Which beauty-salon franchise was founded in 1974 by Sam Ross in Memphis, Tennessee?

Sam Ross founded the Fantastic Sams beauty-salon franchise in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1974.

Ross established the business as a salon company built around convenient haircuts and a recognizable service format. Franchising allowed individual salon operators to use the brand while benefiting from shared marketing, operating guidance, and a common customer proposition.

Fantastic Sams belongs to the large American category of value-oriented haircut franchises. It is frequently confused with Supercuts and Great Clips because those brands also operate many walk-in salons and use franchise ownership. Their similar business models do not make their founders or founding dates interchangeable.

The company’s name is written as Fantastic Sams, without an apostrophe. The brand later expanded far beyond its Memphis beginnings, but the city and 1974 date identify the origin of the franchise business.