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Sola Salons Announces Franchise Expansion in Madison County: Steve and Janie Ramsey To Grow Revolutionary Salon Concept in Mississippi

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Sola Salons Targets Additional Texas Growth in Multiple Major Markets

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With Decades of History and Opportunities for Consolidation, Sola Salons System Is Ripe for Private Equity Investments

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<a href="https://www.solafranchising.com/">Sola Salons</a>, the over-750-unit salon suites franchise, has dominated the industry with a stable, high-support model, offering an incredible opportunity for entrepreneurs looking to scale. With the salon suite industry continuing to grow, it’s clear that beauty pros are seeking a more independent model that allows them to build something for themselves. For franchise candidates, there’s never been a better time to join the system.Here are five reasons to invest in a&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/sola-salons/info">Sola Salons</a> franchise this year:<h2>A Real Estate-Forward Model With High Retention</h2>While Sola Salons holds a place in the beauty and wellness landscape, it’s a sophisticated real estate investment. Rather than managing stylists or focusing on the day-to-day operations of a service model, Sola franchisees serve as landlords and mentors for beauty professionals.&nbsp;“Sola is a recurring revenue model that allows owners to step away from the daily grind of service operations,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnlpantera">John Pantera</a>, vice president of franchise development.&nbsp;The ability to step away from the day-to-day details allows franchisees to truly focus on the relationships they hold with the beauty pros in the salon suites, and this boosts pros’ satisfaction and increases retention — ultimately driving stability for the franchisee.“Sola is built on high retention and predictable cash flow,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-finn-9a801914a">Liam Finn</a>, director of franchise sales. “The beauty professional is the heartbeat of the model. We want stylists to stay five years or more. And once franchisees’ suites are full, they’re not constantly cycling through new tenants. They’re building successful businesses inside their space, which makes the portfolio more valuable every year.”<h2>A Low-Labor, Highly Scalable Model</h2>In addition to the financial stability of the model, Sola Salons offers additional predictability with its low-labor model, which Pantera describes as a “zero- to one-employee” model. Because stylists are independent beauty professionals, franchisees are not managing them. Rather, owners are either completing ongoing tasks, like maintenance requests, themselves, or paying a single team member to do so.This keeps the labor burden low, but it also positions franchisees to scale, bringing in additional revenue while enjoying economies of scale with the ability to share labor across multiple locations.“Because Sola doesn’t require much labor, it’s feasible for a new owner to come in and build five to 10 locations in five to seven years,” Pantera said. “With most other franchises, you’re relying on people (or yourself) to be there constantly. That is incredibly hard to scale. At Sola, scaling is a reality.”<h2>Recession-Resilience and a 20-Year Track Record</h2>Sola’s long history and unique position in the market provide additional security for franchisees. Having weathered multiple economic cycles, the model has proven its ability to thrive in any climate.“Beauty services are incredibly sticky,” Finn said. “People continue to get their hair done regardless of economic cycles. Because we empower stylists who run high-margin businesses, our suites stay full even when the economy softens.”<h2>Unmatched Brand Dominance and Support</h2>Sola Salons is the largest player in the industry, and its size and experience allow it to offer a level of support that smaller competitors simply cannot compete with. The brand has become synonymous with the industry itself, giving franchisees an immediate advantage in their markets.“Reputation is everything,” Pantera said. “Sola is by far the biggest player, and people know our name. There are beauty pros who will say, ‘I got a Sola’ in reference to any salon suite space — even one with one of our competitors. That alone is reflective of market dominance, but our scale positions us to continue widening the gap between Sola and our competitors.”With a larger franchisee network and more mature brand, Sola has the resources and expertise to drive continued success, funneling leads to franchisees, reviewing and honing operations, and launching innovative solutions to keep the brand at the forefront of the industry.“Because we’ve passed the 750-unit mark, we’re dealing with a different economy of scale,” Pantera said. “We have a deeper level of digital marketing and operations talent that competitors just can’t touch, and that gap continues to widen.”<h2>Be a Part of a Steadily Growing Brand</h2>While Sola has established a strong national presence, there is still plenty of potential in the industry. Still, Sola is growing steadily with qualified entrepreneurs, and availability in some key markets is dwindling. Entrepreneurs who are interested in investing and scaling with Sola should inquire to secure their prime territory.“I call it a beautiful problem,” Finn said. “We have so many owners who continue to reinvest and buy up more territories and consistent interest from new franchisees that availability is thinning out. In major hubs like Dallas, Houston and parts of California, those multi-unit growth opportunities that will allow you to be the consolidator in the market aren’t going to be around much longer.”“If you want to partner with the best in the industry, you have to recognize that the runway isn’t infinite,” Pantera said.For entrepreneurs seeking a 2026 investment, Sola Salons offers a unique combination of financial predictability, brand strength and economic resilience that will position them well for long-term scale and success. To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/sola-salons">https://1851franchise.com/sola-salons</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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5 Reasons to Buy a Sola Salons Franchise in 2026

