney General, State of Washington
concludedGovernment or regulatory action · filed 2018-09-10 · Office of the Attorney General, State of Washington; Assurance of Discontinuance approved by the King County Superior Court
“… Issued September 10, 2018.”Page 17 of the 2026 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “On September 9, 2019, the King County Superior Court approved our Assurance of Discontinuance and closed the”
Prince Development, LLC d/b/a Prince Reigns v. European Wax Center, Inc. and Joshua Coba
concludedBrought by a third party · European Wax Center, Inc. n/k/a DJNG, Inc. and Joshua Coba (officer) · filed 2012-08-23 · Broward County, Florida, 17th Judicial Circuit · 12-23961
“… Case No. 12-23961 (Broward County, Florida, 17th Judicial”Page 16 of the 2026 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “In May 2016, the parties settled all remaining claims, and the court issued its Order of Dismissal Based On Settlement, on June 1, 2016.”
Parent, affiliates, master franchisor and subfranchisor
Pending (1)
Sydney Dunn, individually and on behalf of all others similarly situated v. European Wax Center, Inc.
pendingBrought by a third party · European Wax Center, Inc. · filed 2025-06-30 · United States District Court, Northern District of California · 4:25-cv-05494-JST
“… Case No. 4:25- cv-05494-JST (United States District Court, Northern”Page 15 of the 2026 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “The settlement agreement was approved by the court in April 2026 and is currently in the process of being administered.” (page 16)
Concluded (1)
EWC Holdings, Inc. v. Princeton Ventures II, LLC, Brazos/EWC, LLC
concludedEWC Holdings, Inc. (majority interest holder of parent EWC Ventures, LLC) · filed 2016-06-28 · Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware · 12519
“… Case No. 12519 (Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware”Page 16 of the 2026 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “We were not a party in the lawsuit.”
One proceeding above is indented under the matter it belongs to because the filing narrates them inside it — an appeal, a consolidated case, a related arbitration. Each carries its own quote and page. They are counted with their matter, not as extra matters, so this list and the 6 Item 3 discloses agree.
Item 3 lists the litigation the franchisor must disclose; a matter against a parent, an affiliate or a named officer is not a matter against the franchisor, and pending claims are allegations, not findings.
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 9.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before your own operating costs.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12 (territory), 15 (owner participation) and 17 (renewal, termination and disputes)
Contract and territory detail
| Allowed renewals | 1 |
|---|---|
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territory | No |
| Territory size | “No minimum or maximum size for a protected territory; boundaries determined by franchisor based on population density, traffic, proximity to competitors/other centers, etc. Franchisor will not reduce the radius during the Initial Term but franchisee does not receive an exclusive territory and may face competition from company-owned outlets, other franchisees, or acquired competitive businesses.” |
| Online sales rights | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Who runs it (Item 15) | A manager may run it |
| Non-compete (years) | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles) | 50 mi |
| Right of first refusal | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaults | 4 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Collin County, Texas |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | Texas |
Items 10 (financing), 11 (training and support)
Training and operations
- Classroom training
- 57 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 33 hrs
- Training location
- Plano, Texas (in-person) or virtual video conference / self-led eLearning
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 6–18 mo
- 12–18 months if opening takes the current average (target markets have become more saturated); 6–7 months if an approved location is secured within 120 days of signing (FDD p.48)
- Site selection
- franchisee
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Zenoti
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 (initial fees) & 11 (training and support)
Franchisor support
Item 20 (outlet counts) · call current owners
Franchisee contacts
Who can you call before you sign?
1,017 current outlets listed
Records carry the franchisee (company or owner name as the filing prints it), phone number, city and state (franchisee name on 1,011 of 1,017, state on 989 of 1,017). 1,017 records. From the filing's Item 20 (the outlet list); the FDD itself is the free source. Our list covers 1,017 of the 1,042 franchised outlets Item 20 counts at year end; the owner exhibit prints the rest without a usable phone number, or omits them.
For your own due-diligence calls only. Not for telemarketing, marketing lists, or automated or prerecorded calls or texts.
One-time · CSV download · full refund within 7 days if the data does not match the FDD. Some numbers, especially for former owners, may be outdated.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to open a European Wax Center franchise?
Per the 2026 FDD, the total investment to open a European Wax Center franchise ranges from $332K to $777K, with an initial franchise fee of $36K – $45K. This is the Item 7 total in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD): the startup costs the franchisor lists, such as build-out, equipment, inventory and working capital. It usually leaves out buying land or a building; Item 7's notes say what is excluded.
What do European Wax Center franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the European Wax Center FDD, average gross sales were $902K (Item 19 group “All Reporting Centers”, 1,028 outlets; gross sales, not profit). What an owner keeps depends on location, operating costs and management.
Who owns European Wax Center?
European Wax Center is franchised by EWC Franchisor LLC. Its parent company is EWC Ventures, LLC. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is European Wax Center, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the European Wax Center 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 European Wax Center FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is European Wax Center's franchise failure rate?
There is no published franchise failure rate. What is measurable is European Wax Center's SBA charge-off rate: 2.6% on 266 resolved loans. Put plainly: 1 in 38 SBA 7(a) loans to European Wax Center owners charged off (7 of 266 resolved loans, approved since FY1991); loans approved FY2014–FY2022: 7 of 264 resolved loans charged off (2.7%); newer loans have not had time to default, so this is not a trend. The SBA charge-off rate is the share of a brand's resolved SBA 7(a) loans to its franchisees that the SBA wrote off, including purchased guarantees. Resolved means paid in full or charged off; active loans are excluded because their outcome is not yet known. It is a lending outcome, not a count of closed businesses. A franchisee can repay and close, or default and keep trading.
How many European Wax Center franchise locations are there?
Per the 2026 FDD, European Wax Center has 1,042 franchised units and 5 company-owned (1,047 in all). In the latest year, the number of franchised outlets fell by 20 (12 opened, 32 closed).
Is European Wax Center a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict gives European Wax Center an A Verdict grade (Strongest tier) with a verdict score of 84 out of 100 (higher is better), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Helped by scale (1,042 franchised units, +5 company-owned: 1,047 in all), legal record and transparency. The “Why an A” section on this page lists all six dimensions and any adjustment. Speak with current franchisees before making any investment decision.
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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.