Uni K Wax Center Franchise Cost & 2025 FDD Data
69/100
Second tier
69 this brand56 Personal Care & Beauty medianlikely 63–75: narrower with more SBA loans (high confidence)
Higher is better · an editorial assessment, not investment advice
#583 of 3,069 graded brands
Why a B: Helped by legal record and transparency. Held back by scale. See all six factors
- Total investment
- $330K – $584K
- Avg gross sales
- $694K
- “All Studios - Gross Sales”, 33 outlets; not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 3 resolved of 6 loans: too few to judge
Data from the FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records. Analysis by FranchiseVerdict · Methodology · Website · Report an error · Franchisor? Claim this listing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2025 FDD
Per the 2025 FDD, a Uni K Wax Center franchise requires a total initial investment of $330K – $584K, including a $45K franchise fee. Once open, the ongoing royalty is 7.0%. Per the 2025 FDD, average gross sales were $694K (Item 19 group “All Studios - Gross Sales”, 33 outlets; gross sales, not profit). Verdict grade: B (Second tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice.
Sources: 2025 FDD · What one unit could make and lose →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium (issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file)
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 scored8 of 8 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 $694K/year (outlet median $653K; Item 19 group “All Studios - Gross Sales”, 33 outlets; gross sales, not profit).
- GROWTHIn the latest Item 20 year, the number of franchised outlets grew by 1 (1 opened, 0 closed).
AT STAKEOne unit at the Item 7 midpoint: $59K a year in payments on assumed SBA 7(a)-style terms.You put in about $91K of your own cash and personally guarantee a $366K loan. Assumptions are labeled in Sales; not investment advice.See what one unit could make and lose
Things to check before you sign (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).
- An owner must run the business personally (Item 15, owner participation). Ask whether a trained manager can ever stand in.
Checked and clear: no auditor doubt that the franchisor can keep operating, no net loss of franchised outlets in the latest Item 20 years, no lawsuit naming the franchisor in Item 3 and the full filing on file, and an Item 19 average from 33 units. Not on file here, so ask: SBA charge-off rate against the category median and jury-trial waiver.
What to do next
Step 1: Read the FDD itself.
Free: the franchisor must give it to you 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 Uni K Wax Center owner list as a CSV, in the Contacts section.
Step 3: Talk to an SBA lender.
Free: the SBA's Lender Match. 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 near the Personal Care & Beauty median ($447K).
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7 (fees and startup costs)
Do you qualify? The filing states no minimum net worth or liquid capital. Ask Uni K Wax Franchising, LLC (Item 1: 117 NW 9th Terrace, Bay#1, Hallandale Beach, Florida 33009) and your lender what they require, and keep living costs for the first year outside the deal.
Full Item 7 breakdown20 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $45K | $45K | |
| Initial Training Fee | $5K | $5K | |
| Initial Training Expenses | $1.5K | $6K | |
| Real Estate Management Fee | $5K | $5K | |
| Project Management Fee | $25K | $25K | |
| Site Survey | $0 | $3K | |
| Lease Deposit & Rent 7 (3 months) | $12K | $40K | |
| Architect Fees | $10.5K | $16.5K | |
| Construction | $97.6K | $185K | |
| Signage & Digital Graphics | $12K | $19.8K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures & Millwork | $19.2K | $49.2K | |
| Startup Package | $28.6K | $42.1K | |
| Technology Systems | $6.18K | $9.56K | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $35K | $40K | |
| Utility Deposits | $150 | $500 | |
| Licenses and Permits | $1.5K | $2.5K | |
| Professional Fees | $2K | $7K | |
| Insurance (12 months of premium) | $1.5K | $3K | |
| Preopening Payroll | $2.25K | $4.8K | |
| Additional Funds 17 (3 months) | $20K | $75K | |
| Total initial investment | $330K | $584K |
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 | 7.0% of gross sales |
Marketing / ad fundThe filing's detailBrand-wide marketing pool. Brand Fund Fee: greater of 2% of Gross Sales or $1,000/month; Cooperative Advertising Fee: up to 2.5% of Gross Sales (not currently imposed); Local Advertising: grand opening $20,000 prior to opening plus $5,000/month... | 2.0% of gross sales |
Technology feeThe filing's detailTechnology Fees up to $1,500/month per Studio (currently $1,000/month); covers Technology Systems including proprietary items, third-party remittances, and administrative fee | $1,500/month |
| Training feeAdditional training charge listed in Item 6 | $5,000 |
| Renewal fee | $5,000 |
| Total fee loadbelow the Personal Care & Beauty median of 8.0% (lean) | 7.0% of sales |
A 7.0% total fee load is below the Personal Care & Beauty median of 8.0% (lean). More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
What do units actually make?
