FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · NEW JERSEY

Fantastic Sams franchise in New Jersey: what the public record shows

Franchisees of Fantastic Sams in New Jersey have taken 13 SBA loans since 1991 (average $153,307)— too few resolved loans in-state to publish a local failure rate (we require a resolved cohort, never extrapolate), so the brand's national rate of 22.1% is the better guide.

SBA loan outcomes · New Jerseyvs national

Loans in NJ

13

Resolved

8

Local charge-off

thin

National charge-off

22.1%

Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = NJ. Charge-off rate = charged-off ÷ (charged-off + paid-in-full); open loans excluded. A local rate is published only when the resolved cohort clears our floor of 30 loans.

Market density · New Jersey vs nationalDense market

Businesses in this industry

4,284

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

45.1

national 26.6

Versus the country

+70%

denser

Every business in Fantastic Sams's industry operating in New Jersey — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across 198 brand-state cells in our loan data, the densest quartile charges off at 5.6% versus 18.1% in the thinnest. A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.

Same-sector systems with SBA loan history in New Jersey10 systems
SystemLoans in NJLocal charge-offUnits in NJ
Hollywood Tans4115.2%
Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa300.0%
GREAT CLIPS2113.3%
European Wax Centers-Galleria180.0%
Amazing Lash Studio14thin17
Planet Beach11thin
SUPERCUTS8thin65
The Lash Lounge7thin
WAXING THE CITY7thin
SPAVIA5thin

Same sector, same state, same public records — how Fantastic Sams compares to the systems a buyer in New Jersey would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.

Before you sign anythingfree · 30 min · no commission

A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing Fantastic Sams's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.

Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →