Pigtails & Crewcuts

Yvette Stumpf’s journey from director of operations in the restaurant industry to a thriving&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pigtailsandcrewcutsfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=a-safe-haven-for-kids-haircuts-yvette-stumpf-marks-four-years-of-pigtails-crewcuts-in-phoenix-arizona-2729794" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts</a> franchisee is a testament to her adaptability and dedication. After 22 years of managing teams and opening multiple restaurant locations, she stepped away to focus on family. During this time, she recognized a unique opportunity to combine her leadership skills with her passion for working with children — owning a kid-friendly salon.In May 2021, she opened&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/pigtails-and-crewcuts/info">Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts</a> in Phoenix, determined to create a warm, welcoming space where kids could enjoy stress-free haircuts and parents could feel at ease. Her background in operations and customer service helped her build a business centered on people — both her team and the families she serves.Now, four years later, Stumpf celebrates the impact her salon has made on the community. Having a child with sensory sensitivities herself, she understands the challenges many parents face and has made it a priority to provide a safe, comforting environment for every child. As she looks to the future, Stumpf remains committed to growing her business while upholding the values of family, flexibility, and inclusion.Stumpf took the time to chat with 1851 Franchise to discuss all of this and more. Here’s what she had to say:1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?Yvette Stumpf:&nbsp;Before entering the world of franchising, I spent 22 years in the restaurant industry. I started as a server, worked my way up to becoming a trainer and eventually held the position of director of operations, overseeing 350 employees and helping open several restaurants.&nbsp;After that, I became a stay-at-home mom to raise my two boys. During this time, we moved to Louisiana, where I began substituting at my children’s school. This experience made me realize I wanted a career that offered both flexibility and the ability to balance family life.In 2017, we discovered a local salon for sale. My husband — whose mom was a hairstylist — suggested we open a salon. Though I had no experience in the hair industry, we started researching different options and in early 2018, chose Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts because of their family-oriented approach and the comprehensive support they offered, which aligned well with my management and training background. In 2019, we found the location of our salon in North Phoenix, and in 2021, after many delays due to COVID-19 and new construction challenges, we opened our Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts location in Phoenix.1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?Stumpf:&nbsp;Before becoming a franchisee, I worked for wealthy restaurant owners and was involved in turning businesses around. I always wanted to own my own business but didn’t want to start from scratch. I saw franchising as a way to leverage the tools and support offered by a franchise system while still running my own business. I was confident that with my management and training background, franchising would be a good fit for me.Now that I’m a franchisee, I want people to know that franchising is not as easy as it may seem. While the franchise provides a framework, it still requires hard work, dedication and investment, especially when it comes to people. I believe that a positive work environment and a focus on strong core values are essential to success. Franchise systems give you structure, but it’s the human element — the team, the culture and the drive — that makes a business successful.1851:&nbsp;What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?Stumpf:&nbsp;We chose Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts primarily because of the experience it provides for children, and I’ve always loved working with kids. Unlike mainstream salons, where haircuts can be quick and impersonal, this brand focuses on making kids feel comfortable. Children often need extra patience and reassurance, and Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts provides that.This was also personal for me — my older son has sensory issues and struggles with haircuts. Even with Grandma as a stylist, it was always a challenge. I knew firsthand how difficult it can be for many families, and I loved that this franchise created a fun, stress-free environment for kids who might otherwise dread haircuts.Another huge reason I chose franchising — and this brand in particular — was flexibility. Coming from the restaurant industry, where I worked every holiday, I wanted control over my schedule. With my own salon, I decide when we’re open. I can close on Christmas, on Mother’s Day — on days that matter to my family. That freedom was a game-changer for me.1851:&nbsp;What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?