Great Clips Franchisee Tim Renyi Is Ready To Bring the Leading Haircare Brand To Portland, Maine for the First Time

With over 4,400 locations throughout the United States and Canada, Great Clips is the largest and fastest-growing haircare brand in North America, owning a near-50% market share of all franchised hair salon units. 

Now, the hair salon franchise is expanding into the Portland, Maine market for the first time. Newly signed franchisee Tim Renyi is eager to bring Great Clips’ leading haircare service and products, industry-leading technology and established, scalable business model to the area.

“I have over 20 years of experience in sales and development,” said Renyi. “When I decided to look into franchising, I researched everything from car wash services to QSR brands before deciding on Great Clips. When I heard that Maine was being opened up by corporate for expansion, I had to jump at the opportunity.”

Renyi was first attracted to Great Clips’ manager-run ownership model, which allows many owners to continue their professional careers while establishing their salon businesses. “With a full-time career as the vice president for client development for one of the country’s largest independent sports agencies, the Great Clips model provided me with an opportunity that would allow for manager-run ownership.”

Before signing on as a Great Clips franchisee earlier this year, Renyi, and his wife, Hannah, went through Great Clips’ mutual-evaluation process to make sure the business was the right fit. Renyi also had the opportunity to connect with multiple Great Clips franchisees during the process to better understand and set appropriate expectations for the day-to-day operations of a Great Clips franchise. 

As he plans the opening of his first location, Renyi is confident the brand will be well-accepted in the greater Portland metropolitan area.

“The area is a perfect fit for Great Clips,” Renyi said. “There are two primary demographics in Portland – one being the high-income families always on the run and in need of quick and reliable hair care, and the other being the working-class population that doesn’t want to pay exorbitant prices for a haircut. The area features a large market of people looking for affordable haircare at a place where the whole family feels comfortable.”

As the most populous region in northern New England, the greater Portland metropolitan area provides Great Clips with an opportunity to appeal to the growing number of tech-savvy young professionals moving there to take advantage of a booming job market. “Being the high-tech leader in the haircare industry, Great Clips offers innovative ways to support brand delivery and growth, improving the experience for salon teams and customers in a way other salons cannot,” said Renyi.

The Great Clips app features over 10 million users and provides estimated wait times along with the ability to check-in online. The in-salon Clip Notes feature provides detailed, technical information about each customer’s haircut so customers can get the same cut from any stylist at any Great Clips location. The brand also provides franchisees like Renyi with web-based business intelligence tools, an advanced POS system and a tablet-based app that delivers key operational data for every salon in real-time.

Great Clips continues to implement systems that will position the brand ahead of the competition, including the rollout of the new salon management system Salon X across its franchise system that started last year. Shorthand for Salon Experience of the Future, Salon X will enhance the way Great Clips salons serve and engage with customers. 

As one of the first two franchise owners in the Portland area, Renyi is excited to break into the untapped territory.

“There is an unmet demand in the Portland market and Great Clips can deliver on what customers want – a great haircut and low wait times at a reasonable price,” said Renyi. “Our first-mover advantage in Maine allows us to pick prime real estate without having to worry about where other salons might be.” The Renyis are planning to start with a single unit and expand up to four or five locations down the road. 

As a 100% franchisee-owned salon brand, Great Clips prioritizes owner success and growth – positioning franchisees like Renyi with an exceptional team of franchise-industry leaders who focus on the metrics that matter most to franchisees, including same-salon sales growth and same-salon customer count growth. The low cost of entry and high return on investment leads the average Great Clips franchisee to operate five or six salons within five years of opening their first.

“Portland, Maine is the perfect market for Great Clips,” said Renyi. “As the brand continues to expand throughout North America, we are excited to bring Great Clips’ exceptional haircare services to the Portland community for the first time.”

To learn more about franchising with Great Clips, visit https://www.greatclipsfranchise.com/.