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    Franchise opportunities compared

    Great Clips 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.

    GCGreat Clips2025 FDDLemon Tree2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Great Clips

    $14,000 – $187,800

    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Lemon Tree

    $184,794 – $277,939

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 17

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Great Clips

    $20,000

    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 18

    Lemon Tree

    $35,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 10

    Royalty · Item 6

    Great Clips

    6%

    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 22

    Lemon Tree

    6%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11

    Before you compare

    • Great Clips figures come from its 2025 FDD and Lemon Tree figures from its 2026 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Great Clips discloses more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Great Clips: 23, Lemon Tree: 12). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Great Clips

    $14,000 – $187,800
    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Lemon Tree

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

    Great Clips

    $20,000
    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 18

    Lemon Tree

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

    Great Clips

    6%
    Continuing Franchise Fee
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 22

    Lemon Tree

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

    Great Clips

    $5,000
    Initial Advertising Contribution to MDAF
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 18

    Lemon Tree

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

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Great Clips

    4,439
    Outlets at end of 2024
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 69

    Lemon Tree

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

    Great Clips

    +12
    Calculated: 4,427 at end of 2022 → 4,439 at end of 2024

    Lemon Tree

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

    Great Clips

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Lemon Tree

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

    Great Clips

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Lemon Tree

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

    Great Clips

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Lemon Tree

    2009
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 1

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    GCGreat Clips
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Reporting 2024 Salons that provided sufficient data for the Average Operating C…
    $202,219
    other annual Labor
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 63
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Great Clips 2024 Salons in the United States and Canada that were eligible to b…
    $388,522
    other Service Sales average annual sales
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 62
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Great Clips 2024 Salons in the United States and Canada eligible to be open thr…
    $37,920
    other Total Sales lowest value
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 62
    +20 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.

    Great Clips vs Lemon Tree: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Great Clips or Lemon Tree?
    Great Clips: $14,000 – $187,800 (2025 FDD · Item 7); 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 Great Clips. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Great Clips and Lemon Tree royalties compare?
    Great Clips: 6% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 22); Lemon Tree: 6% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 11). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Which has more locations, Great Clips or Lemon Tree?
    Great Clips: 4,439 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 69); 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 Great Clips and Lemon Tree disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Great Clips has reviewed Item 19 figures for 23 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 Great Clips 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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