&nbsp; Stumpf:&nbsp;My biggest goal is for the community to know that this is a safe, welcoming place for kids to get haircuts — no matter their needs. We are a family salon, and we also serve parents and grandparents, but our focus is on making the experience positive for kids.We’ve designed our salon with kids in mind. We have a playroom with toys and a train table because we know that some children, especially those with sensory sensitivities, need time to acclimate before getting a haircut. We even have fidgets for them to hold during the cut. Sometimes, we’re literally following them around with scissors as they play! I like to think of us as the theme park of haircuts — we make it a fun, memorable experience.Not only do we want a great experience for our customers, but also for our employees. We have an incredibly low turnover rate because our staff feels like part of the Pigtails family. I’m highly invested in them, and they enjoy coming to work. For me, my salon is a happy place. I love being there, creating a fun environment and helping kids feel comfortable.As for growth, we are not actively pursuing another location, but we remain open to the possibility if the right opportunity arises.&nbsp;1851: What have the past four years been like for you?Stumpf: I am incredibly proud of our store and its growth over the past four years since we opened. It’s doing well, and we have a fantastic team of employees and a wonderful, loyal clientele. Being the owner of this store is truly a blessing. Yes, it’s a lot of hard work, and I get plenty of phone calls, but I personally manage it — I’m not an absentee owner. I’m actively involved in the day-to-day operations, and honestly, I prefer it that way.At the same time, one of the biggest advantages of franchising is flexibility. If I need to step away, I can. A perfect example of this was last summer when I broke my knee at a trampoline park (thinking I was still young enough for that!). I was out for three months but during that time, my team absolutely thrived and we even received more positive Google reviews than ever before. That made me so proud. It was proof that I had built a strong, capable team that could carry on even in my absence.It’s moments like that that reinforce why I love what I do and why this business is so special to me1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming franchise owners?Stumpf:&nbsp;Do your homework. Find the right company that aligns with your values and goals. If you’re not happy with the corporate world, don’t invest in a corporate-style franchise. There are smaller franchises that operate differently and offer more flexibility, especially when unexpected circumstances arise — like during COVID.Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts, for example, was very understanding during that time. It wasn’t just about the money for them; they cared about the brand and the people behind it. That made a big difference for me. A good franchise should set you up for success by providing the right tools and knowledge. There are a lot of moving parts to running a business, and having the right support system in place can make all the difference.ABOUT PIGTAILS &amp; CREWCUTS:Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts is a kid’s 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 &amp; Crewcuts provides a range of hair care services for boys and girls aged zero 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 &amp; 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 &amp; Crewcuts or to find a salon near you, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pigtailsandcrewcuts.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=a-safe-haven-for-kids-haircuts-yvette-stumpf-marks-four-years-of-pigtails-crewcuts-in-phoenix-arizona-2729794" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.pigtailsandcrewcuts.com</a>. To learn more about franchise opportunities with Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pigtailsandcrewcutsfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=a-safe-haven-for-kids-haircuts-yvette-stumpf-marks-four-years-of-pigtails-crewcuts-in-phoenix-arizona-2729794" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">www.pigtailsandcrewcutsfranchise.com</a>.

