No Grease! BarbershopFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A No Grease! Barbershop franchise requires a total initial investment of $157K – $303K, including a $25K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: D. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $157K – $303K
- 12th pct Personal Care…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 34th pct Personal Care…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 9th pct Personal Care…
- Units
- 13
- 17th pct Personal Care…
- SBA default
- N/A
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
Started franchising in 2025. Newer systems carry more uncertainty but may offer better territories.
Franchised units fell from 7 to 6 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $157K – $303K including a $25K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict D (Below Average) with a risk score of 72/100.
- 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
- Knights of the Razor Inc.
- Incorporated in
- NC
- HQ
- 333 East Trade Street, Suite D, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202
- Auditor
- Bernard Robinson & Company, L.L.P.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $114K
- vs $197K prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Affiliated brands
- No Grease
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
No Grease! Barbershop franchisees operate traditional barbershop locations providing haircuts, shaves, and grooming services to male-focused clientele. Daily operations involve managing 2-4 barber chairs, scheduling appointments, managing inventory of products and supplies, and providing direct customer service in a service-based retail environment. The model emphasizes a nostalgic, premium grooming experience with protected territorial exclusivity.
- CEO
- Damian Johnson
- Headquarters
- NC
- Founded
- 2017
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 3
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $25K | $25K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $15K | $40K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $117K | $238K |
| Total initial investment | $157K | $303K |
Source: No Grease! Barbershop 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
- $157K – $303K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $40K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $25K – $25K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- Gross Revenues · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $250 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% 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 No Grease! Barbershop Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 13
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Non-renewed
- 1
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 7.7%
- Company-owned
- 6
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 54%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- -14.3%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- -14.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Continuity rate
- 85.7%
- Units that stayed open
- Termination rate
- 14.3%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 18 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.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- California
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- New York
- North Dakota
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Virginia
- Wisconsin
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 4 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 4
- Loan volume
- N/A
- Amount data pending
- Median loan
- N/A
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 0
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
A contracting barbershop franchise (down 14% YoY) with recent regulatory violations, missing financial disclosures, and unclear profitability metrics presents HIGH RISK unsuitable for most retail franchisees.
Litigation (Item 3)
6 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Bernard Robinson & Company, L.L.P.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 72 / 100 rating
- 01MEDUnit count declined 14.3% YoY (13 units) — significant contraction suggesting system-wide challenges or closures
- 02MINORRecent Maryland Securities Division Consent Order (January 2025) for unregistered franchise offering — regulatory compliance failure and legal exposure
- 03MEDNo disclosed average revenue or net income (missing Item 19) — inability to assess profitability or ROI, major due diligence gap
- 04MEDHigh initial investment ($157K-$303K) with 6% royalty burden on undisclosed revenue base — unclear unit economics
- 05HIGHGoing Concern status False — potential financial instability or solvency concerns at franchisor level
- 06MINORShrinking franchise system with declining momentum — increases risk of inadequate support and franchisor viability
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 | 7 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 7 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 2 |
| Territory type | radius |
| 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 | North Carolina |
| Litigation count | 1 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
6 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 37 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 26 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- POS system
- not specified
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: not specified
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
23 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
No Grease! Barbershop · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a No Grease! Barbershop franchise?
The total investment to open a No Grease! Barbershop franchise ranges from $157K – $303K, with an initial franchise fee of $25K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do No Grease! Barbershop franchise owners earn?
No Grease! Barbershop 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 No Grease! Barbershop's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for No Grease! Barbershop (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many No Grease! Barbershop franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, No Grease! Barbershop has 13 total units in the United States, including 7 franchised units and 6 company-owned units.
Is No Grease! Barbershop a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates No Grease! Barbershop as a D-grade franchise with a risk score of 72 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.
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.