Sola Salons Franchisee Grows Salon Freedom Into a Multi-State Powerhouse

When David Raduziner expanded his Sola Salons footprint to Pittsburgh, it wasn’t just about breaking into a new market — it was about building something meaningful and lasting. After launching his first locations in the San Francisco Bay Area and Nashville, Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania overall became a key part of Raduziner’s long-term plan to operate a diverse, multi-market portfolio. “We didn’t want just one location or to stay in a single city. We wanted to build something bigger and more diverse,” he said.

That growth mindset paid off. Today, Raduziner’s group, Salon Freedom, owns and operates 59 Sola Salons locations in markets that include Pennsylvania, South New Jersey, Tennessee and Houston. “We now employ a large team and support 1,700 beauty professionals every day,” he said. “I’m very proud of how far we’ve come.”

For Raduziner, success across the portfolio reflects the heart of the Sola model — empowering others. It’s not just about scaling locations; it’s about creating communities of entrepreneurs. “There needs to be a purpose behind it — something you believe in,” he said. “Become a student of the business and commit yourself fully to your customers and their experience.”

1851 Franchise sat down with Raduziner to discuss his successful franchising journey with Sola Salons. Here’s what he had to say:

1851 Franchise: Can you tell us about your journey leading up to investing in your Sola Salons franchises? What brought you here?

David Raduziner: In 2007, I experienced a career change opportunity, and a good friend of mine — Stratton Smith — was one of the founders of Sola. I followed what he was doing, and when I had an opportunity to make a change, we started working together. I helped at the company for about nine months to a year while I was looking into how I would want to develop my own franchise system of Sola locations.

I brought in my good friend and business partner, Steve Breuner who had previously built a multi-unit Supercuts franchise, and we signed development agreements in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Nashville. That’s how we got started.

1851: What were you doing before you got into franchising, and what made you realize owning a franchise was the right move for you?

Raduziner: I had a long career in commercial and corporate real estate, and when I learned about the Sola model, it made sense to me given my background. What really resonated was the idea of creating opportunities for independently minded beauty professionals to realize their dreams of entrepreneurship — to help them own and operate their own salons.

I wasn’t necessarily seeking a franchise opportunity at the time, but the franchise model appealed to me. It meant being part of something bigger — having the support of the Sola corporate team and being part of the larger franchise community, which was already impressive even in the early days. I had met many of them during my time supporting the corporate team, so it felt like a natural fit and a great place to begin my entrepreneurial journey.

1851: How did your perception of franchising change once you became a franchise owner, and what do you wish more people understood about it?

Raduziner: I had a positive perception of franchising going in. Coming from real estate, I was already aware that many businesses are structured as franchises.

After becoming a franchise operator, I became much more aware of how many franchises are active in our communities and developed a deeper appreciation for what they do. Now when I walk into a business, I think, “This is a franchise,” and I can often tell whether it’s being run by a strong operator or not. You start to notice the personal touch a franchisee brings — or doesn’t — and that lens has stayed with me.

1851: Why did you choose Sola Salons specifically? What stood out to you about the brand when you were making your decision?

Raduziner: It was actually pretty straightforward. I really understood the business and believed in the mission. At the time, Sola was a major industry disruptor, and I could clearly see the path to success for the brand and for us as franchisees.

So while it wasn’t easy in terms of the work required, it was easy to get on board with the concept. We believed in it, and we just got going.

1851: Since opening your Sola Salons location(s), what achievements are you most proud of? How do you define success for your business today?

Raduziner: From the beginning, Steve and I had a plan to create a multi-unit system — a portfolio of Sola locations across multiple markets. We didn’t want just one location or to stay in a single city. We wanted to build something bigger and more diverse.

We started with our own capital, but we knew we’d have to raise money to grow. One of the first big wins was securing our first outside investor. I’ll never forget it — I was on a ski lift when he called and said, “I’m in.” That moment was one of the best I’d experienced professionally.

Opening our first store was another milestone. It was a ton of hands-on work. I remember assembling 30 styling chairs and 26 signs myself. Putting together one isn’t a big deal, but doing dozens by yourself is something else. Once everything was ready and we started showing the space to prospective customers, it was incredibly rewarding.

By March 2022 we had built 34 units ourselves. And then we attracted a group of private equity firms to invest in our business. Since then, we’ve grown from 34 to 59 locations. We now employ a large team and support 1,700 beauty professionals every day. I’m very proud of how far we’ve come.

1851: What are your goals for the future — whether that's growth, community impact or something else?

Raduziner: We want to keep growing organically by building new locations in our markets, but we’re also interested in acquisitions and expanding into new territories within the Sola system.

Our goal is to build a high-functioning business machine with heart. At the core, we’re a service business — taking care of our customers is everything. The challenge is maintaining that level of service while building an efficient, scalable and consistent operation across all our locations.

We’re a long way down that road, but there’s still more to do. Growth brings its own challenges — new store openings and acquisitions involve integration work — but we always get where we need to go. We’ve built a tremendous management team and are executing!

1851: Is there anything about your journey with Sola Salons that people might not know but you think is important to share?

Raduziner: One thing we didn’t anticipate was how difficult obtaining conventional financing would be given Sola established a new industry segment. Looking back, maybe we would’ve done a few things differently, but we figured it out, and I’m proud of that.

Another important lesson is the need for adaptability and resilience. Things are always changing — the economy, local political climates, state regulations, the digital marketing landscape. You have to be flexible while staying committed to your core principles, values and mission.

1851: Based on your experience, what advice would you give to someone considering franchise ownership, especially with Sola Salons?

Raduziner: You have to fully commit and be genuinely bought in. If you’re just in it for the financials, it’s going to be hard to find real success. There needs to be a purpose behind it — something you believe in.

Get deep into the business. Understand the industry, your specific segment, and don’t assume success will come just from following a model. You need to be a great operator. Become a student of the business and commit yourself fully to your customers and their experience.

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/sola-salons.

ABOUT SOLA SALONS:

In 2004, Sola Salons was established with the opening of its first location in Denver, Colorado. Now with more than 735 locations open in the U.S. and Canada, Sola is proud to offer 20,000+ independent beauty professionals the freedom and benefits of salon ownership without the risk and overhead of opening a traditional salon. Its innovative salon model empowers hairdressers, estheticians, nail techs, massage therapists and other like-minded professionals to take control of their lives and their careers. Sola provides beauty professionals with beautiful, fully-equipped salon studios alongside the support and tools they need to launch their salon business in no time. For more information about Sola Salons, please visit https://www.solasalonstudios.com/.