Franchise Facts Report → compare → GNC vs Smile Source
GNC vs Smile Source
Two health & wellness franchises, compared on the numbers their own Franchise Disclosure Documents put on record — investment, fees, Item 19 earnings, outlet churn, and litigation. Not marketing copy.
| GNC | Smile Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Total initial investment FDD Item 7 | $187,219 – $503,642 | $60,500 – $435,000 |
| Initial franchise fee FDD Item 5 | $20,000 | — |
| Royalty FDD Item 6 | — | 1.5% |
| Item 19 earnings disclosed FDD Item 19 | Yes | Not disclosed |
| Avg unit revenue (headline) FDD Item 19 | in report | — |
| Franchised outlets FDD Item 20 | 750 | 663 |
| Net outlet change (latest yr) FDD Item 20 | -24 | +38 |
| Closure rate FDD Item 20 | 1.9% | 8% |
| Franchisee lawsuits FDD Item 3 | 3 | — |
| Risk level our read | High | Medium |
| FDD year registration | 2024 | 2023 |
Are GNC and Smile Source the same company?
No — GNC and Smile Source are franchised by separate companies. GNC's franchisor is GNC Holdings, LLC; Smile Source's is Smile Source L.P.. Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
Cost to open
Smile Source is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $60,500 – $435,000, against $187,219 – $503,642 for GNC.
How much does each make? (Item 19)
Only GNC disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation, while Smile Source's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Closures & failure rate
GNC reports 750 franchised outlets, net change -24 in the latest reported year, a 1.9% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Smile Source reports 663 franchised outlets, net change +38 in the latest reported year, a 8% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Outlet churn — closures, terminations, non-renewals — is the closest thing an FDD has to a failure rate; the full report puts both brands' churn against health & wellness medians.
Litigation
GNC discloses 3 franchisee-vs-franchisor proceedings in FDD Item 3. Smile Source's Item 3 could not be read from its filing, so we make no claim either way.
This page is the headline numbers. The Deep report compares up to three brands on the complete FDD record — every fee line, the actual Item 19 figures and what they represent, each lawsuit, and churn benchmarked against health & wellness peers.
Only looking at one of them?
GNC vs Smile Source — frequently asked
Are GNC and Smile Source the same company?
No — GNC and Smile Source are franchised by separate companies. GNC's franchisor is GNC Holdings, LLC; Smile Source's is Smile Source L.P.. Each registers and files its own Franchise Disclosure Document, and you would be signing with a different entity depending on which you chose. Note that a registry filing names the franchisor, not necessarily its ultimate parent — two brands owned by the same parent company can still have separate franchisors.
What is the difference between GNC and Smile Source?
GNC and Smile Source are health & wellness franchises from different franchisors (GNC Holdings, LLC and Smile Source L.P.). Smile Source is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $60,500 – $435,000, against $187,219 – $503,642 for GNC. Only GNC disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation, while Smile Source's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Is GNC more profitable than Smile Source?
Only GNC disclosed earnings: it makes an Item 19 financial performance representation, while Smile Source's most recent FDD makes none. That asymmetry is itself a data point: one franchisor puts its unit economics on paper, the other doesn't.
Which is cheaper to open — GNC or Smile Source?
Smile Source is the cheaper franchise to open: its FDD Item 7 puts the total initial investment at $60,500 – $435,000, against $187,219 – $503,642 for GNC.
Is GNC or Smile Source growing faster?
GNC reports 750 franchised outlets, net change -24 in the latest reported year, a 1.9% closure rate (FDD Item 20). Smile Source reports 663 franchised outlets, net change +38 in the latest reported year, a 8% closure rate (FDD Item 20).
Go deeper on each brand
Health & wellness rankings
Figures are as disclosed in each brand's most recent registered FDD (GNC 2024, Smile Source 2023). “—” means the FDD does not disclose it or the table did not parse cleanly — never an estimate.