Franchise opportunities compared

    Palm Beach Tan® vs Sun Tan City

    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.

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Palm Beach Tan®

    $755,390 – $1,263,712

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22

    Sun Tan City

    $1,048,790 – $1,797,750

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Palm Beach Tan®

    $30,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 15

    Sun Tan City

    Not available

    Royalty · Item 6

    Palm Beach Tan®

    4% · percentage of Gross Sales; 4% for months 1-12, 5% for months 13-24, and 6% thereafter

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16

    Sun Tan City

    8% · New — 8%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Palm Beach Tan®: 4, Sun Tan City: 2). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Palm Beach Tan®

    $755,390 – $1,263,712
    TOTAL
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22

    Sun Tan City

    $1,048,790 – $1,797,750
    Total single-salon initial investment excluding real estate — lower estimate
    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Palm Beach Tan®

    $30,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 15

    Sun Tan City

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Palm Beach Tan®

    4% · percentage of Gross Sales; 4% for months 1-12, 5% for months 13-24, and 6% thereafter
    Royalty Fee
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16

    Sun Tan City

    8% · New — 8%
    Royalty
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Palm Beach Tan®

    2% of percentage of gross sales
    Advertising Fund
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16

    Sun Tan City

    2%
    National marketing fund contribution — current percentage of Gross Revenue — 2%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Palm Beach Tan®

    634
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 66

    Sun Tan City

    252
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 52
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Palm Beach Tan®

    −21
    Calculated: 655 at end of 2023 → 634 at end of 2025

    Sun Tan City

    −1
    Calculated: 253 at end of 2023 → 252 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Palm Beach Tan®

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Sun Tan City

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

    Palm Beach Tan®

    2001 for Palm Beach Tan locations; 2026 for Palm Beach Tan • Wellness locations
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 10

    Sun Tan City

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Palm Beach Tan®

    2001
    2026 FDD · Item 1 · PDF p. 10

    Sun Tan City

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Palm Beach Tan®
    Franchised (314 locations) — revenue
    $504,916
    median Total Revenues
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 64
    Franchised (324 locations) — revenue
    $549,415
    mean Total Revenues
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 64
    Company-owned (310 locations) — revenue — 310 Company-Owned Sample Locations -- comprised of 23 company-owned locations o…
    $524,160
    mean Total Revenues
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 61
    +1 more groups in the full report
    Sun Tan City
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 92 full-year company salons
    $360,969
    other 92 full-year company salons
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 50
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Franchised full-year salons; narrative154,table heading162
    3,488 sessions
    other Franchised full-year salons; narrative154,table heading162
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 51

    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.

    Palm Beach Tan® vs Sun Tan City: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Palm Beach Tan® or Sun Tan City?
    Palm Beach Tan®: $755,390 – $1,263,712 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22); Sun Tan City: $1,048,790 – $1,797,750 (2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 22). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Palm Beach Tan®. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Palm Beach Tan® and Sun Tan City royalties compare?
    Palm Beach Tan®: 4% · percentage of Gross Sales; 4% for months 1-12, 5% for months 13-24, and 6% thereafter (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 16); Sun Tan City: 8% · New — 8% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 14). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Which has more locations, Palm Beach Tan® or Sun Tan City?
    Palm Beach Tan®: 634 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 66); Sun Tan City: 252 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 52). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do Palm Beach Tan® and Sun Tan City disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Palm Beach Tan® has reviewed Item 19 figures for 4 location groups; Sun Tan City has reviewed Item 19 figures for 2 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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