Category guide

Health and wellness franchise finance

Sales per unit$301,291 to $2,711,439

Franchise fees2.5% to 11.6% of sales

Cost to open$47,870 to $2,022,969

Brands compared35

Units reporting3,534

Building costs range9.68%–11.3%

Fees paid to the brand2.54%–11.58%

Salon suite, hair, lash, waxing and tanning brands also have their own guide: Beauty franchise finance.

By Scott Engler · Averan Advisors · Source: the 2026 FDDs of thirty-five health and wellness brands · Updated 16 October 2026

Find a health and wellness brand

This guide covers thirty-five brands, each from its own 2026 FDD. Open one, or pick two and compare them.

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Top performers

These are the things that separate top performers in health and wellness

Across the health and wellness brands that publish both figures, the median top group of locations sells $1,476,447 a year and the median bottom group sells $480,552. Across these brands, a median of 42.95% of locations reach their own brand’s average.

Decided before you open

Opening cost against sales.The top group sells $1,476,447 a year against a build that tops out at $2,022,969, so at the heavy end of the range a location sells $0.73 for every dollar it cost to open.
Rent as a share of sales.Occupancy runs 10.6% of sales at the middle brand, which on median sales of $714,330 is $75,719 of rent a year. That same $75,719 is 5.1% of sales at the top group and 15.8% at the bottom. Top-group locations put more sales through the same square footage, with longer earning hours, a second daypart, and a site picked for traffic.

Live operating levers

Twenty-six of the thirty-five brands here sell a membership.
Business model attribute
Service
Monthly memberships
Unit economics
Members times monthly dues, less members lost
Twelve of the thirty-five brands here can widen what they sell without widening the building.
Business model attribute
Service
Retail or higher service tiers
Unit economics
Sales per room per hour
Fourteen of the thirty-five brands here publish how a new location builds up.
Business model attribute
Service
The FDD’s month-by-month build-up of a new location
Unit economics
Months until sales cover costs
Nine of the thirty-five brands here sell gift cards in volume.
Business model attribute
Service
Gift cards paid for before the service
Unit economics
Gift card sales, counted as revenue when redeemed
Wages by brand.Wages run 34.9% of sales at the middle brand and 20.8% to 50.3% across the four that disclose it. The levers are scheduling against booked demand hour by hour, sales per paid hour, and keeping part of pay variable. On the top group’s $1,476,447 of sales, a point of wages are $14,764 a year; on the bottom group’s $480,552 it is $4,806.
Cost of goods by brand.Products and materials take 27.4% of sales at the middle brand, 9.3% to 33.6% across the three that disclose it. The levers on this line are buying on the brand program, holding the price list instead of discounting to close, and counting waste weekly.
Profit margin.Of the six brands that publish a profit line, the middle one keeps 19.1% of sales, from 16.2% to 35.6%. The cost lines above move by a few points between the highest-selling and lowest-selling locations while sales move by multiples. At a 19.1% margin, the top group earns $282,740 a year and the bottom group $92,026.
Fees as a share of sales.Fees run a median 9.0% of sales across twenty-six brands, from 2.5% to 11.6%. Where a minimum applies, lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. At $1,476,447 the fees cost $132,880 a year; at $480,552 they cost $43,250.

Context you underwrite around

First-year build-up.Fourteen of thirty-five filings in this category show how a new location builds up. The others do not show it.
Brands without sales bands.Nine brands publish no sales bands.

Compare these brands side by side →

The model

The business model the top performers in health and wellness are running

What the top performers can do that others cannot

Twenty-six of the thirty-five brands here sell a membership. Two of them run a recurring plan, and turning a first visit into a standing arrangement is a skill in itself. Rostering against demand is the constraint: wages run 34.9% of sales at the middle brand, more than any other line. Nine sell gift cards in volume, which brings cash in months before the service is delivered.

What the customer is buying

The customer buys a plan they pay for monthly whether they show up or not. At four of them the model is different: the customer buys a service booked when it is needed, which asks something else of the owner. A location at the middle brand sells $714,330 a year; the top group sells $1,476,447. The offer is the same at both ends of that range, so the difference is volume. The product is the same. At twelve of them the top performers widen the offer and keep the same building. Retail and higher service tiers raise what an hour earns without adding an hour.

Who the customer is, and how often they come back

This is a retention business. The money is made in the second year of a customer, not the first month, so the number that decides the year is how many stay. Among the health and wellness brands that publish it, a median 42.95% of locations reach their own brand’s average. The top group sells $1,476,447 against $480,552 at the bottom. Trade area and site set that range before an owner takes a booking.

How the money works

Opening costs $47,870 to $2,022,969 across the category, and inside one brand the top of the range is typically 1.8 times the bottom. At the middle brand the cost stack runs wages 34.9%, occupancy 10.6%, cost of sales 27.4%, franchise fees 9.0% of sales. What is left runs 19.1% at the middle brand, which is $282,740 a year at the top group and $92,026 at the bottom. The percentage changes little between them; the dollars change a lot. Cash and earned revenue arrive in different periods here, so the cash forecast matters more than the profit line in any given month. Fourteen of these brands publish how a new location builds up, so the first year can be read out of the document instead of guessed at.

Building costs take 9.68% to 11.3% of revenue at the five service brands that disclose them. Sales per unit across the thirty-five brands runs from $301,291 to $2,711,439. Woodhouse Spa bills 4.8 times what The Joint Chiropractic bills, and its building cost is 9.68% of sales against 11.3% at The Joint Chiropractic.