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LAKEWOOD, Colo. —&nbsp;<a href="https://www.solasalonstudios.com/franchising">Sola Salons</a>, the leading salon suites franchise, has been recognized on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 ranking for 2026. Ranked No. 80 on the Franchise 500, the brand is celebrated for its growth and strength, and&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/sola-salons/info">Sola Salons</a> was also recognized as the No. 1 player in the salon suites space.Entrepreneur’s annual rankings are among the most competitive and comprehensive in the industry. Each brand is evaluated on its costs and fees, size and growth, support, and brand strength. Through the analysis of over 150 data points, each brand receives a cumulative score, which is then used to establish the rankings.“Maintaining our position as the top salon suites franchise is a testament to the strength of the Sola model and a reflection of the continued emphasis we’ve placed on franchisee support and success,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/daryl-hurst-619903137">Daryl Hurst</a>, president and chief operating officer.&nbsp;Sola Salons enters 2026 with strong growth momentum, including 19 new salon suites opened in 2025; a new learning management system, The Studio by Sola; and additional tech partnerships that drive the success of Sola Pros nationwide. Last year, Sola Salons also surpassed 21,000 independent beauty professionals served nationwide, reflecting steady occupancy growth throughout the year.&nbsp;“The level of support and infrastructure we provide our franchisees and independent professionals is a key differentiating factor for Sola in the broader salon suites landscape,” Hurst said. “As we look toward another year of growth, we remain dedicated to these types of advancements, and there are many more resources in the pipeline.”Sola Salons’ 2026 ranking underscores the brand’s sustained dominance in a consistently growing franchise category. With enhanced technology, an expert leadership team and a strong, scalable model, the brand continues to serve not just as a participant in the salon suites space but as the industry’s clear pace-setter.ABOUT SOLA SALONS: In 2004, Sola Salons was established with the opening of its first location in Denver, Colorado. Now with more than 750+ locations open in the U.S. and Canada, Sola is proud to offer 21,000+ independent beauty and wellness 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 independent 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&nbsp;<a href="https://www.solasalonstudios.com/">https://www.solasalonstudios.com/</a>.&nbsp;

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Sola Salons Recognized in Entrepreneur’s 2026 Franchise 500, Ranked No. 1 in the Salon Suites Category

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LAKEWOOD, Colo.&nbsp;—&nbsp;<a href="https://www.solafranchising.com/">Sola Salons</a>, the 750-plus-unit salon suites franchise, finished 2025 with&nbsp;19 new openings and over 125&nbsp;more locations in the pipeline, including new flagship sites in Denton, Texas; Athens, Georgia; and Naples, Florida. The brand also surpassed&nbsp;21,000 Sola Pros systemwide, reflecting steady occupancy gains during the year.“2025 was a pivotal year for<a href="https://1851franchise.com/sola-salons/info">&nbsp;Sola</a>, and it set us up for an even better 2026.We saw so much growth in our franchise system, tremendous growth with our pros and a lot of great systems and technology implemented,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/daryl-hurst-619903137">Daryl Hurst</a>, president and chief operating officer. “Our team has been working hard to provide the best possible support to the franchise system, and the best validation is franchisees continuing to reinvest, along with high occupancy levels. Each step forward sets us up for success as we walk into the coming years, and there's even more in the pipeline to support the entire Sola family."The scaffolding built in 2025 includes a strategic partnership with Vagaro, providing industry-leading booking and payment software, and the rollout of The Studio, a customized&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/sola-salons/sola-salons-franchisee-training-platform-2730136">learning management system</a> to streamline training for franchise owners.Looking to 2026 and beyond, Hurst is excited to accelerate Sola’s development pace while crossing new thresholds of community impact.“I’d love to see us get to the 22,000 pro mark in 2026; I think it’s very possible,” he said. “On the development side, our goals are centered on growing the pipeline for future years to keep Sola steadily expanding. Our model will remain the same, but we’re looking at meaningful adjustments to strengthen an already solid core. Our mission is to grow our people’s businesses, and 2026 will be about providing the footprint and support that make it happen.”ABOUT SOLA SALONS:In 2004, Sola Salons was established with the opening of its first location in Denver, Colorado. Now with 750+ locations open in the U.S. and Canada, Sola is proud to offer 22,000+ 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&nbsp;<a href="https://www.solasalonstudios.com/">https://www.solasalonstudios.com/</a>.&nbsp;

