Waxing the City franchise
2026 filing · March 31, 2026GrowingShares sales figures
Waxing the City at a glance
A waxing studio offering face and body waxing services by trained cerologists. At the end of 2025 there were 167 Waxing the City locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- Waxing the City Franchisor LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2010
- 16 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Woodbury, Minnesota
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $340K–$646K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $42,500
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 6%
- 6% of gross revenue or $100 a week, whichever is greater, paid weekly
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross revenue, paid monthly
- Agreement length
- 6 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- Introductions to lenders
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 167
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 167
- Company-owned
- 0
- Change in 3 years
- +34
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 33
- Most in Texas, Illinois and Colorado
Support and records
- Initial training
- 2 programs
- Initial training program: 21 hours in class; Initial cerology training program: 18 hours in class and 43 on the job
- Lawsuits disclosed
- Yes
- Latest filing
- Mar 31, 2026
- 2026 filing
From Waxing the City Franchisor LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Waxing the City among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Waxing the City | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $493,070 | Costs more than 63% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $42,500 | Higher than 54% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 6% | Higher than 35% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 167 | More than 84% of franchises |
| Sales per locationYearly, as the brand reports it | $478,025 | Lower than 75% of brands that share sales figures |
| Sales against cost to openYearly sales over the cost midpoint | 1.0× | Lower than 79% of brands that share sales figures |
How much a Waxing the City franchise costs
Opening one Waxing the City costs an estimated $339,945 to $646,195. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($114,200 to $277,720) and additional funds and working capital for first 3 months ($34,600 to $84,660). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| To be Made Initial Franchise Fee | $42,500 | ||
| Travel and Living Expenses While Training | $1,395 | $2,640 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $114,200 | $277,720 | |
| To be Made 3 Months’ Rent and Security Deposit | $18,200 | $30,300 | |
| Construction Management Fees | $0 | $12,500 | |
| Architect/Design Fees | $11,085 | $21,530 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $39,405 | $59,809 | |
| Office Supplies | $3,500 | $4,500 | |
| Technology Package and Licenses | $13,084 | $25,806 | |
| Interior & Exterior Signage | $16,500 | $34,800 | |
| Initial Retail Inventory | $5,578 | $6,108 | |
| Initial Waxing Supply Inventory | $8,078 | $8,372 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $25,000 | ||
| Insurance | $2,550 | $2,850 | |
| Miscellaneous Expenses | $4,270 | $7,100 | |
| Additional Funds and Working Capital for First 3 Months | $34,600 | $84,660 | |
| Total | $339,945 | $646,195 | |
Source: Waxing the City Franchisor LLC, 2026 filing, page 26
Waxing the City franchise fee
The franchise fee is $42,500. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Waxing the City Franchisor LLC, 2026 filing, page 15
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 6% of gross revenue or $100 a week, whichever is greater, paid weekly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross revenue, paid monthly. |
| Technology Fee | Currently $799 per month. |
| Transfer Fee | $7,500 or $12,000 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Waxing the City Franchisor LLC, 2026 filing, page 18
Other fees as filed, from pages 19–22. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Waxing the City publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
- Average revenue
- $478,025
- Median revenue
- $457,222
Yearly figures for 2025, covering franchised studios open all of 2025 (138 locations). The average is about 1 times the midpoint of the cost to open.
Sales are what a location takes in before rent, payroll, royalties and other costs, not what its owner keeps.
Source: Waxing the City Franchisor LLC, 2026 filing, pages 60–61
SBA loans to Waxing the City franchisees
Lenders approved 118 SBA 7(a) loans for Waxing the City franchisees from 2013 to 2026, $39.5M in all. Of the 48 that have ended, 40 were paid in full and 8 were charged off (16.7%). The other 70 haven’t ended yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2025 / 2023–2025. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Waxing the City | Typical salon brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | +11% / +26% | +4.6% / +15% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 9.9% / 27% | 2.7% / 7.2% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical salon brand is the median of the 42 brands in salon franchises with three years of counts.
How Waxing the City compares
Of the 101 salon franchises on this site, Waxing the City is the 63rd cheapest to open and the 19th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Waxing the City | Typical salon brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $340K | $303K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $646K | $531K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $43K | $45K | $40K |
| Royalty | 6% | 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Sales per location | $478K | $487K | $794K |
| US locations | 167 | 26 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 118 (+10) | 7 | – | – |
| 2022 | 133 (+15) | 6 | – | – |
| 2023 | 150 (+17) | 0 | +22 | −5 |
| 2024 | 151 (+1) | 0 | +17 | −16 |
| 2025 | 167 (+16) | 0 | +31 | −15 |
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.
Waxing the City passes four of the five tests on our list of the best franchises to own; more of its franchised locations closed or left than is typical.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Over 5 years, from the start of 2021 to the end of 2025, franchised locations went from 108 to 167 (+59, +55%). The earlier years come from the brand's 2024 filing.
Source: Waxing the City Franchisor LLC, 2026 filing, page 64
2021–2022: Waxing the City Franchisor LLC, 2024 filing, page 60
Where Waxing the City locations are
At the end of 2025, Waxing the City had franchised locations in 34 states and territories. The most are in Texas, Illinois and Colorado.
- Texas34
- Illinois10
- Colorado9
- Minnesota9
- New Jersey8
- Florida7
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| Texas | 34 |
| Illinois | 10 |
| Colorado | 9 |
| Minnesota | 9 |
| New Jersey | 8 |
| Florida | 7 |
| Georgia | 7 |
| North Carolina | 7 |
| Pennsylvania | 7 |
| California | 6 |
All 34 states
Source: Waxing the City Franchisor LLC, 2026 filing, page 66
Who owns Waxing the City?
Waxing the City franchises are sold by Waxing the City Franchisor LLC. It is a subsidiary of Purpose Brands Holdings, LLC.
Waxing the City is one of the 5 Purpose Brands franchises here. Roark Capital backs it alongside the founders. Purpose Brands was formed in 2024 when Orangetheory Fitness and Self Esteem Brands, the parent of Anytime Fitness, completed their merger.
From Waxing the City Franchisor LLC’s 2026 filing, page 9; PR Newswire.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on pages 14–15. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | No bankruptcy of the franchisor. It discloses that one or more of its executives led or worked at another company that went through bankruptcy. |
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: Waxing the City Franchisor LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on pages 14–15, bankruptcy on page 15
Waxing the City filings
A franchisor files a new disclosure each year it sells franchises. The figures on this page come from Waxing the City Franchisor LLC’s 2026 filing, issued March 31, 2026; the earlier ones below are on record with the Minnesota Department of Commerce and fill in older location counts.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | March 31, 2026 | Minnesota | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
| 2024 filing | – | Minnesota | Locations, 2021–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other salon franchises
All salon franchises
Waxing the City is also on these lists: spa franchises.
Other brands from Purpose Brands: Anytime Fitness, Basecamp Fitness, Orangetheory Fitness and The Bar Method. See all 5 in the finder