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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Fantastic Sams Hair Salons vs Lemon Tree

    Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.

    Fantastic Sams Hair Salons2026 FDDLemon Tree2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Fantastic Sams Hair Salons

    $162,500 – $453,000

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 18

    Lemon Tree

    $184,794 – $277,939

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 17

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Fantastic Sams Hair Salons

    Not available

    Lemon Tree

    $35,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 10

    Royalty · Item 6

    Fantastic Sams Hair Salons

    Not available

    Lemon Tree

    6%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Fantastic Sams Hair Salons: 14, Lemon Tree: 12). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Fantastic Sams Hair Salons

    $162,500 – $453,000
    Total estimated initial investment lower estimate — $162,500
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 18

    Lemon Tree

    $184,794 – $277,939
    Total estimated initial investment
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 17
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Fantastic Sams Hair Salons

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Lemon Tree

    $35,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 10
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Fantastic Sams Hair Salons

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record

    Lemon Tree

    6%
    Continuing Royalty Fee percentage
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Fantastic Sams Hair Salons

    $147
    Current weekly National Advertising Fund fee — $147.49
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14

    Lemon Tree

    $135
    Brand Fund Contribution
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Fantastic Sams Hair Salons

    484
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 44

    Lemon Tree

    144
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 44
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Fantastic Sams Hair Salons

    −81
    Calculated: 565 at end of 2023 → 484 at end of 2025

    Lemon Tree

    +6
    Calculated: 138 at end of 2023 → 144 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Fantastic Sams Hair Salons

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Lemon Tree

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    Fantastic Sams Hair Salons

    1976
    From a verified franchisor listing

    Lemon Tree

    December 2009
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 1
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Fantastic Sams Hair Salons

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Lemon Tree

    2009
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 1

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Fantastic Sams Hair Salons
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Top Quartile of311 reporting salons
    $493,651
    other Top Quartile
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 43
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Second Quartile of311 reporting salons
    49 percent
    other Second Quartile
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 43
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Bottom Quartile of311 reporting salons
    $206,894
    other Bottom Quartile
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 43
    +11 more groups in the full report
    Lemon Tree
    Franchised (34 salons) — revenue and other measures
    $599,600
    median Gross Revenue
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 33
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 2025 franchised salons in Quartile 1
    $631,326
    other Quartile 1
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 40
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 2025 franchised salons in Quartile 2
    $362,796
    other Quartile 2
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 40
    +9 more groups in the full report

    Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.

    Fantastic Sams Hair Salons vs Lemon Tree: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Fantastic Sams Hair Salons or Lemon Tree?
    Fantastic Sams Hair Salons: $162,500 – $453,000 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 18); Lemon Tree: $184,794 – $277,939 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 17). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Fantastic Sams Hair Salons. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    Which has more locations, Fantastic Sams Hair Salons or Lemon Tree?
    Fantastic Sams Hair Salons: 484 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 44); Lemon Tree: 144 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 44). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Fantastic Sams Hair Salons and Lemon Tree disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Fantastic Sams Hair Salons has reviewed Item 19 figures for 14 location groups; Lemon Tree has reviewed Item 19 figures for 12 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

    Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

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    Full Fantastic Sams Hair Salons report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Full Lemon Tree report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

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