Sola Salons Closes 2025 With 19 New Openings and Over 125 Units in the Pipeline

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<a href="https://www.solafranchising.com/">Sola Salons</a> recently opened a new location in downtown Greenville, South Carolina, bringing the brand to 750 locations. Reached in November, this milestone represents more than just a number. It’s a testament to two decades of growth and the thousands of beauty professionals who’ve built their careers within one of the fastest-growing salon suite brands in America.&nbsp;Entrepreneur&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/haynes-chidsey-6a36a06/">Haynes Chidsey</a> opened his first&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/sola-salons/info">Sola Salons</a> location nearly two decades ago as one of the earliest Sola franchisees. Today, he owns 58 locations, including the downtown Greenville opening that marked the milestone.“It is rewarding. It certainly allows you to stop and think about the progress we’ve made as a system,” Chidsey said. “I don’t think the number itself is what has really resonated with me or our team. It’s what that number represents. That’s more than 20,000 beauty professionals who call Sola the place they want to own and operate their own business. So,&nbsp;it’s also a milestone from the perspective of the people who have confidence in Sola being the place where they want to be.”<h2>Why Greenville Is the Perfect Spot for the 750th Salon</h2>The downtown Greenville location highlights Sola’s strategy of matching salon suites with growing urban markets. Between 2010 and 2022, Greenville’s population&nbsp;<a href="https://usafacts.org/data/topics/people-society/population-and-demographics/our-changing-population/state/south-carolina/county/greenville-county/">grew by more than 20%</a>. Chidsey pointed to that growth as well as the city’s entrepreneurial energy as perfect complements to Sola’s mission.“Greenville is a fast-growing city. It’s fun, it’s dynamic and, from Fortune 500 companies to local businesses, there are a lot of businesses opening and relocating there,” Chidsey said. “The entrepreneurial spirit of&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/growth-club/sola-salons-studio-franchise">Sola Salons</a> and downtown Greenville fit together very well.&nbsp;We’re excited. It’s our third location in Greenville.”<h2>Keys to Growth: Talent and Teamwork</h2>Founded in Denver, Colorado in 2004, Sola Salons has grown into a franchise business touting 750 locations across three countries in less than two decades.&nbsp;Chidsey attributes Sola’s success to attracting talented beauty professionals and building strong internal teams. The system also now offers a broad range of resources, including insurance, technology, marketing support and community engagement initiatives, that are designed to help salon owners thrive.“Two primary things have supported our success,” Chidsey said. “It’s the range of services we provide. The sense of community, participation in community events and the culture we’ve built. And the second cornerstone is our team, both within our organization and across the Sola system. Those are the two foundations of our success.”<h2>The Future of Sola Salons</h2>Following the downtown opening, Chidsey sees the opportunity for continued growth, further cementing a franchising partnership two decades in the making.“It’s been a journey. And a good one. We certainly see opportunities for more Sola Salons locations both nationally and within the markets where we already operate. That’s what gets us excited every day,” Chidsey said. “We were certainly one of the earliest franchisees. And I feel like we were among the earliest to scale the business with a purpose behind that growth. There’s no doubt we’re a better business today than when we started.”As Sola Salons marks 750 locations, the milestone reflects not only expansion but also the brand’s deep impact on the entrepreneurs and stylists building their futures within its salon suites.To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/sola-salons">https://1851franchise.com/sola-salons</a>.&nbsp;ABOUT SOLA SALONS:In 2004, Sola Salons was established with the opening of its first location in Denver, Colorado. Now with more than 750+ locations open in the U.S. and Canada, Sola is proud to offer 22,000+ 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&nbsp;<a href="https://www.solasalonstudios.com/">https://www.solasalonstudios.com/</a>.

Sola Salons Marks 750 Locations With New Opening By Haynes Chidsey, One of the First Franchisees With Nearly 60 Locations