Health and wellness franchises at a glance

Averan Franchise compares thirty-five health and wellness franchise brands, each from its own 2026 FDD.
The cost to open a health and wellness franchise runs from $47,870 at Merle Norman Cosmetics to $2,022,969 at Woodhouse Spa.
Woodhouse Spa reports the highest average sales of these brands, at $2,711,439, and Clean Your Dirty Face the lowest, at $301,291.
Franchise fees take 2.54% to 11.58% of sales across the twenty-six brands where Averan Franchise works out the figure.

These figures come from each brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, as the brand reported them, and were read by Averan Advisors.

Building costs run 9.68% to 11.3% of revenue at the five service brands that disclose them. The five service brands average $563,514 at The Joint Chiropractic to $2,711,439 at Woodhouse Spa a unit.
Six of the thirty-five brands disclose a profit figure, and they run 16.2% to 35.6%. The Joint Chiropractic is at the bottom and Degree Wellness at the top. The median of the six is 19.1%.
The median unit bills less than the average unit at nineteen of the twenty-one brands that publish both. The median runs 93.4% of the average at the typical brand *.
The fees paid to the brand run 2.54% to 11.58% of revenue, and a fixed minimum sets the fee at Upgrade Labs. Upgrade Labs’ 14.5% headline with its local advertising arrives only at $900,000 of sales and reads 21.0% at $300,000.
Opening a unit costs 0.23 to 1.13 times a year of its own brand’s average revenue. The median is 0.53 *, which is about 6 months of sales to build the thing that produces them.

By type of business.

Recovery, sauna and cryo 9 brandsbeem Light Sauna · Pause Studio · Perspire Sauna Studio · Restore Hyper Wellness · Stretch Zone · StretchLab · StretchMed · SweatHouz · Upgrade Labs
Massage and facial 6 brandsElements Massage · Hand & Stone · Heights Wellness Retreat · Massage Envy · MassageLuXe · The NOW Massage
Med spa and aesthetics 7 brands4Ever Young · dermani MEDSPA · Hydrate IV · Live Hydration Spa · Prime IV Hydration · Serotonin · VIO Med Spa
Day spa 2 brandsSpavia · Woodhouse Spa
Other 1 brandThe Joint Chiropractic

Every brand in this guide

The costs that never change

What the room costs.

Building costs as a share of revenue, at the five brands that disclose it, as the brand reported it by each brand
Brand	What they disclose	Building costs	Average revenue
Woodhouse Spa	Rent and occupancy cost	9.68%	$2,711,439
Hand & Stone	Rent	10.0%	$1,402,246
Degree Wellness	Rent and lease	11.2%	$601,389
Heights Wellness Retreat	Rent	11.27%	$1,090,390
The Joint Chiropractic	Rent	11.3%	$563,514

As the brand reported it by each brand.

The five service brands that disclose a building cost run from 9.68% at Woodhouse Spa to 11.3% at The Joint Chiropractic. Those five brands average $563,514 a unit at The Joint Chiropractic and $2,711,439 at Woodhouse Spa, a gap of 4.8 times. The building-cost gap between the five is 1.62 points. For an owner, a building cost above about 12% of realistic mature revenue means the site is working against the unit whatever the concept.

The 9.68% to 11.3% range describes mature units. Every figure in the table comes from a brand's reporting population, which skews to units past their build-up. A unit in year one pays the same rent against a fraction of the revenue. That is why fourteen of these thirty-five brands publish a ramp curve, and why the build-up is the part of the model to stress-test hardest.

What the people cost.

Labor as a share of revenue, at the three brands that disclose it, as the brand reported it by each brand
Brand	What they disclose	Figure	Average revenue
Hand & Stone	Wages	50.3%	$1,402,246
The Joint Chiropractic	Wages	47.9%	$563,514
Degree Wellness	Payroll	21.8%	$601,389

As the brand reported it by each brand, and the definitions are the whole caution.

Where the practitioner performs the service, wages run around half the dollar. That is 50.3% at Hand & Stone and 47.9% at The Joint, on revenue differing by 2.5 times. Add the 9.68% to 11.3% building cost range of the service brands and roughly 60% of revenue is spoken for before franchise fees take their 2.54% to 11.58%. That is the arithmetic behind a category whose disclosed profit figures start at 16.2%.

What is left.

The six brands that disclose a profit figure, as the brand reported it by each brand
Brand	Figure	Average revenue	What the measure is
Degree Wellness	35.6%	$601,389	Owner-operator income at three affiliate studios, after the brand’s modelled 7% royalty and 1% fund
HB Wellness	32.49%	$503,681	Adjusted EBITDA at the one company-owned shop, after the royalty and local marketing a franchisee would pay
Woodhouse Spa	20.7%	$2,711,439	Operating profit
Spavia	17.6%	n/a	Operating profit
Hydrate IV	17.5%	$655,781	Operating profit
The Joint Chiropractic	16.2%	$563,514	Operating profit

As the brand reported it by each brand.

Six of the thirty-five brands publish what a unit earns. The other twenty-nine publish revenue and stop. That is the most important thing to know before comparing brands in this category. For the other twenty-nine, the only profit figure available is the one an owner builds from the franchise fees, a 9.68% to 11.3% building cost and a wages assumption near half of sales.

The median of the six profit figures is 19.1% and the minimum is 16.2%. The six run from 16.2% at The Joint Chiropractic to 35.6% at Degree Wellness.