Average gross sales are 34% above the Personal Care & Beauty median ($519K).
Source: FDD 2025 · 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 Uni K Wax Center unit would ask of you, from the filing's Item 7 total and labeled assumptions.
Average gross sales are $694K (FDD p.47), and the royalty and ad fund take about $62K of that a year (Item 6). This brand's Item 19 prints cost or operating-income lines that are not on this page yet. Read them in Item 19 and enter them here. So this box does not estimate a profit. To cover the loan payment alone, one unit has to clear $59K 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 $457K Item 7 midpoint is a $366K loan, paid over 10 years at 10.5%: $59K a year. SBA 7(a)-style terms on a long-term rate; your lender sets yours.
What you put at risk
Your own cash in: about $91K Assumption (the part the loan does not cover of the $457K Item 7 midpoint), plus whatever anything Item 7 leaves out (its notes say what). The loan is $366K.
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 prints cost or operating-income lines that are not on this page yet. Read them in Item 19 and enter them here. Invested capital is the Item 7 total, which already includes its working-capital (additional funds) line.
Returns model · one unit
What would one Uni K Wax Center unit leave you each year after the loan payment?
Item 19: $693,986 average for 33 outlets (All Studios - Gross Sales). Use a figure for outlets like yours if yours differ.
Gross sales, not profit: the costs below decide what is left.
The filing also sets a minimum or cap on these fees: “Brand Fund Fee: greater of 2% of Gross Sales or $1,000/month; Cooperative Advertising Fee: up to 2.5% of Gross Sales (not currently imposed); Local Advertising: grand opening $20,000 prior to opening plus $5,000/month for 3 months, then greater of 2.5% of Gross Sales or $1,500/month for rest of term” (Item 6). This model applies the percentages, so at low sales the real fee can be higher than shown here.
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 prints cost or operating-income lines that are not on this page yet. Read them in Item 19 and enter them here.
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 $330K to $584K
Item 7's $20K 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 $366K 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: 2025 FDD · filed by Uni K Wax Franchising, LLC
Financial performance
- Range (low → high)
- $185K→$1.7MSource: 2025 FDD, page 47
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Top and bottom 33%
- $404K→$1.0M
- Bottom group → top group: the top and bottom 33% 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 Uni K 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?
Uni K Wax Franchising, LLC, owned by Uni K Wax Group Inc.
Item 1 (the franchisor) · who you're contracting with
The franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Uni K Wax Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- Uni K Wax Group Inc.
- FDD Item 1, page 8 of the 2025 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- Uni K Wax Holdings, LLC
- Predecessor
- UKW Franchising Company, LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer
- Heather Harris
- Incorporated in
- Delaware
- HQ
- 117 NW 9th Terrace, Bay#1, Hallandale Beach, Florida 33009
- Franchisor revenue
- $3.3M
- latest fiscal year in the 2025 FDD
Overview
About
UNI K WAX franchisees operate waxing salons offering hair removal services (body waxing, facial waxing, etc.). Day-to-day operations include client scheduling, performing waxing treatments, managing inventory of wax and supplies, maintaining salon sanitation standards, and handling point-of-sale transactions. Franchisees typically manage 1-3 staff members and handle marketing/client retention.
- CEO
- Heather Harris
- States and territories listed
- 4
- registered or offered in, as the filing lists them (DC and territories included); not where units may open
Is the system healthy?
+1 franchised outlets over the two years to 2024 (32 to 33, +3.1% in total, +1.6% a year compounded).
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20 (outlets opened, closed and transferred)
Item 20 (outlet counts) · unit dynamics
The growth chart
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 1%
- vs corporate-owned
Last fiscal year · Item 20 rates and pipeline
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 0
- Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 6
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Item 20 · franchised units at year end
Franchised units rose from 32 in 2022 to 33 in 2024
Axis does not start at zero.
Source and method
Item 20 (outlet counts) outlets · 4 states
Where current outlets are
States with at least one current outlet in the Item 20 list the franchisor prints. Former owners are not counted, and this is not a list of where the franchisor may sell new units.
Current outlets (count on the tile) · 4 statesNo current outlet
37 current outlets in 4 states: the 37 on the owner list, of 33 franchised at year end (Item 20).
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. The contact details are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
Government records
SBA loan data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 6 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Loans on file
- 6
- SBA 7(a) loans matched to this brand, incl. those still being repaid
- Loan volume
- $2.0M
- Average loan
- $334K
- loan volume divided by loans
- Charge-off rate
- 3 resolved of 6 loans: too few to judge
- Insufficient SBA coverage: 6 loans, rate hidden below 10
- Paid in full
- 3 resolved of 6 loans: too few to judge
- Recent-loan charge-off
- 3 resolved of 6 loans: too few to judge
- Lenders
- 5
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
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What are the risks?
