Salons by JCFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Salons by JC franchise requires a total initial investment of $1.3M – $2.0M, including a $60K franchise fee. Per the 2025 FDD, average unit revenue was $535K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 5.0% charge-off rate across 22 loans[1]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $1.3M – $2.0M
- 49th pct Personal Care…
- Avg gross sales
- $535K
- 15th pct Personal Care…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 164
- 39th pct Personal Care…
- SBA default
- 5.0%
- 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
At 0.3x revenue per dollar invested, this system underperforms the typical 1.5-2.5x range.
Franchised units fell from 152 to 124 over 3 years. Investigate why operators are leaving.
Bottom line
- Total investment $1.3M – $2.0M including a $60K franchise fee.
- Average unit revenue of $535K/year (median $524K).
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 48/100. SBA loan charge-off rate of 5.0% across 22 loans (near or below the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2024).
- System growing at 22.6% CAGR over 3 years with 164 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- J ‘N C Real Estate Development, LLC
- Incorporated in
- TX
- HQ
- 1723 North Loop 1604 E, Suite 202, San Antonio, Texas 78232
- Auditor
- Paul J. Fitzgerald, P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $5.4M
- vs $5.8M prior year
Overview
About
Franchisees operate full-service hair salons under the Salons by JC brand, providing haircuts, styling, coloring, and related services. Daily operations involve managing 5–15+ stylists, scheduling appointments, maintaining inventory, handling walk-in and appointment-based clients, and enforcing brand standards. Revenue depends heavily on local foot traffic, stylist retention, and competitive pricing in the beauty services market.
- CEO
- Steve Griffey
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2008
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 26
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $60K | $60K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $10K | $20K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $1.3M | $2.0M |
| Total initial investment | $1.3M | $2.0M |
Source: Salons by JC 2025 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
$123K
23.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
7%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
13.8 yrs
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $1.3M – $2.0M
- Near category avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $10K – $20K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $60K – $100K
- Near category avg vs category
- Royalty
- Greater of 5.5% of Gross Sales or $500 per month
- Ad fund
- 1.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 6.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Marketing / ad fund | 1.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $125 |
| Transfer fee | $15K |
| Renewal fee | $5K |
| Total fee load | 6.5% of rev |
A 6.5% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $535K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $524K
- Item 19 type
- gross_sales
- Sample size
- 137 units
- vs category median 35 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $179K→$2.1M
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 4 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · typical
Compared against 186 Personal Care & Beauty brands
Revenue is only 0.3x the investment. This means each unit may take 5+ years to recoup the initial outlay at typical margins.
vs Personal Care & Beauty averages
How Salons by JC Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 164
- Opened
- 15
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Turnover rate
- 0.6%
- Company-owned
- 12
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 93%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +10.1%
- Net unit change last year
- 3-yr CAGR
- +22.6%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 4
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 11 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
- 22
- Loan volume
- $12.8M
- Median loan
- $536K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 5.0%
- 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)
- 95.0%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 10
- Defaults
- 1
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Premium insight
SBA Lending Report
Deep-dive into Salons by JC'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 10 states
- Startup risk premium and job creation velocity
- 3-year lending trend
Instant access. No subscription.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Salons by JC presents meaningful profitability risk due to high capital requirements, modest average unit economics, and unprotected territory—requiring strong due diligence on actual franchisee net income and local market saturation before investment.
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Paul J. Fitzgerald, P.C.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Score breakdown · what drove the 48 / 100 rating
- 01MINORNo Item 19 (Average Unit Volume) disclosure limits ability to assess profitability; only average revenue provided without net income
- 02MINORHigh initial investment ($1.33M–$2.04M) paired with modest average revenue ($534,950) creates tight margin for error and long payback period
- 03MINORUnprotected territory allows franchisor to open competing units nearby, directly cannibalizing franchisee revenue
- 04MINORRoyalty structure (5.5% of gross sales or $500/month minimum) creates fixed costs that burden low-revenue locations disproportionately
- 05MINORSlow unit growth (10.1% YoY) in mature hair salon sector suggests market saturation and slowing expansion momentum
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 | 2 |
| Territory type | Radius |
| Protected territory | No |
| 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 | Texas |
| Litigation count | 0 |
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 19 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 4 hrs
- POS system
- Vagaro
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Vagaro
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
51 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Salons by JC · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Salons by JC franchise?
The total investment to open a Salons by JC franchise ranges from $1.3M – $2.0M, 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 Salons by JC franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Salons by JC FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $535K. The median is $524K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Salons by JC's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Salons by JC has a charge-off rate of 5.0% across 22 loans, meaning 5.0% 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 Salons by JC franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Salons by JC has 164 total units in the United States, including 152 franchised units and 12 company-owned units. 15 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Salons by JC a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Salons by JC as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 48 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.