Is Buff City Soap or ZEISS VISION CENTER cheaper to open?

Buff City Soap costs $395,427–$1,278,424 and ZEISS VISION CENTER costs $605,000–$1,096,000 to open (FDD Item 7). Buff City Soap has the lower entry cost.

Which is the better franchise, Buff City Soap or ZEISS VISION CENTER?

FranchiseVerdict grades Buff City Soap B and ZEISS VISION CENTER C, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Buff City Soap vs ZEISS VISION CENTER

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Buff City Soap and ZEISS VISION CENTER are retail franchises. Buff City Soap requires an investment of $395K – $1.3M while ZEISS VISION CENTER requires $605K – $1.1M. Neither Buff City Soap nor ZEISS VISION CENTER makes a financial performance representation in Item 19 of its FDD — a voluntary item under the FTC Franchise Rule — so the two cannot be compared on disclosed unit revenue. FranchiseVerdict rates Buff City Soap B (Above average) and ZEISS VISION CENTER C (Average).

Metric	Buff City Soap	ZEISS VISION CENTER
Verdict Grade	BAbove average	CAverage
Investment Range	$395K – $1.3M	$605K – $1.1M
Franchise Fee	$50K	$25K
Royalty Rate	6.0%	$25,000 per annum
Average Revenue (Item 19)	N/ANo Item 19 representation	N/ANo Item 19 representation
SBA Charge-Off Rate	Limited data	N/A
Total Units	260	0
Unit Growth (YoY)	-11 units	+0 units
Year Began Franchising	2018	2024
FDD Year	2025	2025