Sales

The average overstates the typical unit at nearly every brand.

At nineteen of the twenty-one brands that publish both, the median unit bills less than the average unit. The median runs 93.4% of the average at the typical brand *, so a unit hitting the published average is already above the middle of its own system. The three widest gaps are Prime IV Hydration at 74.6%, Hydrate IV at 77.6% and StretchMed at 87.5%. The two exceptions are SweatHouz and 4Ever Young, both at 105.3%, where the median sits above the mean.

Use the median for a target and the average for a comparison. A franchisor's average is the number in the brochure and the number every other franchisee is measured against. The median is the number half the system beats. Where the two differ by 20 points, as at Prime IV Hydration, the average is describing a handful of very high-selling units.

How apart the units are inside one brand.

Top group against bottom group at each brand that reports both, as the brand reported it by each brand
Brand	Concept	Top	Bottom	Ratio	Basis
Prime IV Hydration	IV drip and hormone therapy center	$3,317,033	$61,147	54.25×	Highest and lowest single unit
Live Hydration Spa	IV drip and wellness spa	$1,102,370	$91,286	12.08×	Highest and lowest single unit
Hydrate IV	IV drip and vitamin injection bar	$1,669,363	$245,867	6.79×	Band or quartile averages
VIO Med Spa	Medical aesthetics / med spa	$2,320,621	$472,854	4.91×	Band or quartile averages
Heights Wellness Retreat	Membership massage and wellness retreat	$2,248,378	$469,795	4.79×	Band or quartile averages
4Ever Young	Anti-aging and hormone therapy clinic	$3,215,000	$807,000	3.98×	Band or quartile averages
Spavia	Day spa	$2,071,431	$563,990	3.67×	Band or quartile averages
Hand & Stone	Massage and facial spa	$2,390,658	$666,122	3.59×	Band or quartile averages
Stretch Zone	Practitioner-assisted stretching studio	$492,452	$154,868	3.18×	Band or quartile averages
Serotonin	Anti-aging and wellness center	$1,841,335	$587,892	3.13×	Highest and lowest single unit
Woodhouse Spa	Luxury day spa	$4,178,778	$1,353,204	3.09×	Band or quartile averages
SweatHouz	Sauna and contrast therapy studio	$1,534,517	$506,590	3.03×	Highest and lowest single unit
The Joint Chiropractic	Cash-pay chiropractic clinic	$892,063	$307,458	2.90×	Band or quartile averages
Pure Sweat Studios	Sauna and contrast therapy studio	$818,196	$294,697	2.78×	Highest and lowest single unit
Massage Envy	Massage and skincare spa	$1,879,331	$678,916	2.77×	Band or quartile averages
MassageLuXe	Massage and facial spa	$1,342,857	$488,251	2.75×	Band or quartile averages
StretchLab	Assisted stretching studio	$776,614	$288,485	2.69×	Band or quartile averages
StretchMed	Assisted stretching studio	$456,057	$181,027	2.52×	Band or quartile averages
Elements Massage	Therapeutic massage and skincare studio	$1,437,351	$613,375	2.34×	Band or quartile averages
Restore Hyper Wellness	Recovery and hyper wellness studio	$1,515,543	$647,742	2.34×	Band or quartile averages
Perspire Sauna Studio	Infrared sauna studio	$705,823	$307,142	2.30×	Band or quartile averages
Pause Studio	Recovery and wellness studio	$1,051,798	$469,515	2.24×	Band or quartile averages
The NOW Massage	Boutique massage studio	$1,687,731	$900,818	1.87×	Band or quartile averages
Degree Wellness	Recovery and self-care studio	$701,377	$521,743	1.34×	Highest and lowest single unit

As the brand reported it by each brand, with the ratio marked *.

On a group-to-group basis the top group bills 1.87 to 6.79 times the bottom group, with a median of 2.83 across eighteen brands. The honest expectation in this category is that the top quarter of a system bills about 3 times the bottom quarter. The NOW Massage at 1.87 and Pause Studio at 2.24 have the tightest groups, which means the model does more of the work there than the operator does.

The intravenous therapy concepts are the widest in the category. Prime IV Hydration runs $3,317,033 against $61,147 and Live Hydration Spa $1,102,370 against $91,286, both reporting every location, so both are single-unit extremes. Hydrate IV reports groups and still lands at 6.79 times, the widest group-basis figure here. A category where the same treatment menu produces a twelvefold revenue difference is a category where the operator, the site and the local market matter more than the brand does.

Average sales per unit runs from $301,291 at Clean Your Dirty Face to $2,711,439 at Woodhouse Spa, a factor of 9.0. The median of the twenty-five brands that publish an average is $714,330. High sales per unit tracks high capital. Woodhouse Spa costs $1,336,897 to $2,022,969 to build and Clean Your Dirty Face costs $131,797 to $333,847. The question worth asking of any brand in this guide is what it returns per dollar invested.

Fees and the money needed

The franchise fees, cheapest first.

