BUFF CITY SOAP
Buff City Soap Franchising, LLC offers franchises for Buff City Soap® retail shops called 'Makeries' that sell upscale, plant-based body, facial, bath, shower, laundry, personal, and home care products free of harsh chemicals, detergents, and animal fats, along with on-site customization, soap-making demonstrations, private parties, and classes. Franchisees must follow a proprietary system including specific layouts, equipment, product formulations sourced from the franchisor or affiliates, and an experiential shopping environment to differentiate in the competitive personal care market. The target market includes male and female consumers from adolescence through late adulthood across metropolitan, urban, rural, and tertiary areas.
Franchise Costs
6% royalty + 2% brand fund + $500/mo technology + $119/mo loyalty + $22/mo Appointedd + optional $474/mo COMO
Financial Performance
Item 19 Financial Performance
This franchise did not provide Item 19 financial performance data.
Be careful if you are interested in investing. The lack of financial performance representations may indicate limited data or varying results across franchises.
Extracted Item 19 Section
How BUFF CITY SOAP Compares
Key Insights
- Higher investment than 80% of Specialty Retail franchises
- Top 10 largest franchise system in Specialty Retail
- Lower than average SBA loan default rate in Specialty Retail
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Royalty | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
BUFF CITY SOAP Current | $395K – $1.3M | $50K | 6.0% | 262 |
| MERLE NORMAN COSMETICS | $48K – $260K | N/A | N/A | 797 |
| CORNWELL | $80K – $324K | N/A | N/A | 793 |
| BATTERIES PLUS | $263K – $497K | $45K | 5.0% | 604 |
| PET SUPPLIES PLUS | $537K – $2.0M | $50K | 3.0% | 502 |
| WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED | $227K – $379K | $40K | 4.0% | 340 |
Specialty Retail Average 46 franchises | $285K – $708K | $38K | 5.0% | – |
* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 46 Specialty Retail franchises by location count.
Locations & Growth
Outlet Growth Over Time
Total outlets at end of each year
Geographic Distribution (2023)
Outlets by state across the United States
+19 more states
SBA Loan History
Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for BUFF CITY SOAP franchisees (2019 – 2024)
Loans by Year
SBA 7(a) loan activity over time
* Data sourced from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records. Default rate calculated from charged-off loans.
Franchisee Contacts
262 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.
| Name | SBA Loan |
|---|---|
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
262 Contacts Available
Unlock all BUFF CITY SOAP franchisee contacts with verified contact information
Due Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
Frequently Asked Questions
The total initial investment to open a BUFF CITY SOAP franchise ranges from $395,427 to $1,278,424. This includes a franchise fee of $50,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 6.0% of gross sales.
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