SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · CALIFORNIA
GREAT CLIPS franchise in California: what the public record shows
Franchisees of GREAT CLIPS in California have taken 65 SBA loans since 1991 (average $126,550), and of the 57 loans whose story has ended, 14.0% were charged off — versus 5.0% for GREAT CLIPS nationally and 14.8% across all rateable franchise brands.
Loans in CA
65
Resolved
57
Local charge-off
14.0%
National charge-off
5.0%
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = CA. 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.
Businesses in this industry
9,298
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
23.6
national 26.6
Versus the country
-11%
thinner
Every business in GREAT CLIPS's industry operating in California — 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.
| System | Loans in CA | Local charge-off | Units in CA |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Wax Centers-Galleria | 49 | 3.1% | — |
| Fantastic Sams | 47 | 17.9% | — |
| Planet Beach | 35 | 62.5% | — |
| SUPERCUTS | 32 | 0.0% | 318 |
| Amazing Lash Studio | 29 | 22.7% | 34 |
| The Lash Lounge | 15 | thin | — |
| 18/8 Fine Men'S Salons | 13 | 0.0% | — |
| Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa | 10 | thin | — |
| THE NOW | 9 | thin | — |
| Elements Therapeutic Massage | 8 | thin | — |
| Hollywood Tans | 8 | thin | — |
| WAXING THE CITY | 8 | thin | — |
Same sector, same state, same public records — how GREAT CLIPS compares to the systems a buyer in California would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing GREAT CLIPS's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →