Buying or selling an existing Tommy Gun's Original Barbershop is a personal-care resale where the lease and the barbering team matter more than hard assets — the chairs and fixtures are straightforward, but the membership program and the barbers who bring their own loyal clientele are usually what the price is really paying for.
Tommy Gun's Original Barbershop resales follow the franchisor's own approval process on top of the usual purchase mechanics — here's how the two run together.
Getting approved
The offer sets price and structure and should build in the conditions that matter for a service-based shop: franchisor consent, landlord consent, and continuity of the barbering team.
1 week†The franchisor reviews the incoming operator and the proposed terms before consenting to the transfer of that specific location.
2–4 weeks†An Arthur Wishart Act disclosure document may still be required even where the deal is framed as a private resale — the exemption is read narrowly by Ontario courts, so this gets confirmed early.
assessed early†Getting to closing
The landlord's consent to assign the lease is typically the practical bottleneck for a shop-format resale.
2–4 weeks†Barbers are reviewed for retention — many bring their own client following — and the shop's membership program (unlimited-haircut plans and prepaid packages) is reconciled and transitioned to the new owner.
1–3 weeks, around closing†After franchisor onboarding and sign-off, funds, keys, and equipment change hands, along with a straightforward inventory count of retail products sold in-shop.
1 day, once conditions are met†CFA-listed Canadian franchisor headquartered in Kelowna, BC; founded in 2009, now with a large network of locations across Canada, US, Australia and New Zealand.
Ontario shops documented (e.g. Newmarket) within its expanding international network.
This is the first real decision in a Tommy Gun's Original Barbershop resale — and it changes what you're buying, what you're taking on, and how the franchise agreement moves.
| Question | Asset purchase | Share purchase |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | The shop's assets — chairs and equipment, retail product inventory, the lease, and the franchise agreement's benefit, subject to consent. | The shares of the operating company — every shop it holds, and everything the company owes. |
| Franchisor consent & ROFR | Required for the specific shop changing hands. | Required for the change of control itself, across every shop the corporation operates. |
| The lease | Needs landlord consent to assign — often the pacing item for a high-traffic strip location. | Usually stays in place unless the lease has its own change-of-control clause. |
| Staff / barber classification | Whether barbers are employees or independent chair-renters is confirmed — this affects both continuity and ESA exposure. | Employment or chair-rental arrangements generally continue uninterrupted. |
| Membership program & prepaid packages | Outstanding membership dues and prepaid packages are reconciled and disclosed as a liability the buyer is taking on. | Stays with the corporation; no separate reconciliation needed. |
| Tax angle | Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased. | Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares. |
The shop's assets — chairs and equipment, retail product inventory, the lease, and the franchise agreement's benefit, subject to consent.
The shares of the operating company — every shop it holds, and everything the company owes.
Required for the specific shop changing hands.
Required for the change of control itself, across every shop the corporation operates.
Needs landlord consent to assign — often the pacing item for a high-traffic strip location.
Usually stays in place unless the lease has its own change-of-control clause.
Whether barbers are employees or independent chair-renters is confirmed — this affects both continuity and ESA exposure.
Employment or chair-rental arrangements generally continue uninterrupted.
Outstanding membership dues and prepaid packages are reconciled and disclosed as a liability the buyer is taking on.
Stays with the corporation; no separate reconciliation needed.
Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased.
Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares.
We tell you which structure fits — before you sign anything.
No open-ended hourly surprises — the cost is confirmed in writing before any work begins.
| Type of work | Fee | How it's confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward purchase or sale | Starting from $3,388.87 Our charges · taxes included | Confirmed in writing once we see the agreement. |
| Larger or more complex deal | Quoted to scope | Short call → fixed written quote before any work begins. |
| Searches, filings & third-party fees | At cost | Itemized on your invoice, not marked up. |
A single barbershop with a straightforward lease, changing hands between one buyer and one seller.
Start my file →A multi-shop operator selling several locations as one operating company, or a resale where barber retention and membership-liability reconciliation need careful review before terms are final.
Book a consultation →Not sure which you are? That's our job to figure out, not yours. As a rough guide, most deals under a couple of million dollars are the first kind — above that, you're usually in Mergers & Acquisitions territory.
Not necessarily — many owners run the business side while employing or hosting licensed and experienced barbers. What matters more for continuity is retaining the barbering team, since a barbershop's client relationships are closely tied to individual barbers.
Outstanding membership dues and prepaid packages are reconciled as part of the deal and disclosed to the buyer as a liability being assumed — this gets confirmed in diligence rather than left as a surprise after closing.
It varies by shop, and the classification matters — it affects both Employment Standards Act exposure and how straightforward it is to retain the team through a change of ownership. We confirm this early in diligence.
Not necessarily. Ontario courts have read the resale-disclosure exemption narrowly, and franchisor involvement in the resale can be enough to trigger a full disclosure requirement anyway — we confirm early whether it applies to your deal.
Often, yes. Buying an operating company that holds multiple shops is more commonly done as a share purchase, so every shop's franchise agreement and lease stay intact at the same time.
Related
Where we close franchise resale deals
Treadstone Law is an independent law firm. We act for buyers and sellers of franchise businesses. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or retained by Tommy Gun's Original Barbershop or its franchisor.
Tell us about your Tommy Gun's Original Barbershop resale — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.