How a Honolulu Couple Balanced Two Careers and 20 Years of Pigtails & Crewcuts Ownership

When Brian Yonehara and his wife, Grace, opened their Pigtails & Crewcuts kids’ hair salon in Honolulu in 2006, they already had their hands full. Both were working full time, and they had two young children, ages 2 years and 4 months. People questioned whether it was the right time to start a business, but the couple decided to take the chance.

Twenty years later, they're still running the salon and have recently signed a five-year franchise renewal. Along the way, they've dealt with the high cost of operating a business in Hawaii, built relationships with local families and watched some of their youngest customers grow into teenagers.

Brian spoke with 1851 Franchise about their decision to open the salon, the challenges they've encountered and why they decided to continue with Pigtails & Crewcuts. Here’s what he had to say:

1851 Franchise: Tell us your story in one sentence.

Brian Yonehara: Since opening our salon in 2006, my wife, Grace, and I have balanced full-time careers while running Pigtails & Crewcuts, grinding it out daily to support our family and bring joy to our community.

My wife and I opened the Honolulu Pigtails & Crewcuts salon in 2006. At that time, we had two young children, a 2-year-old and a 4-month-old, while maintaining separate full-time careers. Many people thought we were crazy, and some even questioned whether the timing made sense given how young our kids were. But we kept coming back to the same question: Why not? There will always be something, and we decided to take the leap.

1851: Twenty years in, why sign on for five more?

Brian: Because the passion that started it is still with us. We've watched babies become teenagers in our chairs. We are providing something special to the community we serve and love. You don't walk away from that.

1851: What challenges did you face when you first opened your salon?

Brian: When we first started looking into business ownership in 2006, we did not have much capital. On top of that, we quickly realized that the startup costs and overall cost of doing business in Hawaii were almost triple what you see on the mainland. We knew we couldn't rely on standard, high-cost options, so we had to be incredibly resourceful from day one.

Social media wasn't as popular as it is now, and we didn't have much of a marketing or advertising budget, so we were putting ourselves out into the community. We were going to schools, making a lot of donations, volunteering at community events and relying on good old-fashioned word of mouth to generate community awareness. Like I said, social media wasn't that big, so we were literally passing out physical flyers.

1851: Why did you choose this franchise over every other opportunity?

Brian: It really came down to the fact that Pigtails & Crewcuts has an exceptionally good business model, and we get an incredible amount of ongoing support from the franchise. Beyond that, after 20 years in business, we still genuinely enjoy the franchise model, our awesome staff and our wonderful customers. We also felt like the franchise team genuinely cared about us as people and wanted us to succeed.

1851: What is it really like owning a Pigtails & Crewcuts franchise?

Brian: To be honest, it's hard work. It's constant. It's rewarding. We are continuously thinking of ways to innovate. We just grind it out daily. But it is incredibly rewarding because of our amazing staff and the unique service we provide to the community.

Our main clientele consists of babies, and many of them come to us crying because they had a hard time getting their hair cut at other salons. We use specialized techniques to calm the babies down. Seeing the absolute joy on the parents' faces when we successfully get their kids' hair cut is deeply fulfilling.

1851: If your best friend had enough money to buy this franchise tomorrow, what would you tell them?

Brian: I would tell them to absolutely go for it because it is an effective business model with strong franchise support. However, I would also warn them to be prepared for the daily reality of business ownership because, at the end of the day, you have to be ready to work hard every single day.

1851: What's the one thing you wish someone had told you before you bought this franchise?

Brian: I wish someone had warned me about the actual cost of doing business in Hawaii, since the startup costs are almost triple. This was a massive hurdle for us in the beginning.

Also, I wish someone had told me that you're not just in the haircut business. You're building trust and connections and providing peace of mind to families and their little ones.

1851: Was there a year in which you almost gave up?

Brian: Quitting was never an option. We never went in thinking we would ever give up, but it was an extremely tough couple of years. What saved us was the franchise network's support, my family and the community that trusted us.

1851: If your salon had a theme song, what would it be?

Brian: It would be a journey from "Stayin' Alive" to "I Will Survive" to "We Are Family."

1851: Describe your franchise journey in three words.

Brian: Worth every snip. Corny, huh?

ABOUT PIGTAILS & CREWCUTS: 

Pigtails & Crewcuts is a kids' hair salon franchise designed with family in mind. Franchising since 2005, it has become a premier destination for children’s hairstyling and a stress-free experience for parents. Pigtails & Crewcuts provides a range of hair care services for boys and girls aged 0 to 12, and offers a custom line of child-friendly hair products, hair accessories, toys, and gifts. Each salon is a fun, engaging space where children can feel comfortable and enjoy their haircuts, complete with activities, event areas and a family-friendly atmosphere. With over 80 locations across more than 20 states, Pigtails & Crewcuts is continuously expanding and establishing itself as a leading franchise in the growing niche market of children’s hair care. To learn more about Pigtails & Crewcuts or to find a salon near you, please visit www.pigtailsandcrewcuts.com. To learn more about franchise opportunities with Pigtails & Crewcuts, please visit www.pigtailsandcrewcutsfranchise.com.