1851

Two and a half years ago, Kansas City natives Troy and Sara Lovins signed on to bring the first <a href="https://handandstonefranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=hand-stone-massage-and-facial-spa-pursues-further-development-opportunities-in-kansas-city-2709910" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">Hand &amp; Stone Massage and Facial Spa</a> to the state of Kansas. As corporate professionals with backgrounds in engineering and human resources, respectively, Troy and Sara were eager to find a business they could be passionate about that had a positive impact on their community. 

Troy spent 18 years as an engineer where he gained experience overseeing teams and leading people, leaving him with the urge to take it upon himself to be responsible for his own success. That desire led him to the franchise industry before it did <a href="https://1851franchise.com/handandstone/latest-stories.html" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">Hand &amp; Stone</a>; in partnership with his brother, Troy first went into business for himself operating several Sport Clips franchise locations in the Houston area. After working simultaneously as an engineer and a franchisee for some time, Troy knew he wanted to commit to entrepreneurship full time and began seeking out available opportunities to bring to his home of Kansas City.

&ldquo;There were no opportunities with Sport Clips in Kansas City, so I began searching for another service-based concept for my wife and me to eventually run together,&rdquo; Troy said. &ldquo;Based on my previous franchise experience, I looked for a market niche, and the opportunity to differentiate and rise above the competition. We kept coming back to the spa industry, so we used a consultant to help us narrow down our choices.&rdquo;

When the consultant pointed Troy and Sara to Hand &amp; Stone, they were unfamiliar with the brand because it hadn&rsquo;t yet entered the Kansas City market. As they began exploring Hand &amp; Stone&rsquo;s franchise opportunity in depth, the Lovins&rsquo; quickly learned why it was different &mdash; a strong corporate culture, superior franchisee support and well-designed business practices.

&ldquo;Because Hand &amp; Stone&rsquo;s competitors had left me uninspired as a customer, the brand intrigued me,&rdquo; Troy said. &ldquo;I couldn&rsquo;t believe [members of Hand &amp; Stone&rsquo;s leadership team] owned their own spas and believe in the brand enough to invest themselves. The level of franchisee support and commitment of corporate leadership blew us away.&rdquo;

Shortly thereafter, Troy and Sara brought Hand &amp; Stone to Kansas City. Their first spa opened in the suburb of Leawood, Kansas in Fall 2016. Less than two years later, the two opened the brand&rsquo;s first franchised location in Missouri, across the state line in Liberty.

Troy attributed their quick success in part to Kansas City&rsquo;s demographics, noting the brand fits well as far as age, income and gender breakdown are concerned. Beyond the surface level, though, the leadership skills and industry knowledge they collectively gained from their previous experiences have been a clear difference maker. For Sara, who still works full-time, this means tapping into her well-established network to spread awareness through sponsoring community events and being active in the chamber of commerce. For Troy, his skills present themselves in the day-to-day operations of their businesses.

&ldquo;I learned from engineering that you have to be able to motivate to create a positive, encouraging culture, but it&rsquo;s a balance &mdash; you have to be firm and discipline when necessary, too,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;A lot of the time, you have to lead from the front, back and side. There&rsquo;s nothing I ask my staff to do that I&#39;m not willing to do myself. I&rsquo;m not there to micromanage; I&rsquo;m there for support and help the team be successful.&rdquo;

Having previous franchising experience hasn&rsquo;t hurt either, Troy said, but working with a strong partner in Hand &amp; Stone has allowed him and Sara to realize their dream of making a positive impact on their community with a business they were passionate about. 

&ldquo;Hand &amp; Stone is the only concept in our market to offer a no-commitment membership. That month-to-month, cancel anytime model is something I&rsquo;m comfortable offering in my community because I&rsquo;d do it myself,&rdquo; Troy said. &ldquo;Hand &amp; Stone treats customers as a priority. We&rsquo;re not just getting people in and out the door as fast as possible; exceptional customer service is the standard. We want each and every guest to feel special in all aspects of our spas.&rdquo;

As far as advice for prospective Hand &amp; Stone franchisees is concerned, Troy was emphatic: &ldquo;It is incumbent on each business owner to make sure that Hand &amp; Stone&rsquo;s customer service-focused culture pervades at the local level.&rdquo; 

To continue growing its national footprint, Hand &amp; Stone is looking to partner with interested entrepreneurs in the Kansas City area. For more information on available opportunities, visit <a href="https://handandstonefranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=hand-stone-massage-and-facial-spa-pursues-further-development-opportunities-in-kansas-city-2709910" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">https://handandstonefranchise.com/</a>.

