How much does a Sun Tan City franchise cost?
Opening a Sun Tan City franchise takes a total initial investment of $1,048,790 to $1,797,750, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports median of $587,086 across 162 outlets.
Sun Tan City franchises salons offering tanning and wellness equipment and services, together with skin care, beauty, tanning and wellness products and accessories. Category: Beauty.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Sun Tan City franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $1,048,790 to $1,797,750. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Leasehold Improvements ($450,000 to $800,000), Tanning and Spa Equipment ($450,000 to $700,000), and Working Capital (Additional Funds over next 3 months) ($50,000 to $100,000). Together they make up about 89% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $0 to $30,000.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $0 | $30,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Leasehold Improvements2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $450,000 | $800,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Exterior Signage2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $8,500 | $13,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Tanning and Spa Equipment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $450,000 | $700,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Office Equipment, Furniture, Retail Service Counter and Display and Supplies, Interior Signage2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $50,000 | $75,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Initial Retail Inventory2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $6,000 | $8,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Start-Up Marketing2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $10,000 | $13,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Insurance2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $2,000 | $6,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Lease Deposits2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $5,000 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Professional Fees2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 | $500 | $5,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Your Out-of-Pocket Expenses to Bring in Our Trainers/ | $1,000 | $5,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16 |
| Computers and Software2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 | $7,000 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| Utility Deposits2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 | $1,500 | $5,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| High Speed Internet Access2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 | $60 | $2,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| Pre-Opening Training2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 | $5,000 | $10,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| Security System2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 | $300 | $1,500 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| Music System2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 | $30 | $250 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| Digital Messaging System (Hardware)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 | $1,400 | $3,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| License/ | $500 | $1,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| Working Capital (Additional Funds over next 3 months)2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 | $50,000 | $100,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 17 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16-17 | $1,048,790 | $1,797,750 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16-17 |
Source Sun Tan City, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 16-17, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-27.
Item 19
What Sun Tan City franchisees actually report earning
MEDIAN
$587,086
Sun Tan City's 2026 FDD, Item 19, for the 12 Months Ended December 31, 2025. Basis: Certain franchised SUN TAN CITY Salons; Table 2.1 states 162 Franchised Salons Open for the Entire 12-month Period Ended December 31, 2025.
Sample size: 162 outlets. The FDD also reports average of $627,114. 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
- The figures exclude franchised SUN TAN CITY Salons that were not open for the entire 12-month period ended December 31, 2025.
This is a disclosure of what some existing outlets reported, not a projection of what a new Sun Tan City outlet would earn. Your results will differ.
Source Sun Tan City, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 43-47, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-27.
Item 20
How many Sun Tan City outlets there are, and how many closed
Sun Tan City ended 2025 with 156 franchised outlets and 96 company-owned outlets. In that year no franchised outlets opened and 7 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, Sun Tan City opened 11 franchised outlets and 15 outlets left the system. That is a net loss of 4, from 160 to 156 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 11 were terminated and 4 were bought back by the franchisor.
On average, about 3.1% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 33.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 163 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 156 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 52 |
| 2024 | 167 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 163 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 52 |
| 2023 | 160 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 167 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 52 |
Source Sun Tan City, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 50-52, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-27.
Compare
How Sun Tan City compares with other Beauty franchises
Measured against the 48 Beauty franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of Sun Tan City's estimated range is $1,423,270. It costs more to open than 98% of Beauty franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 3.1% for Sun Tan City. That is lower than 60% of the 36 Beauty franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Sun Tan City's franchised system shrank 2.5%. The typical Beauty franchise here grew 13%.
- Earnings disclosure. 40 of the 48 Beauty franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Sun Tan City 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 Beauty franchise side by side.
Alert me when Sun Tan City files a new FDD
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