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For nearly four decades, Steve Breuner has lived and breathed the beauty industry, but before his introduction to the industry and franchising, he spent a decade in advertising. After working with major franchise brands like Burger King and Baskin-Robbins, Breuner realized he had a knack for driving traffic and was fascinated by consumer behavior. Over time, he began to take note of the money he was making for his clients, and he started to think it might be time to make money for himself through franchising. Sitting in a chair one day, having his hair cut, he felt the beauty industry was clearly calling him.&nbsp;"I was completely entranced by the recurring demand,” he said. “Looking out the window of my car, everyone I see has to get a haircut every month. It can’t be outsourced overseas, and Amazon won’t bother the category. And maybe best of all, there are no receivables.”At the time, Breuner was a regular customer of Supercuts, and he admired that they created a new, convenient option between the old-fashioned barbershop and the high-end beauty salon that didn't require an appointment and was open seven days a week. He thought it was a “brilliant” idea, and he began researching opportunities with the brand.&nbsp;Breuner learned that his home market was already saturated. But he was committed to the dream and dedicated to making a path for himself in the beauty space, so he signed on as an area developer and relocated his young family to Pittsburgh. Breuner was warned that the people would be unreceptive in his new market, and he found that to be true. Though he was partnered with a relatively established franchise brand, Breuner was still new to the market, and he had a lot of development to do."It was extremely difficult to launch it,” he said. “I opened the first store and it was dead. The second and third were also fairly slow. We were doing two haircuts a day, and the breakeven is around 45. It was grim."Notably, the biggest challenge was attracting quality people. At Supercuts, success required hiring, training and retaining employees. As the new guy in town, many stylists were hesitant to take the leap and join a new salon operation. Slowly but surely, though, he built a reputable culture, focusing relentlessly on his team while interviewing primarily for “attitude and ambition.”As he grew, he employed 500 stylists, but this required consistent, hands-on management."Being a Supercuts owner was like being a college football coach,” he said. “You have to make a connection with each and every player to light their fuse and drive their total potential. I needed team members, and it really takes a unique individual to succeed in an environment like Supercuts."After learning about culture and team growth through experience, a divorce led to the sale of his 58-store Supercuts empire. Around the same time, a fraternity brother called Breuner about a new concept:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.solafranchising.com/">Sola Salons</a>, which leases turnkey salon suites to beauty professionals. At first, he was unsure."I thought, 'Are you kidding me? You're going to put competing hairstylists right next to each other — 25 of them?’ You’ll create a cataclysmic free-for-all!" he said.Then, he visited a&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/sola-salons/info">Sola</a> in Denver. That visit changed everything."Once I visited it and came home, I realized this is one of those clarion moments in a category where everything is going to change,” Breuner said. “When I returned from visiting, I thought it was an ingenious idea and that it would reshape everything in the beauty industry."So, he partnered up and opened Sola locations in Nashville and San Francisco. Similar to his experience with Supercuts, Breuner interacted with many beauty professionals who were hesitant to pursue work in the salon suites model — just for a slightly different reason. They feared going out on their own and being independent beauty professionals. Over time, though, they began to realize the benefits of working for themselves, and the salon achieved 100% occupancy.For a former beauty or hair salon owner like Steve, the Sola model shifts the entire business equation. You are no longer a "coach" managing employees. You are a partner to entrepreneurs."Your customers are the entrepreneurs, and they need a supportive partner. They need a collaborator,” Breuner said. “Leasing them a clean, well-lit studio is just the beginning. You’re going to partner with them to help them grow their businesses. If they’re successful, you are successful. It’s that simple."You trade the headache of employee scheduling and performance reviews for the rewarding challenge of supporting independent business owners.Breuner’s love for the salon suites model and commitment to his future wife in Pennsylvania put him in an interesting position when he tried to bring the Sola model home. Pennsylvania prohibited “booth renting,” which regulators insisted encompassed the salon suites model. Additionally, it required a bathroom “continuous to every single salon.” In the context of a Sola building, this would mean a bathroom would need to be built contiguous with each salon suite.These restrictive regulations, which Breuner notes were originally authored by established salon operators to create a "captive labor pool," made opening a multi-suite Sola location with a central restroom nonsensical as it would never pass license inspection. That’s precisely when the challenge became personal for Breuner.“I’m a real patriot and a dramatic, emotional guy,” he said. “These rules really agitated me. I kept thinking, ‘This is restraint of trade.’ And I realized, sometimes you do things not because they make financial sense but because you’re the one who’s going to make a difference.”With this theory in mind, Breuner and his partner, David, did “the scariest, most expensive thing” they had ever done. They sued the state of Pennsylvania. After countless attorneys, a major risk in building a Sola location before the rule was amended — just to get a state inspector on site to see it for themselves, and over a quarter-million dollars spent, they succeeded. In August 2017, the Pennsylvania court ruled in Sola’s favor, declaring the bathroom regulation was preempted."It was an incredible moment," he said. "Not just for Sola ... but for the single mom in Harrisburg that now can use her spare bedroom and the bathroom down the hall as her home salon. It prevented people from illegally doing hair in their basements.”Breuner and his partner continued to grow their Sola empire to over 40 units across multiple states. Though he has now taken a step back from the business, functioning in more of a board role, Breuner’s journey exemplifies a key philosophy: “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little ‘extra,’” he said.Breuner encourages entrepreneurs considering the leap to Sola Salons to keep this in mind."You can be successful in Sola without this love and support that I'm talking about. But you'll be&nbsp;pretty successful," he said. "If you want to be&nbsp;extraordinarily successful, which is a giant difference, you’re going to need a lot of passion, effort and love.”To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/sola-salons">https://1851franchise.com/sola-salons</a>.&nbsp;

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