Franchisee Success: How Marc Oren Became Successful with Kennedy's

Marc Oren, a franchisee in his third year with Kennedy’s All-American Barber Club, had been looking for the right franchise opportunity for a while.

When the recession hit in 2008, he noticed that people didn’t give up their little luxuries. While driving around, he saw lines out the door at nice restaurants, and no one was giving up haircuts, nail appointments or massages. They may have cut back on the big vacations or bought one less dress, but those little treats were a constant that remained.

Knowing Marc was on the hunt for a franchise that provided a bit of luxury, his brother who lived in Connecticut called to tell him about a membership-based barbershop that he saw and thought Marc might want to invest in.

Not only was it a little luxury, but it also couldn’t be outsourced, meeting two of Marc’s requirements. He was in! Marc purchased the rights to multiple locations and opened his first Kennedy’s in Westfield, N.J., a little over two and a half years ago.

Success was in the numbers! Within the first 10 days of being open, the location saw 49 recurring members. A month later, it was up to 100 recurring members. Another month later, it reached 149 recurring members.

“People were really liking and embracing the idea,” said Marc. “No one had ever heard of a membership-based barbershop. When I hit 100 recurring members by the fifth or sixth week, and the number of members just kept growing, I knew I’d be successful.”

Once people were exposed to the idea, they embraced the exciting new concept in the area and trusted Marc and his staff. They continued coming back. Marc’s location now has more than 340 members, and he is shopping for real estate for his second spot.

“I have gotten to a point where my clients are our biggest fans and they help spread the word in the neighborhood,” Marc said. “We’ll have a wine tasting, and my clients bring their friends, their neighbors, and they sell the business for me. It’s enlightenment, and if we let the business model marinate long enough in the market, they like it and adopt it.”