How much does a Buff City Soap franchise cost?
Opening a Buff City Soap franchise takes a total initial investment of $395,427 to $1,278,424, according to the brand's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports median total net sales of $389,676 across 78 outlets.
Buff City Soap franchises BCS Makeries. Category: Retail.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Buff City Soap franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2025 FDD. The total is $395,427 to $1,278,424. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Construction and Leasehold Improvements ($42,860 to $310,000), Rental Expenses ($40,000 to $200,000), and Furniture and Fixtures ($62,500 to $150,000). Together they make up about 52% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $50,000, about 13% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $50,000 | $50,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $42,860 | $310,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Rental Expenses2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $40,000 | $200,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Interior and Exterior Signs2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $18,000 | $30,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Furniture and Fixtures2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $62,500 | $150,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Equipment2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $6,844 | $50,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Smallwares2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $1,800 | $3,500 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Architects and Engineering2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $5,750 | $20,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Other Professional Fees (Accountant/ | $1,000 | $20,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Opening Inventory2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $20,000 | $120,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Opening Supplies2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $9,000 | $15,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Computers, software, Telecommunication, networking, security2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $5,775 | $20,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Training and Pre-Opening Expenses2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $21,274 | $33,591 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Pre-Opening Labor2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $18,992 | $26,194 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Insurance2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 | $8,132 | $9,139 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| Deposits and Permits2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 | $2,000 | $25,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| Market Introduction Budget2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 | $15,000 | $40,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| Utility Deposits2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 | $0 | $5,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| Security System2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 | $1,000 | $5,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| Lease Deposit2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 | $1,500 | $25,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| Miscellaneous Expenses2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 | $1,000 | $25,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| Additional Funds - 3 Months2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 | $63,000 | $96,000 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| Total estimated initial investment2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16-17 | $395,427 | $1,278,424 | 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16-17 |
Source Buff City Soap, 2025 FDD, Item 7, p. 16-17, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-16.
Item 19
What Buff City Soap franchisees actually report earning
Median Total Net Sales
$389,676
Buff City Soap's 2025 FDD, Item 19, for the As of December 29, 2024; Makeries open and operating for at least 18 months. Basis: Mature franchised BCS Makeries, displayed in terciles.
Sample size: 78 outlets. The FDD also reports average total net sales of $387,347. We lead with the median because an average is pulled upward by the strongest outlets; the median is the middle outlet.
What the franchisor excluded from this figure
- Makeries open and operating for less than 18 months were not included.
- One mature company-owned BCS Makery that closed in 2025 was included because it was open and operating for at least 18 months prior to, and as of, December 29, 2024.
This is a disclosure of what some existing outlets reported, not a projection of what a new Buff City Soap outlet would earn. Your results will differ.
Source Buff City Soap, 2025 FDD, Item 19, p. 51-55, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-16.
Item 20
How many Buff City Soap outlets there are, and how many closed
Buff City Soap ended 2024 with 251 franchised outlets and 9 company-owned outlets. In that year 4 franchised outlets opened and 15 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2022 through 2024, Buff City Soap opened 102 franchised outlets and 20 outlets left the system. That is a net gain of 82, from 169 to 251 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 4 were terminated and 16 closed for other reasons.
On average, about 2.9% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 34.
Our arithmetic from the FDD's Item 20 table below. "Left the system" counts every outlet the franchisor reports as terminated, not renewed, bought back, or closed for other reasons.
| Year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Non-renewed | Reacquired | Ceased, other | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 262 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 251 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 59 |
| 2023 | 252 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 262 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 59 |
| 2022 | 169 | 86 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 252 | 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 59 |
Source Buff City Soap, 2025 FDD, Item 20, p. 56-60, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-16.
Compare
How Buff City Soap compares with other Retail franchises
Measured against the 39 Retail franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of Buff City Soap's estimated range is $836,926. It costs more to open than 92% of Retail franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 2.9% for Buff City Soap. That is lower than 81% of the 37 Retail franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Buff City Soap's franchised system grew 49%. The typical Retail franchise here shrank 1.2%.
- Earnings disclosure. 25 of the 39 Retail franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Buff City Soap is one of them.
Our arithmetic from each brand's Item 7 and Item 20. Growth and departure comparisons leave out brands with fewer than 10 outlets, where one opening or closure distorts the figures. See every Retail franchise side by side.
Alert me when Buff City Soap files a new FDD
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