Is Smartstyle or Cookie Cutters cheaper to open?

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

Which is safer, Smartstyle or Cookie Cutters?

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

Which is the better franchise, Smartstyle or Cookie Cutters?

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

Smartstyle vs Cookie Cutters

Franchise Comparison 2026

Both Smartstyle and Cookie Cutters are personal care & beauty franchises. Smartstyle requires an investment of $184K – $336K while Cookie Cutters requires $138K – $390K. 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 Smartstyle B (Above average) and Cookie Cutters B (Above average).

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