Franchise Facts Report → compare → Smartstyle vs Buff City Soap
Smartstyle vs Buff City Soap
Two beauty & personal care franchises, compared on the numbers their own Franchise Disclosure Documents put on record — investment, fees, Item 19 earnings, outlet churn, and litigation. Not marketing copy.
| Smartstyle | Buff City Soap | |
|---|---|---|
| Total initial investment FDD Item 7 | $184,440 – $336,340 | $383,292 – $956,024 |
| Initial franchise fee FDD Item 5 | $39,500 | — |
| Royalty FDD Item 6 | — | 6% |
| Item 19 earnings disclosed FDD Item 19 | Not disclosed | Yes |
| Avg unit revenue (headline) FDD Item 19 | — | $422,306 |
| Franchised outlets FDD Item 20 | 911 | 222 |
| Net outlet change (latest yr) FDD Item 20 | -166 | -29 |
| Closure rate FDD Item 20 | 4.3% | — |
| Franchisee lawsuits FDD Item 3 | disclosed | — |
| Risk level our read | High | Medium |
| FDD year registration | 2025 | 2026 |
Are Smartstyle and Buff City Soap the same company?
No — Smartstyle and Buff City Soap are franchised by separate companies. Smartstyle's franchisor is THE BARBERS, HAIRSTYLING FOR MEN & WOMEN, INC.; Buff City Soap's is BUFF CITY SOAP FRANCHISING, LLC. Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
Cost to open
Smartstyle is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $184,440 – $336,340, against $383,292 – $956,024 for Buff City Soap.
How much does each make? (Item 19)
Only Buff City Soap disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation (headline average unit revenue $422,306), while Smartstyle's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Closures & failure rate
Smartstyle reports 911 franchised outlets, net change -166 in the latest reported year, a 4.3% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Buff City Soap reports 222 franchised outlets, net change -29 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20). Outlet churn — closures, terminations, non-renewals — is the closest thing an FDD has to a failure rate.
Litigation
Smartstyle discloses litigation in FDD Item 3 (each case is described there). Buff City Soap's Item 3 could not be read from its filing, so we make no claim either way.
Deciding between Smartstyle and Buff City Soap?
See what else fits before you choose. Tell us your budget and state and we'll send you the 5–10 beauty & personal care franchises (or any industries you pick) with the strongest FDD record for it.
Smartstyle vs Buff City Soap — frequently asked
Are Smartstyle and Buff City Soap the same company?
No — Smartstyle and Buff City Soap are franchised by separate companies. Smartstyle's franchisor is THE BARBERS, HAIRSTYLING FOR MEN & WOMEN, INC.; Buff City Soap's is BUFF CITY SOAP FRANCHISING, LLC. Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
What is the difference between Smartstyle and Buff City Soap?
Smartstyle and Buff City Soap are beauty & personal care franchises from different franchisors (THE BARBERS, HAIRSTYLING FOR MEN & WOMEN, INC. and BUFF CITY SOAP FRANCHISING, LLC). Smartstyle is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $184,440 – $336,340, against $383,292 – $956,024 for Buff City Soap. Only Buff City Soap disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation (headline average unit revenue $422,306), while Smartstyle's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Is Smartstyle more profitable than Buff City Soap?
Only Buff City Soap disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation (headline average unit revenue $422,306), while Smartstyle's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Which is cheaper to open — Smartstyle or Buff City Soap?
Smartstyle is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $184,440 – $336,340, against $383,292 – $956,024 for Buff City Soap.
Is Smartstyle or Buff City Soap growing faster?
Smartstyle reports 911 franchised outlets, net change -166 in the latest reported year, a 4.3% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Buff City Soap reports 222 franchised outlets, net change -29 in the latest reported year (FDD Item 20).
Go deeper on each brand
Beauty & personal care rankings
Figures are as disclosed in each brand's most recent registered FDD (Smartstyle 2025, Buff City Soap 2026). “—” means the FDD does not disclose it or the table did not parse cleanly — never an estimate.