Hand & Stone, Kansas City, massage, franchise, spa, 

Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa Pursues Further Development Opportunities in Kansas City

1851 Franchise

Following a strong market entrance by experienced franchisees, the spa and facial service franchise is preparing to grow its presence in the Kansas City market.

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

hand-stone-massage-and-facial-spa-pursues-further-development-opportunities-in-kansas-city

Mosquito Squad Plus

How This Marine Corps Veteran Found Freedom and Purpose With Mosquito Squad

how-this-marine-corps-veteran-found-freedom-and-purpose-with-mosquito-squad

Spadea Lignana Franchise Attorneys

How The DeFelice Brothers Turned a $10,000 Loan Into an Award-Winning Franchise With Help From Spadea Lignana

how-the-defelice-brothers-turned-a-10000-loan-into-an-award-winning-franchise-with-help-from-spadea-lignana

Caring Transitions

How This Gilbert Entrepreneur Found Purpose Helping Families Through Life’s Transitions

how-this-gilbert-entrepreneur-found-purpose-helping-families-through-lifes-transitions

USA Ninja Challenge

Where Passion Meets Purpose: USA Ninja Challenge Gives Franchisees the Power to Change Lives

where-passion-meets-purpose-usa-ninja-challenge-gives-franchisees-the-power-to-change-lives

SweatHouz

From Finance to Wellness: Natalie Siewers’ Path to Leading SweatHouz in Northern Virginia

sweathouz-franchise-northern-virginia-natalie-siewers

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Thursday 1851 Franchise Agg - NASAA’s Noncompete Push

NASAA’s Noncompete Push Puts Franchise Growth on Uncertain Ground

franchise-noncompete-nasaa-advisory-reasonableness-standard

How a Steady Economy Could Help Franchisors Plan Their Next Move

how-a-steady-economy-could-help-franchisors-plan-their-next-move

Bed Bath & Beyond - Franchise Expansion - Retail Strategy - 1851 Franchise

Bed Bath & Beyond Launches Franchise Model as Part of Comeback Strategy

bed-bath-beyond-franchise-expansion-retail-strategy

Senior Entrepreneurship - Franchising - 1851 Franchise

Senior Entrepreneurship Is Rising — And Franchising Is a Key Outlet

senior-entrepreneurship-franchising-silver-startups

U.S. Government Shutdown - Impact on Franchises - 1851 Franchise

Government Shutdown Stalls SBA Loans: How the Shutdown Could Impact Franchises

government-shutdown-impacts-sba-loans-tourism-franchises

1851 Franchisee Spotlight graphic with photo of Barb Volk and KidStrong logo

Why This Orangetheory Fitness Franchise Owner Is Developing KidStrong Franchises

kidstrong-franchise-owner-barb-volk-2025

1851 Franchisee Spotlight with photo of Mike Rippey and Sola Salons logo

How This Former Franchisor Is Using His Industry Experience To Help Beauty Pros Thrive With Sola Salons Franchise

mike-rippey-sola-salons-franchisee

photo-of-laynes-chicken-fingers-dalton-dennis-southern-oregon

23-Year-Old Entrepreneur Brings Soon to Be Famous Chicken™ to Southern Oregon With 3-Unit Layne’s Chicken Fingers Franchise Signing

laynes-chicken-fingers-dalton-dennis-southern-oregon

1851 Franchisee Spotlight graphic with photo of Robby, Miilie Adams & family, USA Ninja Challenge

Family-Owned and Community-Driven: Robby and Millie Adams Open USA Ninja Challenge Gym in Carrollton, Georgia

usa-ninja-challenge-robby-millie-adams-carrollton-franchise

NJCAR v. Ford - New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

new-jersey-franchise-practices-act-njcar-v-ford

image of franchise deep dive from 1851 franchise on doody calls franchise authority brands

DoodyCalls Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

doodycalls-franchise-deep-dive

Power Eats: Smoothie King Rolls Out Food Nationwide To Fuel Franchise Growth

smoothie-king-food-menu-power-eats

Top Early Childhood Education and Child Care Franchises for 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Top Early Childhood Education and Child Care Franchises for 2025

early-childhood-education-child-care-franchises

Top Enrichment and Supplemental Education Franchises for 2025

Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa Pursues Further Development Opportunities in Kansas City

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS