Raleigh Mom Chose to Franchise With Pigtails & Crewcuts After Seeing How Much Her Son Enjoyed His Haircut

Before franchising, Sujatha Jetty, originally from South India, typically pursued regular nine-to-five jobs. However, she wanted to show her children that there were more options out there for them, including business ownership. Now, she is bringing the kids’ salon franchise Pigtails & Crewcuts to Raleigh, North Carolina.

Jetty decided to open a Pigtails & Crewcuts franchise for a personal reason. Her son faced challenges with social exposure and speech delays during the pandemic, making traditional barbershop visits difficult. Seeing how much he enjoyed his haircut at Pigtails & Crewcuts — where fun distractions and themed seats made it easier for him — inspired Jetty to share this positive experience with other families in similar situations.

1851 Franchise spoke to Jetty about her franchising journey with Pigtails & Crewcuts and plans for the future. 

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Jetty: I come from India, South India specifically. So my family background is all in farming. My parents' generation are all employees working a nine-to-five job. And so naturally, I’ve also been a nine-to-five job kind of person — I have no entrepreneurship background, and the same thing with my husband's family, too. However, I did not want my kids to think that there are only nine-to-five jobs. I wanted to show my kids that there’s something else and there are lots of other options that you can venture into. So that's why we started and, considering we didn’t have a background in entrepreneurship, we thought a franchise might be a good starting point because of all the help you receive from the franchisor. 

I chose Pigtails & Crewcuts because of my son. My son was born in 2018, and by the time he was one-and-a-half years old, the pandemic started. He wasn't seeing a lot of people and became scared of crowds. My son is also suffering from speech delays and everything because of the lack of social exposure. So, I thought, if I'm in this situation, there’s definitely lots of parents who might be feeling the same way. I started looking around at options and I took my son to Pigtails & Crewcuts. The haircut experience was so much smoother and he was so happy, playing around; he was distracted with all the sensory things available and the seats shaped like a police car or airplane. So, since I had already decided to go into franchising, I thought opening a Pigtails & Crewcuts could help a lot of parents like me. 

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?

Jetty: I do not have any background at all, so when I met the Pigtails & Crewcuts team in Georgia, we talked about royalties and fees and I was confused. But after I talked to the team, I realized how much they do in the background and it completely changed my perception. They are helping people like me and creating a soother entrepreneurship experience. 

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Jetty: I come from a family that stays together and backs each other during our successes and failures. [Pigtails & Crewcuts] created a family-type environment that made me feel at home, and I knew right away that this was the franchise I wanted to go with. It felt personal to me. 

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Jetty: We are now regretting just buying one location, but we want to take it slow since it is our first time venturing into it. We want to try one location and eventually grow into a multiple location franchise. 

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Jetty: The kid’s salon concept has started growing in recent times, and there are lots of people who do not know that there are kids-only salons — like myself up until recently. So what I want to do, at least in my community, is to let people know that there are kids-only salons out there where kids are much more comfortable. That’s what I want to do with my business.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Jetty: I would encourage them to do it. I have been trying to get into entrepreneurship for the last six to seven years, at least, but … I was on an H-1 [visa] until recently. But once I had this opportunity — once I had my green card — I knew I wanted to do it. Everyone should try it. But taking that first step is so hard. Even after I had the FDD [franchise disclosure document], I slept on it for almost two weeks. I took my time to take the next step. But what I think I would want to say is you have to be fearless to grow. 

About Pigtails & Crewcuts: 

Pigtails & Crewcuts is a children’s hair salon franchise created by parents for kids to offer a stress-free haircutting experience for the whole family. In addition to hair care services, Pigtails & Crewcuts offers a custom line of kid-centric hair products, accessories and gifts. To learn more or to find a salon near you, please visit www.pigtailsandcrewcuts.com. To learn more about franchise opportunities, please visit www.pigtailsandcrewcutsfranchise.com.