A Safe Haven for Kids’ Haircuts: Yvette Stumpf Marks Four Years of Pigtails & Crewcuts in Phoenix 

Pigtails & Crewcuts Franchisee Celebrates Four Years in Phoenix

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Creating a welcoming, stress-free salon experience, Stumpf has spent the past four years building a space where every child — especially those with sensory sensitivities — feels safe and supported.

A Safe Haven for Kids’ Haircuts: Yvette Stumpf Marks Four Years of Pigtails & Crewcuts in Phoenix, Arizona

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In Happy Valley, Arizona,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/a-safe-haven-for-kids-haircuts-yvette-stumpf-marks-four-years-of-pigtails-crewcuts-in-phoenix-arizona-2729794">Yvette Stumpf</a>, a franchisee with&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pigtailsandcrewcutsfranchise.com">Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts</a>, the 85-plus unit kids salon franchise, is turning an ordinary haircut experience into a learning and community engagement opportunity. Stumpf, who earned an education degree before starting her family, came to&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/pigtails-and-crewcuts/info">Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts</a> after spending time as a stay-at-home mom. As she has grown her business, she’s blended her own passion for learning and reading with her care for her community and the families in it.“I’ve always been an advocate for education; I think that ignorance is not bliss,” she said. “It benefits everyone to be educated. I like Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts because it’s a part of the community with the mom-and-pop type feeling, and one of my goals was to give back. That’s always been near and dear to my heart. With these two things in mind, the Little Free Library was the perfect idea. I’m in a great little shopping center, and people from neighboring establishments come check out the book selection, too.”When Stumpf started the Little Free Library, she built it with her kids’ own used books. Over time, though, those have been “checked out,” and the community has kept the Little Free Library alive.“I didn’t do this because it draws people back to the salon,” she said. “I did it because it makes the community more kid-friendly and more family-oriented. It’s being utilized.”<h2>A Lifelong Advocate for Education</h2>Stumpf’s passion for reading goes back to her own childhood. With a Colombian mother and Hungarian father, she grew up in a multilingual household."I speak three languages, and it was English that helped me move forward," she said. "When I was younger, my parents didn't help me separate all three languages. When you speak the other two, you don’t use pronouns. You just conjugate the verb. School for me was beneficial because English explained the pronouns, and reading was a big component to figure it all out."As a child, reading felt like a chore for Stumpf because she was navigating the language learning aspect in addition to trying to understand the story itself, but over time, she came to love “reading to read.” Encouraging her own children to read for pleasure showed Stumpf a new side of things.“My kids love books so much,” she said. “Reading is one of their ‘fun things’ to do. We go to the bookstore, and I can’t say no to books!”This informed her current understanding of how kids approach reading, and it was a key driver for her not only to establish the Little Free Library but also to incorporate the Yoto Player, a screen-free audio player, into the salon experience.&nbsp;“A lot of parents don’t want their kids to have phones, iPads or TVs now,” she said. “With the Yoto Player, a kid can hear a story and use their imagination to visualize what’s happening. It’s also a helpful tool for the kids who have a sensory need. With the Yoto Player, they’re able to sit there and focus on the story. Maybe it’s the vibration of the box or the voice of a specific reader, but they love these stories.”“I think the books and Yoto Player are a natural fit for kids — especially all the different kinds of kids,” she continued. “We have the hardcover books with sensory elements, and the Yoto Player as an auditory option for kids who have different sensory needs. Some kids like visuals, some use their imaginations and some like to be read to. It’s about mixing it up so we can serve everyone.”<h2>The Little Free Library as a Shared Community Investment</h2>Stumpf spurred the literacy push in her salon and community, but its continued success has been driven by the passion and contributions of the entire community.To stock the Little Free Library initially, she drew on her own family’s collection of children’s books, but the response from her team and community was immediate.“Even our stylists were getting excited about the books,” she said. “There are beautifully illustrated books that the kids get really excited about. We had clients who got so engaged with the Little Free Library that they were just glowing and so happy about these books. It’s awesome.”Over time, co-tenants at the shopping center have gotten involved in the effort, too. For example, there is a Bricks &amp; Minifigs location in the same center, and they have contributed Lego books to the Little Free Library.“That helps because our neighbors are encouraging reading, too,” she said. A couple of people locally have pitched in, and it’s been so worth it.”<h2>Purpose Beyond Profit</h2>The Little Free Library and Yoto Player may have brought more attention to Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts of Happy Valley, but Stumpf said that was never the point. For her, giving back is simply part of how she wants the salon to show up in the community.“We like giving back. It benefits us, but to me, it’s not a monetary benefit,” she said. “In the long term, it’ll be great for the kids. It’s something for the mind and the heart.”To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/pigtails-and-crewcuts.">https://1851franchise.com/pigtails-and-crewcuts.</a>&nbsp;

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Yvette Stumpf brings literacy into her Happy Valley, Arizona, kids salon with a Yoto Player and a Little Free Library outside the shop.