Initial fee, royalty, advertising fund, required local spend, technology fee and the total rate on sales, as the brand reported it by each brand
Brand	Initial fee	Royalty	Ad fund	Local spend	Technology a month	Paid to the brand
dermani MEDSPA	$55,000	5%	0.25%	n/a	$300	5.25%
Hand & Stone	$49,500	6%	1%	4%	$726	7%
VIO Med Spa	$50,000	6%	1.5%	6%	n/a	7.5%
Woodhouse Spa	$60,000	6%	1.75%	1.75%	$550	7.75%
Pause Studio	$60,000	7%	1%	n/a	$800	8%
StretchMed	n/a	6%	2%	n/a	n/a	8%
Degree Wellness	$49,500	7%	1%	$2,500 a month	n/a	8%
Pure Sweat Studios	$45,000	6%	1%	Greater of 1% or $1,500 a month	$665	8.57%
Perspire Sauna Studio	$50,000	7%	2%	n/a	$1,080	9%
Serotonin	$59,000	7%	2%	n/a	$1,900	9%
Heights Wellness Retreat	$59,500	6%	3%	3%	$995	9%
The Joint Chiropractic	$39,900	7%	2%	5%	$599	9%
Prime IV Hydration	n/a	7%	1%	5%	$639	9.24%
Live Hydration Spa	$57,500	7.5%	2%	n/a	$704	9.5%
Upgrade Labs	$65,000	7.5%	2%	5%	n/a	9.5%
Restore Hyper Wellness	$44,500	7%	2%	2%	$600	9.7%
SweatHouz	$45,000	8%	3%	n/a	$1,250	11%
Stretch Zone	n/a	7%	2%	n/a	$385	11.13%
Elements Massage	n/a	6%	2%	2%	$600	11.18%
StretchLab	n/a	8%	2%	2%	n/a	11.58%
beem Light Sauna	$65,000	8%	2%	n/a	$550	n/a

As the brand reported it by each brand.

Fees paid to the brand run from 2.54% at Skin Experts by Brentwood Spa to 11.58% at StretchLab, with a median of 9.0% across the twenty-six brands with a figure. dermani MEDSPA at 5.25% and The Joint Chiropractic at 9.0% both run a clinic selling repeat appointments. The Joint Chiropractic's fees take 3.75 points more of sales than dermani MEDSPA's. On a $600,000 unit that difference is $22,500 a year.

Royalty alone runs 5% at dermani MEDSPA to 8% at SweatHouz, with a median of 7.0% across the twenty-one brands that set it as a share of sales. Ten of the twenty-one brands in the table also require a local advertising spend, from 1.75% at Woodhouse Spa to 6% at VIO Med Spa, and 2% is the most common figure. Technology fees run $300 to $1,900 a month, which is $3,600 to $22,800 a year, with a median of $7,824 a year. With those added, the all-in load at several brands sits four or five points above the published royalty.

A flat technology fee costs a small unit a larger share of its sales. The median technology fee of $652 a month is 1.1% of sales at the median brand's $714,330 and 2.6% at Clean Your Dirty Face's $301,291. Serotonin charges the highest technology fee at $1,900 a month, which is $22,800 a year. Wherever a brand's fee schedule is mostly flat charges, the effective rate climbs as sales fall.

What it costs to build.

The cost to open runs from $47,870 at Merle Norman Cosmetics to $2,022,969 at Woodhouse Spa, a factor of 42.3. Measured against what the unit produces, the low end of each brand's own range runs 0.23 to 1.13 times a year of that brand's average revenue, with a median of 0.53 * across the twenty-five brands that publish an average.

The four lowest builds against sales are at Hand & Stone, Prime IV Hydration, The NOW Massage and 4Ever Young. Hand & Stone builds for 0.23 times its average revenue, Prime IV Hydration for 0.30, The NOW Massage for 0.36 and 4Ever Young for 0.36 *. The four highest are Pure Sweat Studios at 1.13 times, Pause Studio at 1.06, Serotonin at 0.88 and Heights Wellness Retreat at 0.86.

Fourteen of the thirty-five brands disclose a ramp and fourteen offer a company comparison. Those are the two most useful disclosures a franchisor can make, and fewer than half of the brands in this category make either one. A brand that shows what a unit bills in year one and what its own company units bill answers two questions an owner would otherwise have to guess at.

Operating levers

What each brand’s top performers actually work on

These are the levers each brand's filing supports. Each brand has three to five, read from its own 2026 FDD. Filter by type of business, or open a brand for the figures underneath.

35 brands

4Ever Young

Med spa and aesthetics

Accounts. Accounts bill year after year. Track how many you keep as well as how many you win.
Memberships and rebooking. A recurring plan turns appointments into a monthly subscription and keeps the schedule fuller. Rebooking before the customer leaves keeps it full.
Cash needed in the first year. This filing shows how a new location builds up: the month sales cover costs, and how much cash you fund before then.

beem Light Sauna

Recovery, sauna and cryo

Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Fees and the minimum. A minimum fee applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.

Clean Your Dirty Face

Massage and facial

Fees. Fees run about 8.8% of sales. No minimum royalty applies, so the charge rises and falls with sales.
Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Visits. Track how many visits happen, what each one is worth, and how many customers book the next one before they leave.

Degree Wellness

Recovery, sauna and cryo

Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Wages. Wages take 21.8% of sales. The levers are staff productivity, scheduling against demand hour by hour, and the balance of base pay to commission.
Occupancy cost. Rent and building costs take 11.2% of sales here. The rent is fixed when the lease is signed, so this share falls only as sales per square foot rise.
Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 8.0% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.
Cash needed in the first year. This filing shows how a new location builds up: the month sales cover costs, and how much cash you fund before then.

dermani MEDSPA

Med spa and aesthetics

Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 5.2% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.

