As parents of three young children, Rachel and Matt Brown had been customers of Pigtails & Crewcuts, the kids’ salon franchise, for several years. They regularly visited the Vestavia Hills, Alabama, location near their home and got to know the team that worked there. When they began looking for a business opportunity, they had the chance to purchase that location, as well as one in Trussville.
“We had been customers for three or four years, so we knew the business and enjoyed the experience,” Matt said. “We had seen the same people working there for years, and the core team hadn’t changed much. That was a big part of why we wanted to buy it.”
The Browns bring different professional backgrounds to franchise ownership. Rachel has worked as a teacher in the Birmingham area for about 20 years, while Matt has spent more than 20 years in supply chain management and leadership roles. Matt also previously owned a franchise and had been looking for an opportunity to get back into small-business ownership.
Taking over two operating salons has allowed the Browns to step into the business while learning the day-to-day operations. Matt’s previous franchise experience gave him some familiarity with business ownership, while Rachel has been getting to know the employees and learning more about running the salons.
“It's been fun to get to know the girls that work there and learn the business side of it,” Rachel said. “It's a new thing for me because I'm a teacher, so I'm learning a lot.”
Their experience with the brand as customers made the transition into ownership feel like a natural fit. Instead of investing in a business they knew only through research, they were taking over locations where they had already experienced the service firsthand.
The model also works well for the Browns as parents of three young children. Pigtails & Crewcuts’ straightforward operations and family-friendly hours allow them to own a business without giving up time with their family.
The Browns see plenty of room to continue building the Pigtails & Crewcuts customer base throughout greater Birmingham. The Vestavia Hills salon serves families from surrounding communities including Homewood, Hoover and Mountain Brook, while the Trussville location reaches families from Trussville, Gardendale, Moody, Clay and other nearby areas.
“I think Pigtails & Crewcuts was the first to market in Birmingham from a kids’ salon standpoint, and it probably has the longest reputation,” Matt said. “We’ve gotten some competition over the years, and now it’s just a matter of being better at what we do, retaining our customers and drawing new ones in.”
That means focusing on what attracted the Browns to Pigtails & Crewcuts in the first place: quality service and a welcoming environment designed specifically for children and their families. They also want the salons to have a visible presence outside their doors. The Browns have donated to local PTOs, supported youth baseball and T-ball teams and become involved with chambers of commerce in both Vestavia Hills and Trussville. They are also exploring additional opportunities for their team to work with local charities.
“That's part of being a small-business owner — giving back,” Matt said. “We hope to continue to do that for years to come and just grow and be part of the community.”
The Browns completed a week of training with Pigtails & Crewcuts after taking over the salons. Matt said the corporate team has been easy to reach when they have questions and has helped with marketing and social media. The Browns and their employees also use Pigtails University for additional training.
For now, the Browns are focused on their two Birmingham-area salons and the employees and families they serve. The Vestavia Hills location has already held a ribbon-cutting under the Browns' ownership, and the couple wants to establish a strong foundation before deciding what comes next. Additional growth, however, is something they are considering.
“We wanted to get our feet wet and get the ground under us steady and give it some time and see where that next opportunity might be, whether it be somewhere else in Birmingham or maybe another city in Alabama,” Matt said. “We want to be here a long time. We want to grow, support the team, support the community and really make it something that everybody can be proud of.”
With young children of their own and longtime ties to the area, the Browns see Pigtails & Crewcuts as a business they can continue building alongside their family.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/pigtails-and-crewcuts.
Pigtails & Crewcuts
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Rachel and Matt Brown saw a strong team, an established local presence and an opportunity to build a business that could serve Birmingham-area families for years to come.
As parents of three young children, Rachel and Matt Brown had been customers of Pigtails & Crewcuts, the kids’ salon franchise, for several years. They regularly visited the Vestavia Hills, Alabama, location near their home and got to know the team that worked there. When they began looking for a business opportunity, they had the chance to purchase that location, as well as one in Trussville.
“We had been customers for three or four years, so we knew the business and enjoyed the experience,” Matt said. “We had seen the same people working there for years, and the core team hadn’t changed much. That was a big part of why we wanted to buy it.”
The Browns bring different professional backgrounds to franchise ownership. Rachel has worked as a teacher in the Birmingham area for about 20 years, while Matt has spent more than 20 years in supply chain management and leadership roles. Matt also previously owned a franchise and had been looking for an opportunity to get back into small-business ownership.
Taking over two operating salons has allowed the Browns to step into the business while learning the day-to-day operations. Matt’s previous franchise experience gave him some familiarity with business ownership, while Rachel has been getting to know the employees and learning more about running the salons.
“It's been fun to get to know the girls that work there and learn the business side of it,” Rachel said. “It's a new thing for me because I'm a teacher, so I'm learning a lot.”
Their experience with the brand as customers made the transition into ownership feel like a natural fit. Instead of investing in a business they knew only through research, they were taking over locations where they had already experienced the service firsthand.
The model also works well for the Browns as parents of three young children. Pigtails & Crewcuts’ straightforward operations and family-friendly hours allow them to own a business without giving up time with their family.
The Browns see plenty of room to continue building the Pigtails & Crewcuts customer base throughout greater Birmingham. The Vestavia Hills salon serves families from surrounding communities including Homewood, Hoover and Mountain Brook, while the Trussville location reaches families from Trussville, Gardendale, Moody, Clay and other nearby areas.
“I think Pigtails & Crewcuts was the first to market in Birmingham from a kids’ salon standpoint, and it probably has the longest reputation,” Matt said. “We’ve gotten some competition over the years, and now it’s just a matter of being better at what we do, retaining our customers and drawing new ones in.”
That means focusing on what attracted the Browns to Pigtails & Crewcuts in the first place: quality service and a welcoming environment designed specifically for children and their families. They also want the salons to have a visible presence outside their doors. The Browns have donated to local PTOs, supported youth baseball and T-ball teams and become involved with chambers of commerce in both Vestavia Hills and Trussville. They are also exploring additional opportunities for their team to work with local charities.
“That's part of being a small-business owner — giving back,” Matt said. “We hope to continue to do that for years to come and just grow and be part of the community.”
The Browns completed a week of training with Pigtails & Crewcuts after taking over the salons. Matt said the corporate team has been easy to reach when they have questions and has helped with marketing and social media. The Browns and their employees also use Pigtails University for additional training.
For now, the Browns are focused on their two Birmingham-area salons and the employees and families they serve. The Vestavia Hills location has already held a ribbon-cutting under the Browns' ownership, and the couple wants to establish a strong foundation before deciding what comes next. Additional growth, however, is something they are considering.
“We wanted to get our feet wet and get the ground under us steady and give it some time and see where that next opportunity might be, whether it be somewhere else in Birmingham or maybe another city in Alabama,” Matt said. “We want to be here a long time. We want to grow, support the team, support the community and really make it something that everybody can be proud of.”
With young children of their own and longtime ties to the area, the Browns see Pigtails & Crewcuts as a business they can continue building alongside their family.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/pigtails-and-crewcuts.
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