Pigtails & Crewcuts Franchise Owner Champions Children’s Literacy in Salon and Beyond

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<a href="https://www.pigtailsandcrewcutsfranchise.com/">Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts</a>, the children’s hair salon franchise, is targeting Miami and the rest of the Southeast Florida market for franchise development. Currently, the franchise has a strong presence in Central Florida, but no existing locations in the southern part of the state.&nbsp;“Our existing Florida locations are doing fantastic, so there’s a lot of validation,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-holliman-2132313/">Michelle Holliman</a>, Vice President of Franchise Development. “All of southern Florida is still available, and they have great demographics. We’ve been doing market analysis and we see a lot of kids and population growth, and the median and average household incomes really match our target audience.”&nbsp;Florida's population has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thecentersquare.com/florida/article_4c96744e-c143-11ef-829c-bb17727f2977.html">grown by over 8% since 2020</a>, with Southeast Florida being the most densely populated region in the state,&nbsp;<a href="https://floridadep.gov/southeast">home to more than 7 million people</a>, about one-third of Florida's total population. Almost 30% of households in&nbsp;<a href="https://statisticalatlas.com/county/Florida/Miami-Dade-County/Household-Types">Miami-Dade County</a> alone have children under the age of 18.&nbsp;“You have so many different types of families in Southeast Florida. There’s so much diversity in different types of hair and the opportunity to be able to cut children's hair in that market is fantastic,” Holliman said. “This would be great not only for our haircuts, but also for our other services, like ear piercing. We do a lot of different things that would match the market.”<a href="https://1851franchise.com/pigtails-and-crewcuts/info">Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts’</a> existing Florida owners have been successful, and most have expanded. For example, Warin Epstein has grown to five units in Central Florida, while&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hmarnold2018/">Heather Arnold</a>, who started with one location in Clermont, added a second in Davenport last year.&nbsp;“The franchise system has been a very important part of our growth,” Epstein said. “From branding to operational tools, the support provided by the corporate team helps us daily. Having access to established systems, vendor relationships and marketing resources is the exact reason we looked to get into the franchise space and not go it alone.”The franchise encourages prospective Florida owners to talk to these franchisees themselves to get a real idea of what it's like.&nbsp;“They do a fantastic job not only explaining their experience of what it took for them to open their own business, but also what kind of support they get,” Holliman said. “I tell my franchise prospects, I want them to give you the good, the bad and the ugly of what it means to own a business.”<h3>Why Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts Succeeds No Matter Where It Goes</h3>One of the best things about opening a children’s hair salon is that demand never goes away. No matter the situation, kids need haircuts.&nbsp;“You might go six to eight weeks to get a haircut, but you need a haircut,” Holliman said. “It’s a service that any family needs. We make the experience worthwhile. That's why our customers love coming to Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts. Getting a haircut might be scary for their child, or their child might have sensory sensitivities. We make them feel more comfortable. And that's the beauty of our brand.”Pigtails &amp; Crewcuts wants to ensure it's offering that experience in markets it believes would be a great fit. Southeast Florida is wide open, and there’s plenty of room for single or multi-unit operators to reach as many families as possible in areas like Miami, St. Pete, Tampa, Sarasota, Naples and more.&nbsp;To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/pigtails-and-crewcuts">https://1851franchise.com/pigtails-and-crewcuts</a>.

The franchise has already seen success in other parts of the Sunshine State. Now, it is looking to expand in southern areas like Miami, where there are no locations yet and plenty of opportunity.

Pigtails & Crewcuts Sees Southeast Florida as a Strong Market for Kids Hair Salon Franchise Development

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A Safe Haven for Kids’ Haircuts: Yvette Stumpf Marks Four Years of Pigtails & Crewcuts in Phoenix, Arizona

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