Elements Massage

Massage and facial

Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Gift cards. Gift cards are sold before the service is delivered, and sales peak around the holidays. A gift card is deferred revenue until it is redeemed, so cash and earned revenue arrive in different periods.
Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 11.2% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.

Hand & Stone

Massage and facial

Wages. Wages take 50.3% of sales. The levers are staff productivity, scheduling against demand hour by hour, and the balance of base pay to commission.
Occupancy cost. Rent and building costs take 10.0% of sales here. The rent is fixed when the lease is signed, so this share falls only as sales per square foot rise.
Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Gift cards. Gift cards are sold before the service is delivered, and sales peak around the holidays. A gift card is deferred revenue until it is redeemed, so cash and earned revenue arrive in different periods.
Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 7.0% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.

HB Wellness

Other

Fees. Fees run about 5.0% of sales. No minimum royalty applies, so the charge rises and falls with sales.
Products and materials. Products and materials take 27.4% of sales, against 32.5% kept at the end. The levers are buying terms, price discipline and waste.
Wages. Wages take 20.8% of sales, against 32.5% kept at the end. The levers are staff productivity, scheduling against demand hour by hour, and the balance of base pay to commission.
Occupancy cost. Rent and building costs take 7.4% of sales here. The rent is fixed when the lease is signed, so this share falls only as sales per square foot rise.

Heights Wellness Retreat

Massage and facial

Occupancy cost. Rent and building costs take 11.3% of sales. Sales per square foot and the hours the space is earning are the only two ways to move it, since the rent itself is fixed at signing.
Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Service and retail mix. Retail sales and the share of customers on higher service tiers raise revenue per hour without adding hours or rooms.
Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 9.0% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.
Cash needed in the first year. This filing shows how a new location builds up: the month sales cover costs, and how much cash you fund before then.

Hydrate IV

Med spa and aesthetics

Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.

Live Hydration Spa

Med spa and aesthetics

Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Service and retail mix. Retail sales and the share of customers on higher service tiers raise revenue per hour without adding hours or rooms.
Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 9.5% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.

Massage Envy

Massage and facial

Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Gift cards. Gift cards are sold before the service is delivered, and sales peak around the holidays. A gift card is deferred revenue until it is redeemed, so cash and earned revenue arrive in different periods.
Service and retail mix. Retail sales and the share of customers on higher service tiers raise revenue per hour without adding hours or rooms.
Cash needed in the first year. This filing shows how a new location builds up: the month sales cover costs, and how much cash you fund before then.

MassageLuXe

Massage and facial

Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Service and retail mix. Retail sales and the share of customers on higher service tiers raise revenue per hour without adding hours or rooms.
Cash needed in the first year. This filing shows how a new location builds up: the month sales cover costs, and how much cash you fund before then.

Merle Norman Cosmetics

Other

Fees and the minimum. The brand’s charges are set dollar amounts, so they take a larger share of sales at lower-selling locations.
Service and retail mix. Retail sales and the share of customers on higher service tiers raise revenue per hour without adding hours or rooms.
Gift cards. Gift cards are sold before the service is delivered, and sales peak around the holidays. A gift card is deferred revenue until it is redeemed, so cash and earned revenue arrive in different periods.

Nowlogy Clinic

Other

Fees and the minimum. The brand’s charges are set dollar amounts, so they take a larger share of sales at lower-selling locations.
Sales depend on patient visits. The clinic is open set hours, so the owner works on how many visits fit into them and what each visit collects.

P3 Recovery

Recovery, sauna and cryo

Fees and the minimum. The brand’s charges are set dollar amounts, so they take a larger share of sales at lower-selling locations.
Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.

Pause Studio

Recovery, sauna and cryo

Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Gift cards. Gift cards are sold before the service is delivered, and sales peak around the holidays. A gift card is deferred revenue until it is redeemed, so cash and earned revenue arrive in different periods.
Service and retail mix. Retail sales and the share of customers on higher service tiers raise revenue per hour without adding hours or rooms.
Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 8.0% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.

Perspire Sauna Studio

Recovery, sauna and cryo

Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Gift cards. Gift cards are sold before the service is delivered, and sales peak around the holidays. A gift card is deferred revenue until it is redeemed, so cash and earned revenue arrive in different periods.
Service and retail mix. Retail sales and the share of customers on higher service tiers raise revenue per hour without adding hours or rooms.
Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 9.0% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.

Prime IV Hydration

Med spa and aesthetics

Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 9.2% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.
Cash needed in the first year. This filing shows how a new location builds up: the month sales cover costs, and how much cash you fund before then.

Pure Sweat Studios

Recovery, sauna and cryo

Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 8.6% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.

Regal Nails Salon & Spa

Other

Fees and the minimum. The brand’s charges are set dollar amounts, so they take a larger share of sales at lower-selling locations.
Visits. Track how many visits happen, what each one is worth, and how many customers book the next one before they leave.

Restore Hyper Wellness

Recovery, sauna and cryo

Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 9.7% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.
Cash needed in the first year. This filing shows how a new location builds up: the month sales cover costs, and how much cash you fund before then.

Serotonin

Med spa and aesthetics

Sales depend on treatment courses. Customers buy a course of several visits, so the owner works on how many courses start, how many are finished, and what a course is priced at.
Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 9.0% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.
Cash needed in the first year. This filing shows how a new location builds up: the month sales cover costs, and how much cash you fund before then.

Skin Experts by Brentwood Spa

Other

Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 2.5% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.
Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Service and retail mix. Retail sales and the share of customers on higher service tiers raise revenue per hour without adding hours or rooms.
Visits. Track how many visits happen, what each one is worth, and how many customers book the next one before they leave.