Main risk in the grade: scale. The reasons are below.
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 B: Second tier, 69/100 (category median 56); the full grade is at the top of the page.
How the grade is built
Why a B, factor by factor
- Financial health NeutralAudited financials; no going-concern doubt
- Unit economics NeutralAvg gross sales $694K on a $457K investment midpoint, 1.5x (gross sales, not profit)
- Unit growth Neutral+1 franchised outlets over the two years to 2024 (32 to 33, +3.1% in total, +1.6% a year compounded); turnover 0.0%
- Scale Weighs on it, weakest dimension33 franchised units, +1 company-owned (34 in all); franchising since 2006; mostly company-owned (1% franchised)
- Legal HelpsNo litigation naming the franchisor in Item 3
- Transparency HelpsItem 19 discloses financial performance; audited financials
From the six scored dimensions, an editorial assessment, not investment advice. How the score is built
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
No litigation disclosed
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes
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
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 7.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before your own operating costs.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12 (territory), 15 (owner participation) and 17 (renewal, termination and disputes)
Contract and territory detail
| Allowed renewals | 3 |
|---|---|
| Protected territory | Yes, on conditions |
| Territory condition | Exclusive territory with minimum population of 25,000 (most territories approximately 50,000); franchisor may modify territory boundaries upon renewal per then-current guidelines |
| Exclusive territory | Yes |
| Territory population | 25,000 |
| Online sales rights | Reserved by franchisor |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Who runs it (Item 15) | Owner must run it |
| Non-compete (years) | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles) | 15 mi |
| Right of first refusal | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaults | 4 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Governing law | Florida |
Items 5 (initial fees), 7 (startup costs), 12 (territory) and 20 (outlet counts) · development agreement
Area development (several units)
The filing offers a development agreement for several units. If you miss the schedule, the development agreement can be ended.
Every term, with its page
- If you miss the schedule
- The development agreement can be ended; you lose the protected development area.
2025 FDD p.38
“If you sign an ADA and fail to satisfy your development schedule by opening and operating the prescribed number of Studios within the required periods of time, we may terminate your ADA and you will lose the exclusive territorial rights associated with your development territory.” - Signed, not yet open
- 0 franchises sold but not open at year end (Item 20, Table 5; see Growth).
Each unit still needs its own Item 7 investment on top of the development fee. Have a franchise attorney read the schedule and the default terms before you sign.
Items 10 (financing), 11 (training and support)
Training and operations
- On-the-job training
- 95 hrs
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- Designated real estate company (mandatory) and Project Manager
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
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?
37 current outlets listed
Each record has a phone number and state. 32 of 37 also name the franchisee; 32 of 37 also name a city. 37 records. From the filing's Item 20 (the outlet list); the FDD itself is the free source. Our list holds 37 current outlets; Item 20's table counts 33 franchised at year end.
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 Uni K Wax Center franchise?
Per the 2025 FDD, the total investment to open a Uni K Wax Center franchise ranges from $330K to $584K, with an initial franchise fee of $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 Uni K Wax Center franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Uni K Wax Center FDD, average gross sales were $694K (Item 19 group “All Studios - Gross Sales”, 33 outlets; gross sales, not profit). The median is $653K. What an owner keeps depends on location, operating costs and management.
Who owns Uni K Wax Center?
Uni K Wax Center is franchised by Uni K Wax Franchising, LLC. Its parent company is Uni K Wax Group Inc.. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is Uni K Wax Holdings, LLC. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Uni K 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 Uni K Wax Center FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Uni K Wax Center's franchise failure rate?
There is no published franchise failure rate, and Uni K Wax Center has too few resolved SBA 7(a) loans on file (fewer than 10) to show an SBA charge-off rate that would mean anything. 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. Review the turnover and closure figures in Item 20 of the FDD and speak with current and former franchisees.
How many Uni K Wax Center franchise locations are there?
Per the 2025 FDD, Uni K Wax Center has 33 franchised units and 1 company-owned (34 in all). In the latest year, the number of franchised outlets grew by 1 (1 opened, 0 closed).
Is Uni K Wax Center a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict gives Uni K Wax Center a B Verdict grade (Second tier) with a verdict score of 69 out of 100 (higher is better), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Helped by legal record (no litigation naming the franchisor in Item 3) and transparency. Held back by scale (33 franchised units, +1 company-owned: 34 in all). The “Why a B” section on this page lists all six dimensions and any adjustment. Speak with current franchisees before making any investment decision.
Other Personal Care & Beauty franchises
Similar investment first, then by grade
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.