ColorOnly Express Salons franchise
2023 filing · May 1, 2023
ColorOnly Express Salons at a glance
An express hair color salon offering quick root touch-ups and all-over color with ammonia-free color mixed on site. At the end of 2022 there were 1 ColorOnly Express Salons locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Industry
- Salon
- Franchisor
- ColorOnly Express Salons Franchise Company, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Typical size
- 1,300–2,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $286K–$483K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $54,500
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 7% + minimum
- The greater of 7% of gross sales or $250 a week, paid weekly (no royalty for the first six months after opening), plus 2% to the brand fund (up to 3%)
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross sales, paid weekly; it can rise to 3%
- Agreement length
- 10 years
Where it is
- US locations, 2022
- 1
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 1
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2020–2022
- States
- 1
- Most in Florida
Support and records
From ColorOnly Express Salons Franchise Company, LLC’s 2023 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
ColorOnly Express Salons among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | ColorOnly Express Salons | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $384,622 | Costs more than 53% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $54,500 | Higher than 81% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 7% | Higher than 70% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 1 | Fewer than 88% of franchises |
How much a ColorOnly Express Salons franchise costs
Opening one ColorOnly Express Salons costs an estimated $286,172 to $483,072. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements: construction costs ($50,000 to $160,000) and furniture, fixtures, and equipment ($40,000 to $60,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $54,500 | ||
| Travel and Living Expenses During Training | $1,200 | $2,400 | |
| Rent (three months plus deposit equal to one month) | $12,800 | $30,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements: Construction Costs | $50,000 | $160,000 | |
| Computerized dye mixing and dispensing machine, “EMMA” | $3,000 | $5,000 | |
| Technology Fee - Software Licensing Fee & Setup Fee (3 months) | $2,672 | ||
| Furniture, fixtures, and equipment | $40,000 | $60,000 | |
| Initial Inventory of Beauty and Salon Supplies and Retail Merchandise | $2,000 | $4,000 | |
| Initial Inventory of ColorOnly colorants and enzyme developer | $8,000 | $14,000 | |
| Exterior Signage | $2,500 | $5,000 | |
| Computer Hardware System | $2,000 | $4,000 | |
| Pre-Sale and Grand Opening Advertising | $30,000 | ||
| “Fast Start” 24 Week Marketing Program | $48,000 | ||
| Business Licenses/Miscellaneous Opening Costs | $1,000 | $3,000 | |
| Insurance | $3,500 | $5,000 | |
| Additional Assistance | $0 | $5,500 | |
| Additional Funds - 3 Months | $25,000 | $50,000 | |
| Total | $286,172 | $483,072 | |
Source: ColorOnly Express Salons Franchise Company, LLC, 2023 filing, page 21
ColorOnly Express Salons franchise fee
The franchise fee is $54,500. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: ColorOnly Express Salons Franchise Company, LLC, 2023 filing, page 12
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | The greater of 7% of gross sales or $250 a week, paid weekly (no royalty for the first six months after opening), plus 2% to the brand fund (up to 3%). |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross sales, paid weekly; it can rise to 3%. |
| Technology Fee | Currently, $699 per month, plus a $575 Management Software setup fee |
| Refresher Training Fees | Reasonable fee, currently, $250 per day per person trained |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: ColorOnly Express Salons Franchise Company, LLC, 2023 filing, page 14
Other fees as filed, from pages 15–16. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures ColorOnly Express Salons does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: ColorOnly Express Salons Franchise Company, LLC, 2023 filing, page 54
How ColorOnly Express Salons compares
Of the 101 salon franchises on this site, ColorOnly Express Salons is the 47th cheapest to open and the 89th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | ColorOnly Express Salons | Typical salon brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $286K | $303K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $483K | $531K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $55K | $45K | $40K |
| Royalty | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 1 | 26 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 75 of 101 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 101 brands in salon franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: ColorOnly Express Salons Franchise Company, LLC, 2023 filing, page 54
Where ColorOnly Express Salons locations are
At the end of 2022, ColorOnly Express Salons had locations in 1 state. The most are in Florida.
- Florida1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Source: ColorOnly Express Salons Franchise Company, LLC, 2023 filing, page 55
Who owns ColorOnly Express Salons?
ColorOnly Express Salons franchises are sold by ColorOnly Express Salons Franchise Company, LLC.
From ColorOnly Express Salons Franchise Company, LLC’s 2023 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: ColorOnly Express Salons Franchise Company, LLC, 2023 filing, litigation on page 12, bankruptcy on page 12
ColorOnly Express Salons filings
The figures on this page come from ColorOnly Express Salons Franchise Company, LLC’s 2023 filing, issued May 1, 2023, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 filing | May 1, 2023 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2020–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