Spavia

Day spa

Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Gift cards. Gift cards are sold before the service is delivered, and sales peak around the holidays. A gift card is deferred revenue until it is redeemed, so cash and earned revenue arrive in different periods.
Service and retail mix. Retail sales and the share of customers on higher service tiers raise revenue per hour without adding hours or rooms.

Stretch Zone

Recovery, sauna and cryo

Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 11.1% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.

StretchLab

Recovery, sauna and cryo

Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Service and retail mix. Retail sales and the share of customers on higher service tiers raise revenue per hour without adding hours or rooms.
Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 11.6% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.
Cash needed in the first year. This filing shows how a new location builds up: the month sales cover costs, and how much cash you fund before then.

StretchMed

Recovery, sauna and cryo

Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 8.0% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.
Cash needed in the first year. This filing shows how a new location builds up: the month sales cover costs, and how much cash you fund before then.

SweatHouz

Recovery, sauna and cryo

Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 11.0% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.
Cash needed in the first year. This filing shows how a new location builds up: the month sales cover costs, and how much cash you fund before then.

The Joint Chiropractic

Clinics and medical services

Wages. Wages take 47.9% of sales, against 16.2% kept at the end. The levers are staff productivity, scheduling against demand hour by hour, and the balance of base pay to commission.
Occupancy cost. Rent and building costs take 11.3% of sales here. The rent is fixed when the lease is signed, so this share falls only as sales per square foot rise.
Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 9.0% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.
Cash needed in the first year. This filing shows how a new location builds up: the month sales cover costs, and how much cash you fund before then.

The NOW Massage

Massage and facial

Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Cash needed in the first year. This filing shows how a new location builds up: the month sales cover costs, and how much cash you fund before then.

Townhouse

Other

Fees and the minimum. The brand’s charges are set dollar amounts, so they take a larger share of sales at lower-selling locations.
Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Gift cards. Gift cards are sold before the service is delivered, and sales peak around the holidays. A gift card is deferred revenue until it is redeemed, so cash and earned revenue arrive in different periods.
Service and retail mix. Retail sales and the share of customers on higher service tiers raise revenue per hour without adding hours or rooms.

Upgrade Labs

Recovery, sauna and cryo

Membership drives the model. Track how many members join, how many cancel, and what each member spends beyond the plan.
Service and retail mix. Retail sales and the share of customers on higher service tiers raise revenue per hour without adding hours or rooms.
Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 9.5% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.

VIO Med Spa

Med spa and aesthetics

Sales depend on treatment courses. Customers buy a course of several visits, so the owner works on how many courses start, how many are finished, and what a course is priced at.
Memberships and rebooking. A recurring plan turns appointments into a monthly subscription and keeps the schedule fuller. Rebooking before the customer leaves keeps it full.
Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 7.5% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.
Cash needed in the first year. This filing shows how a new location builds up: the month sales cover costs, and how much cash you fund before then.

Woodhouse Spa

Day spa

Products and materials. Products and materials take 33.6% of sales, against 20.7% kept at the end. The levers are buying terms, price discipline and waste.
Occupancy cost. Rent and building costs take 9.7% of sales here. The rent is fixed when the lease is signed, so this share falls only as sales per square foot rise.
Visits. Track how many visits happen, what each one is worth, and how many customers book the next one before they leave.
Gift cards. Gift cards averaged $1,012,129, 37% of sales. The top performers run a deliberate seasonal program. They do not wait for customers to ask. A gift card is deferred revenue until redeemed, so cash and earned revenue arrive in different periods, and the fees are charged on the sale. They are not charged on the visit.
Fees and the minimum. Fees run about 7.8% of sales. A minimum fee also applies, so lower-selling locations pay a higher effective rate. Work out the sales level where the percentage overtakes the minimum.

