Sun Tan City Franchise Review 2026: Ratings & Verdict

Product details

Contents

Key facts


The Verdict

Quick Verdict · who it fits

Sun Tan City fits first-time franchise buyers looking for a mid-scale wellness concept.

✓ Strengths

Key FDD Facts

The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.

Initial investment (Item 7)

$1.0M - $1.8M

Franchise fee (Item 5)

$30K

Royalty (Item 6)

8% + 2% ad

Item 19 median rev

$587k franchised salons in operation for entire 12-month period

System size (Item 20)

156

Years in business

19+ yrs

Company-owned units

96

Model Sun Tan City's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.

Data extracted from the 2026 FDD filed with state regulators. Fees and terms may have changed since filing — request the current FDD from the franchisor before deciding. Not legal, financial, or investment advice. Full disclaimer.

What you'd pay the franchisor

Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 8% + ad fund 2% on gross sales.

PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$590,000

$100k$2M

Royalty (8%)

Ad fund (2%)

Total / year

▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration

Executive Summary

Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.

Key Numbers

252

Total units open

7 franchised units, 6 company-owned units

Units opened last year

7 franchised units ceased operations; 0 company-owned closures

Units closed last year

-1 unit

Net unit growth

net decline across system

AI Due Diligence Findings PREMIUM

What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.

4

Risks to review

3

Strengths identified

4

Questions to ask

Industry Benchmarks

How Sun Tan City ranks against 89 Health & Beauty peers we've analyzed.

Initial investment

97th pct · of 89 peers

Franchise fee

7th pct · of 89 peers

System size

70th pct · of 89 peers

Health & Beauty industry averages

Avg investment

$374K - $727K

Avg franchise fee

$48K

Avg system size

268

Franchises analyzed

89

How Sun Tan City stacks up

Closest concepts by category and investment.

Brand Item 19 Fee Investment Royalty Units
Sun Tan City Disclosed $30K $1.0M - $1.8M 8% 156
Suite ManagementSimilar price Disclosed $50K $995K - $1.8M 2.75–5.5% 320
Great ClipsBiggest system Disclosed $20K $188K - $420K 6% 4,441
MiniluxeTop-rated in category Disclosed $50K $558K - $990K 6% 2

Compare side-by-side ↗

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Sun Tan City franchise cost?

Sun Tan City requires a $30,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $1,048,790–$1,797,750, per the most recent FDD on file.

Who owns Sun Tan City?

Sun Tan City is franchised by STC Franchising, LLC, the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the franchisor's corporate history, parents, and predecessors.

Does Sun Tan City disclose financial performance (Item 19)?

Yes. Sun Tan City discloses Item 19 financial performance representations with reported revenue around $587,086. See the financials sub-page for the full distribution.

What ongoing fees does Sun Tan City charge?

Franchisees pay a royalty of 8% of Gross Revenue and an advertising fund contribution of 2.0% on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.

How many Sun Tan City locations are there?

As of their 2026 FDD, Sun Tan City has 156 total locations. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.

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