Franchise brand comparison
Hand & Stone vs European Wax Center
Compared on figures each brand discloses in its own Franchise Disclosure Document — 2025 for Hand & Stone, 2025 for European Wax Center. Investment, fees, and Item 19 gross sales, with the sample size behind every average.
Short answer
European Wax Center enters about $142,000 cheaper at the midpoint and runs the simpler operation: waxing requires licensed estheticians but avoids the massage-therapist recruiting and scheduling burden that Hand & Stone carries. On disclosed performance the comparison is one-sided. Hand & Stone reports $1,390,276 average gross sales across 502 spas — 1.92x its midpoint investment, the strongest capital efficiency in our data. For European Wax Center we could not verify the basis of any Item 19 figure, so there is nothing to compare it against. Hand & Stone's cost is its fee shape: a 4% local advertising requirement with a $400-per-week floor on top of 6% royalty, against European Wax Center's flatter 6% plus 3%. Neither brand publishes quartiles, so neither tells you how much of its average depends on being a good operator.
Side by side
| Measure | Hand & Stone | European Wax Center |
|---|---|---|
| Concept category | Massage & skincare | Massage & skincare |
| FDD year | 2025 | 2025 |
| Total investment (Item 7) | $578,507–$871,602midpoint $725,055 | $327,600–$836,950midpoint $582,275 |
| Initial franchise fee | $32,500–$49,500 | $45,000 ($36,000 existing) |
| Royalty | 5% yr 1, then 6% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 1% | 3% |
| Local advertising | 4% (min $400/wk) | None disclosed separately |
| Average gross sales (Item 19) | $1,390,276502 units — franchised spas open 12+ months, CY2024 | Not disclosedbasis not verified — see review |
| Median gross sales | $1,311,889 | Not disclosed |
| Top quartile | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Bottom quartile | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Revenue ÷ investment | 1.92x | — |
| Quartile spread | — | — |
Bolded figures mark the stronger side of a row where both brands disclose a comparable number — lower investment, higher revenue, higher return on capital, narrower quartile spread. A brand that discloses nothing is never marked as losing a row: an undisclosed figure is an unknown, not a poor result.
What the numbers mean
Investment is Item 7, the franchisor's own estimate of everything needed to open. Hand & Stone discloses a total initial investment of $578,507 to $871,602 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $725,055, with an initial franchise fee of $32,500–$49,500. European Wax Center discloses a total initial investment of $327,600 to $836,950 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $582,275, with an initial franchise fee of $45,000 ($36,000 existing).
Revenue is Item 19, and the unit count matters as much as the figure. Hand & Stone reports average gross sales of $1,390,276 and a median of $1,311,889 across 502 units (franchised spas open 12+ months, CY2024). European Wax Center discloses no Item 19 figure we can use (basis not verified — see review).
Full review
Hand & Stone
Cost, fees, and Item 19 revenue, reviewed against the 2025 FDD.
Full review
European Wax Center
Cost, fees, and Item 19 revenue, reviewed against the 2025 FDD.
Frequently asked
- Hand & Stone vs European Wax Center: which is the better franchise?
- European Wax Center enters about $142,000 cheaper at the midpoint and runs the simpler operation: waxing requires licensed estheticians but avoids the massage-therapist recruiting and scheduling burden that Hand & Stone carries. On disclosed performance the comparison is one-sided. Hand & Stone reports $1,390,276 average gross sales across 502 spas — 1.92x its midpoint investment, the strongest capital efficiency in our data. For European Wax Center we could not verify the basis of any Item 19 figure, so there is nothing to compare it against. Hand & Stone's cost is its fee shape: a 4% local advertising requirement with a $400-per-week floor on top of 6% royalty, against European Wax Center's flatter 6% plus 3%. Neither brand publishes quartiles, so neither tells you how much of its average depends on being a good operator.
- How much does a Hand & Stone franchise cost compared to European Wax Center?
- Hand & Stone discloses a total initial investment of $578,507 to $871,602 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $725,055, with an initial franchise fee of $32,500–$49,500. European Wax Center discloses a total initial investment of $327,600 to $836,950 in its 2025 FDD, a midpoint of $582,275, with an initial franchise fee of $45,000 ($36,000 existing).
- Does Hand & Stone or European Wax Center generate more revenue?
- Hand & Stone reports average gross sales of $1,390,276 and a median of $1,311,889 across 502 units (franchised spas open 12+ months, CY2024). European Wax Center discloses no Item 19 figure we can use (basis not verified — see review). These are gross sales, not profit, and the number of units behind each average decides how much it tells you.
- What are the ongoing fees for Hand & Stone and European Wax Center?
- Hand & Stone charges a royalty of 5% yr 1, then 6% and a brand fund contribution of 1%, plus a local advertising obligation of 4% (min $400/wk). European Wax Center charges a royalty of 6% and a brand fund contribution of 3%.
Other comparisons
Before you rely on any of this
FDDs are filed annually and figures move. Request the current document from each franchisor and read Items 5, 6, 7 and 19 yourself — this is a summary to orient you, not a substitute for the disclosure or for your own advisors. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or compensated by either brand; see our disclosure policy.
Compare every brand at once in the sortable cost comparison table, or run these figures against your own assumptions in the ROI & payback calculator.