Salted BarberFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Salted Barber franchise requires a total initial investment of $254K – $390K, including a $40K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $667K[2]. Verdict grade: A. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 21, 2026 · figures per the 2026 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $254K – $390K
- 25th pct Personal Care…
- Avg gross sales
- $667K
- 22nd pct Personal Care…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 9th pct Personal Care…
- Units
- 2
- 6th 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 2026. Newer systems carry more uncertainty but may offer better territories.
50% cash-on-cash return (based on P&L Bottom Line). Above the 20% threshold most investors target.
Bottom line
- Total investment $254K – $390K including a $40K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- Average unit revenue of $667K/year, with an estimated 50% cash-on-cash return (based on P&L Bottom Line).
- Verdict A (Top Quintile) with a risk score of 38/100.
- Revenue data based on only 2 reporting units. Treat as directional, not definitive. Ask franchisees directly for current unit economics.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
- Legal entity
- Salted Barber Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- None
- CEO title
- Co-Founder and President
- Danielle Hiser
- CEO experience
- 9 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- CA
- HQ
- 12853 El Camino Real P7, San Diego, California 92130
- Auditor
- Kezos & Dunlavy
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $0
- Most recent fiscal year
Overview
About
Salted Barber franchisees operate upscale men's barbershops offering haircuts, beard grooming, and related services. Day-to-day operations include managing 2-5 barbers, scheduling appointments, inventory management of grooming products, and customer relationship management in a service-based retail environment.
- CEO
- Danielle Hiser
- Headquarters
- CA
- Founded
- 2025
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 1
FDD Item 7 · 2026 filing · 16 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $30K | $40K | |
| Initial Training Feenot refundable | $1K | $2K | |
| Travel, Lodging and Meals for Initial Training Programnot refundable | $2K | $4K | |
| Attorney Term Sheet/Lease Reviewnot refundable | $3K | $5K | |
| Security Deposits | $6K | $9K | |
| Soft Construction Costs (space planner, engineers, permits)not refundable | $12K | $18K | |
| Leasehold Improvements (inclusive of tenant improvement allowance)not refundable | $108K | $186K | |
| Signage and Graphicsnot refundable | $8K | $12K | |
| Equipment, Furniture and Fixtures (includes in-store artwork)not refundable | $55K | $65K | |
| Technology and POS Equipmentnot refundable | $2K | $4K | |
| Utilities | $500 | $700 | |
| Startup Barber supplies, shop supplies, retail inventorynot refundable | $4K | $6K | |
| Grand Opening Advertisingnot refundable | $6K | $6K | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $1K | $1K | |
| Business and Industry Licenses, Permits, and Certificationsnot refundable | $1K | $2K | |
| Additional Funds (3 months)not refundable | $15K | $30K | |
| Total initial investment | $254K | $390K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
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
$140K
21.0% margin
Unlevered ROIC
41%
EBITDA / total invested capital
Payback
30 mo
cash-on-cash, unlevered
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $254K – $390K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $15K – $30K
- Better than avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $40K
- Better than avg vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- percentage_of_gross · typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
- Payback period
- 2.0 yrs
- From FDD / Item 19
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $1 |
| Training fee | $1K |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $667K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- N/A
- Avg p&l bottom line
- $161K
- Reported as P&L Bottom Line in FDD Item 19
- Cash-on-cash
- 49.9%
- Based on P&L Bottom Line / investment midpoint
- Item 19 type
- Affiliate-Owned
- Sample size
- 2 units
- vs category median 35 · small
- Range (low → high)
- $417K→$916K
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Transparency
- 6 / 5
- vs category median 4 / 5 · above
Compared against 186 Personal Care & Beauty brands
vs Personal Care & Beauty averages
How Salted Barber Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 2
- Opened
- 0
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 0
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.0%
- Company-owned
- 2
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 0%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 25.0%
3-year detail · Item 20
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Projected new
- 1
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 1 state reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
1
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
No SBA loan data available for this brand.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Micro-franchise system with unverified financials, no growth trajectory, unprotected territory, and franchisor going concern issues presents elevated risk despite moderate unit economics.
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Kezos & Dunlavy
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 38 / 100 rating
- 01MINOROnly 2 units operating with unknown/stagnant growth trajectory raises viability concerns
- 02MEDNo Item 19 financial data disclosed despite $666.5K average revenue claim — unverifiable performance
- 03MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk; no exclusivity guarantee for $254K+ investment
- 04HIGHGoing Concern designation indicates potential financial distress at franchisor level
- 05MINOR6% royalty on $666.5K average revenue = $40K annual fees with minimal franchisor support infrastructure for only 2 units
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 | 5 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 4 |
| Territory type | radius |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 2.5 mi |
| 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 | No |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | California |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 10 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 8 hrs
- Training location
- Off-site and on-site
- Time to open
- 9 mo
- From signing to launch
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
1 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Salted Barber · FDD (2026) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Salted Barber franchise?
The total investment to open a Salted Barber franchise ranges from $254K – $390K, with an initial franchise fee of $40K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Salted Barber franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Salted Barber FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $667K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
What is Salted Barber's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Salted Barber (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 Salted Barber franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Salted Barber has 2 total units in the United States, including 0 franchised units and 2 company-owned units.
Is Salted Barber a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Salted Barber as a A-grade franchise with a risk score of 38 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.