All 35 brands

All 35 brands, side by side

Every health and wellness brand in this library, sorted by average sales per unit, as the brand reported it by each brand
Brand	Concept	Units at year end	Units reporting	Average revenue	Median revenue	Cost to open	Paid to the brand
Woodhouse Spa	Luxury day spa	89	81	$2,711,439	$2,596,280	$1,336,897 – $2,022,969	7.75%
4Ever Young	Anti-aging and hormone therapy clinic	68	14	$1,452,000	$1,529,000	$522,650 – $807,400	n/a
Hand & Stone	Massage and facial spa	600	134	$1,402,246	$1,280,006	$320,891 – $864,729	7%
The NOW Massage	Boutique massage studio	n/a	56	$1,367,376	$1,366,900	$486,459 – $848,709	n/a
VIO Med Spa	Medical aesthetics / med spa	64	51	$1,254,631	$1,125,341	$642,722 – $1,109,954	7.5%
Massage Envy	Massage and skincare spa	993	989	$1,210,966	$1,136,666	$695,870 – $1,046,506	n/a
Heights Wellness Retreat	Membership massage and wellness retreat	98	82	$1,090,390	$978,214	$935,895 – $1,466,168	9%
Restore Hyper Wellness	Recovery and hyper wellness studio	200	207	$1,031,755	$955,863	$764,698 – $1,269,588	9.7%
Serotonin	Anti-aging and wellness center	8	6	$1,029,730	n/a	$905,284 – $1,820,879	9%
Elements Massage	Therapeutic massage and skincare studio	239	234	$981,430	$897,288	$524,989 – $1,057,853	11.18%
MassageLuXe	Massage and facial spa	104	90	$891,848	n/a	$577,600 – $835,300	n/a
SweatHouz	Sauna and contrast therapy studio	66	28	$848,984	$894,360	$631,798 – $1,314,102	11%
Pause Studio	Recovery and wellness studio	14	10	$714,330	n/a	$755,663 – $1,084,566	8%
Skin Experts by Brentwood Spa	Skincare spa	3	3	$710,006	$656,306	$477,700 – $729,200	2.54%
Hydrate IV	IV drip and vitamin injection bar	23	n/a	$655,781	$508,908	$347,050 – $577,600	n/a
Prime IV Hydration	IV drip and hormone therapy center	210	152	$616,235	$459,958	$187,701 – $606,693	9.24%
Degree Wellness	Recovery and self-care studio	6	3	$601,389	$581,049	$335,800 – $848,500	8%
The Joint Chiropractic	Cash-pay chiropractic clinic	885	492	$563,514	$526,397	$245,250 – $543,000	9%
StretchLab	Assisted stretching studio	486	448	$511,265	$487,003	$281,390 – $814,545	11.58%
Pure Sweat Studios	Sauna and contrast therapy studio	11	7	$509,033	$491,936	$573,200 – $889,000	8.57%
HB Wellness	Protein smoothie shop	0	1	$503,681	n/a	$198,900 – $326,350	5%
Live Hydration Spa	IV drip and wellness spa	30	20	$471,156	$428,157	$263,475 – $521,200	9.5%
Stretch Zone	Practitioner-assisted stretching studio	413	237	$310,219	$290,707	$142,590 – $305,489	11.13%
StretchMed	Assisted stretching studio	38	29	$301,873	$264,135	$129,892 – $280,147	8%
Clean Your Dirty Face	Express facial bar	32	23	$301,291	$293,933	$131,797 – $333,847	8.79%
dermani MEDSPA	Medical aesthetics / med spa	25	23	n/a	n/a	$491,792 – $906,189	5.25%
Perspire Sauna Studio	Infrared sauna studio	92	70	n/a	n/a	$523,437 – $1,147,477	9%
Spavia	Day spa	64	44	n/a	$1,110,481	$479,450 – $885,450	n/a
beem Light Sauna	Infrared sauna studio	65	n/a	n/a	n/a	$436,196 – $761,154	n/a
Upgrade Labs	Recovery and performance studio	5	n/a	n/a	n/a	$880,500 – $1,560,500	9.5%
Merle Norman Cosmetics	Cosmetics retail studio	757	n/a	n/a	n/a	$47,870 – $262,938	n/a
Nowlogy Clinic	Outpatient counseling and therapy clinic	2	n/a	n/a	n/a	$71,200 – $262,100	n/a
P3 Recovery	Recovery and wellness studio	0	n/a	n/a	n/a	$731,022 – $1,360,022	n/a
Regal Nails Salon & Spa	Nail salon	513	n/a	n/a	n/a	$172,722 – $721,866	n/a
Townhouse	Nail salon	0	n/a	n/a	n/a	$604,100 – $759,700	n/a

As the brand reported it by each brand, from its 2026 FDD.

6,203 units were open at year end across the thirty-four of these thirty-five brands that report a count, and 3,534 sit behind the published figures. The 2,669 unit difference is mostly units that opened during the year and were left out for want of a full trading period. That means about 43% of the units in this category are still building up at any moment.

The five largest systems by unit count are Massage Envy, The Joint Chiropractic, Merle Norman Cosmetics, Hand & Stone and Regal Nails Salon & Spa. Massage Envy runs 993 units, The Joint Chiropractic 885, Merle Norman Cosmetics 757, Hand & Stone 600 and Regal Nails Salon & Spa 513. Woodhouse Spa runs 89 units at $2,711,439 apiece, the highest average sales in the category. Many small units and a few large ones make different demands on working capital and management, and an owner should choose between them before choosing a concept.

Questions we get asked

Questions owners ask.

What should my rent be as a share of revenue?

Between 9.68% and 11.3% at a mature unit, which is where all five service brands that disclose a building cost land, across average revenue from $563,514 to $2,711,439. If your rent exceeds about 12% of what you realistically expect a mature unit to bill, the lease is the problem.

What profit should a unit make?

Six of these thirty-five brands disclose a profit figure, and they run 16.2% to 35.6% with a median of 19.1%. Every one of those measures leaves out at least owner compensation, and most leave out debt service and depreciation as well, so they describe what a unit throws off before the owner is paid. The other twenty-nine brands publish revenue and stop.

Which brand takes the least?

On the fees paid to the brand, dermani MEDSPA takes the least at 5.25%, followed by Hand & Stone at 7% and VIO Med Spa at 7.5%. At the other end, SweatHouz takes 11%, StretchLab takes 10% and Restore Hyper Wellness takes 9.7%. The rate is only half the question, because ten brands add a required local advertising spend of 1.75% to 6% on top. Flat technology fees run $3,600 to $22,800 a year whatever the unit bills.

How much range should I expect between units?

Comparing group averages against group averages, the top group bills 1.87 to 6.79 times the bottom group, with a median of 2.83 across eighteen brands. The tightest are The NOW Massage at 1.87, Pause Studio at 2.24 and Perspire Sauna Studio at 2.30. The widest are Hydrate IV at 6.79, VIO Med Spa at 4.91 and Heights Wellness Retreat at 4.79. Where every location is reported, the gap between the highest-selling and lowest-selling single unit runs wider, 54.25 times at Prime IV Hydration.

