Is Cookie Cutters or Smartstyle cheaper to open?

Cookie Cutters costs $138,200–$390,200 and Smartstyle costs $184,440–$336,340 to open (FDD Item 7). Cookie Cutters has the lower entry cost.

Which is safer, Cookie Cutters or Smartstyle?

SBA 7(a) charge-off rate is 14.3% for Cookie Cutters and 2.3% for Smartstyle. Lower is safer, so Smartstyle has the stronger loan-repayment record.

Which is the better franchise, Cookie Cutters or Smartstyle?

FranchiseVerdict grades Cookie Cutters B and Smartstyle B, from FDD Items 5–7, 19–21 and SBA loan performance. See the full side-by-side above.

Cookie Cutters vs Smartstyle

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Cookie Cutters and Smartstyle are personal care & beauty franchises. Cookie Cutters requires an investment of $138K – $390K while Smartstyle requires $184K – $336K. Cookie Cutters discloses average revenue of $314K; Smartstyle makes no financial performance representation in its Item 19, which is voluntary under the FTC Franchise Rule. On SBA loan performance, Smartstyle has a lower charge-off rate (2.3%) compared to Cookie Cutters (14.3%). FranchiseVerdict rates Cookie Cutters B (Above average) and Smartstyle B (Above average).

Metric	Cookie Cutters	Smartstyle
Verdict Grade	BAbove averageAbove average	BAbove averageAbove average
Investment Range	$138K – $390K	$184K – $336K
Franchise Fee	$40K	$40K
Royalty Rate	5.0%	4.0%
Average Revenue (Item 19)	$314K	N/ANo Item 19 representation
SBA Charge-Off Rate	14.3% (24 loans)	2.3% (75 loans)
Total Units	120	911
Unit Growth (YoY)	+2 units	-166 units
Year Began Franchising	2015	2016
FDD Year	2026	2025