Who does bookkeeping for a health and wellness franchise?

The reporting that matters in this category is narrower than most owners expect. Building costs as a percentage of trailing revenue should be tracked monthly against the 9.68% to 11.3% range, because that ratio is the earliest honest signal that a site is wrong. Wages should be tracked as a percentage too, against a category that runs near half wherever a practitioner performs the service. So should the all-in franchise fees including required local spend, because the published royalty understates it at most brands here. Where the concept sells memberships or packages, track the split between revenue recognized and cash collected, because nearly every franchisor in this category calculates royalty on a base that differs from the revenue line in your books. The reconciliation between the two belongs in the monthly close. Averan provides bookkeeping, controller, and fractional CFO support for franchise owners and has Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors on the team.

Part of our Averan Franchise · See also Fitness, Senior Care, Home and Commercial Services and Staffing

Run your own numbers.

The Franchise Numbers Check runs the same checks on your own numbers. It scores where you stand and compares you with Item 19 of your brand’s FDD. It works out what one location earns and spends, and builds a 13-week cash forecast. Checks whether you are ready to open another one. It is free and it runs in your browser.

Launch the diagnostic →

Where does your unit sit?

We review your unit economics, cash forecast and reporting and compare them with the brands in this guide.

Talk to Averan

Where these figures come from.

Every figure here comes from the 2026 FDD of the brand it is attributed to and is unaudited by us, each brand's figures rest on its own definitions and its own reporting population, we are unaffiliated with any brand named, the figures describe past performance at other units, calculations of our own are labeled where they appear, brands are compared on figures each one files. This page is an educational summary and is not legal or tax advice. All trademarks belong to their respective owners. How Averan reads a Franchise Disclosure Document.

Health and wellness cost lines as a share of sales

Six of the thirty-five health and wellness brands in Averan Franchise disclose what their locations spend on wages, rent and space, or cost of goods. Each figure is a share of the average location's sales, from the brand's 2026 FDD. Rent and space covers rent and the other costs of the premises.

Brand	Wages	Rent and space	Cost of goods
Degree Wellness	21.8%	11.2%	9.3%
Hand & Stone	50.3%	10.0%	Not disclosed
HB Wellness	20.8%	7.4%	27.4%
Heights Wellness Retreat	Not disclosed	11.3%	Not disclosed
The Joint Chiropractic	47.9%	11.3%	0.0%
Woodhouse Spa	Not disclosed	9.7%	33.6%

How fast new health and wellness locations build sales

The pages for six of the thirty-five health and wellness brands in Averan Franchise show how a new location's sales build after opening, by month or by years open, in dollars from each brand's FDD. The months before sales cover costs are the ones to plan cash for, and the minimum fee calculator shows what the fees cost during them.

Common questions

How much does a health and wellness franchise cost to open?

Among the thirty-five health and wellness brands in Averan Franchise that publish it, the cost to open runs from $47,870 at Merle Norman Cosmetics to $2,022,969 at Woodhouse Spa, according to their 2026 FDDs.

Which health and wellness franchise costs the least to open?

Merle Norman Cosmetics has the lowest starting cost of the health and wellness brands in Averan Franchise, at $47,870 to $262,938.

Which health and wellness franchise has the highest average sales?

Woodhouse Spa reports the highest average sales of the health and wellness brands in Averan Franchise, at $2,711,439 in its 2026 FDD.

What do health and wellness franchise fees cost as a share of sales?

Across the twenty-six health and wellness brands where Averan Franchise works out the figure, franchise fees take 2.54% to 11.58% of sales.

Questions owners ask next

The figures above raise these, and each one is answered on its own page.

Money arrives before the service does. How should that be booked?It explains deferred revenue and why the bank balance and the profit line disagree.
At what level of sales does a minimum fee stop costing me more than the percentage?It works out the sales level where a minimum fee stops applying.
How much cash do I fund before a new location covers its own costs?It builds a 13-week forecast for the months before break-even.
At what point do spreadsheets stop coping?It explains what changes at around ten units and why lenders care.
I run several locations. Which ones actually make money?It shows each location's contribution to profit and the reporting it takes to see it.

Scott Engler

Founder & Principal, Averan Advisors

Averan provides bookkeeping, controller, and fractional CFO support for franchise owners and has Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors on the team. More about the team →

Health and wellness franchise finance

Find a health and wellness brand

These are the things that separate top performers in health and wellness

Decided before you open

Live operating levers

Context you underwrite around

The business model the top performers in health and wellness are running

What the top performers can do that others cannot

What the customer is buying

Who the customer is, and how often they come back

How the money works

Health and wellness franchises at a glance

By type of business.

What the room costs.

What the people cost.

What is left.

The average overstates the typical unit at nearly every brand.

How apart the units are inside one brand.

The franchise fees, cheapest first.

What it costs to build.

What each brand’s top performers actually work on

All 35 brands, side by side

Questions owners ask.

Run your own numbers.

Where does your unit sit?

Where these figures come from.

Health and wellness cost lines as a share of sales

How fast new health and wellness locations build sales

Common questions

How much does a health and wellness franchise cost to open?

Which health and wellness franchise costs the least to open?

Which health and wellness franchise has the highest average sales?

What do health and wellness franchise fees cost as a share of sales?

Questions owners ask next

Other category guides

Also worth reading

What happens next