Sola Salons, the salon suite franchise with more than 750 locations nationwide, continues to be the leader in the space, offering entrepreneurs a smart, real estate-forward investment opportunity and beauty professionals a platform that empowers them to succeed in business for themselves. Generally, the brand seeks spaces between 4,200 and 9,000 square feet to support this mission, accommodating 35 to 50 suites per location. Patrick and Erin Elgin, multi-unit Sola franchisees, are meeting a growing demand with a much larger space in the Twin Cities.
In October, the team opened their 14th Sola location and the system’s largest, which is home to 101 suites and 114 professional chairs. It was about 75% leased before opening day with the support of Sola’s corporate team, CRM tools and centralized marketing efforts, and is now at nearly 90% occupancy, with 102 of the 114 chairs filled.
The decision to pursue the Northeast Minneapolis location followed years of market analysis by both the franchisees and the corporate team, including an evaluation of local demographics, density of independent beauty professionals, consumer demand and site-specific factors like visibility and parking availability.
“This part of Northeast Minneapolis, particularly the arts district, has been on the radar for Sola since we opened our first one in 2013,” Erin said. “It was always a target, but there’s no parking in that area, so it’s very hard. This building popped up, and it had a parking lot with over 100 spots, which just does not exist in that part of the city, but it was 30,000 square feet. I thought, ‘Well, that’s too bad. If only it was 10,000 or 20,000 square feet.’”
After initially determining that 30,000 square feet was too big, given it far exceeded the brand’s typical footprint, the team began to consider whether the site’s unique characteristics could support a larger-format location with new amenities. While in the area for a personal commitment, Erin went by the site again to reassess it within the larger strategic context.
“I drove by, and I just loved it,” she said. “I got a really good feeling from the building, and, of course, the parking was outstanding. I really liked the neighborhood. I booked a tour the next day with the listing agent, and when I walked in, it was even better. I just imagined the whole place transformed into a very happy salon. It checked all the boxes, and it was fun to build the biggest Sola and beef up the amenities to take up some of that space.”
The project moved forward with the support and approval of the Sola corporate team, which validated the site based on market data, projected demand and the opportunity to test a first-of-its-kind large-format location within the system.
In addition to the 101 suites, Erin and Patrick added seating alcoves throughout the location; a fitness center, including a yoga studio, meditation room and showers; a content creation space, including a podcast studio and professional photo space; a large break room; and an on-site beauty supply store.
While such a large location may feel like a liability to some entrepreneurs, Erin used it as a foundation for a professional ecosystem that goes far beyond the industry baseline for a salon suite building.
“The most popular amenity is a tie between the beauty supply store and the fitness center,” she said. “People just absolutely love that they can walk down the hall and get everything they need, and the barbers, especially, love the fitness center. Many of the women also use the fitness center and appreciate the yoga and meditation spaces. It’s just something that hasn’t been seen before, so they’re really excited about it.”
The sheer scale of the location and the thought put into the amenities have been attractive to professionals from a range of industries. Currently, the location hosts hairstylists, barbers, nail techs, traditional tattoo artists, permanent makeup artists, massage therapists and medspa providers.
While Erin often describes her approach as people-first, that philosophy operates within a disciplined framework of site selection, operational systems and corporate support that enables long-term, scalable success.
Erin and Patrick’s decision to build this location and include the amenities and support they did for the beauty pros can be tied back to a combination of this strategic approach and the philosophy that has driven her growth and success over the lifetime of her Sola ownership journey.
The scale of this particular location and Erin’s general reach in the Sola Salons system are what grab attention, but her thoughtful approach to this development has been the quiet driver of success for over a decade.
“We’re putting our professionals first; they come before profit,” she said. “People over profit. I’ve trained my staff to have that Sola Pro-first attitude in everything we do, and then it pays off — the profit comes. The personal touches make a big difference, and I’m big on showing the love.”
From celebrating the longest-tenured professionals from previous locations to thoughtfully establishing amenities at her newest location that support both the pros’ businesses, with the beauty supply store and content creation space, and personal wellness, with the fitness space, it’s clear Patrick and Erin consistently prioritize the people that drive the business.
“I think this is a lesson for people that you don’t have to nickel and dime the pros for profit,” she said. “Be choosy with your site selection, put your Sola professionals first and the profit and abundance come naturally.”
While Erin and Patrick are currently taking a break after the “mountain climb” of opening a record-breaking location, her vision for the Twin Cities is continued growth.
“I don’t think we’re done yet,” she said. “I think the sky’s the limit, and there are other parts of the Twin Cities where we could expand.”
For Sola Salons, this 30,000-square-foot milestone is a victory for the larger system, and it’s proof of concept for the entire industry. It demonstrates that, when leading with heart and providing an environment that nurtures beauty professionals’ growth and wellness, suites are full, ecosystems are built and there’s an opportunity to sustain growth at a scale never seen before.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/sola-salons.
Sola Salons
SPONSORED
Erin and Patrick Elgin opened their 14th Twin Cities location in a nearly 30,000 square-foot space, bringing 114 chairs and groundbreaking on-site amenities to independent beauty pros in the area.
Sola Salons, the salon suite franchise with more than 750 locations nationwide, continues to be the leader in the space, offering entrepreneurs a smart, real estate-forward investment opportunity and beauty professionals a platform that empowers them to succeed in business for themselves. Generally, the brand seeks spaces between 4,200 and 9,000 square feet to support this mission, accommodating 35 to 50 suites per location. Patrick and Erin Elgin, multi-unit Sola franchisees, are meeting a growing demand with a much larger space in the Twin Cities.
In October, the team opened their 14th Sola location and the system’s largest, which is home to 101 suites and 114 professional chairs. It was about 75% leased before opening day with the support of Sola’s corporate team, CRM tools and centralized marketing efforts, and is now at nearly 90% occupancy, with 102 of the 114 chairs filled.
The decision to pursue the Northeast Minneapolis location followed years of market analysis by both the franchisees and the corporate team, including an evaluation of local demographics, density of independent beauty professionals, consumer demand and site-specific factors like visibility and parking availability.
“This part of Northeast Minneapolis, particularly the arts district, has been on the radar for Sola since we opened our first one in 2013,” Erin said. “It was always a target, but there’s no parking in that area, so it’s very hard. This building popped up, and it had a parking lot with over 100 spots, which just does not exist in that part of the city, but it was 30,000 square feet. I thought, ‘Well, that’s too bad. If only it was 10,000 or 20,000 square feet.’”
After initially determining that 30,000 square feet was too big, given it far exceeded the brand’s typical footprint, the team began to consider whether the site’s unique characteristics could support a larger-format location with new amenities. While in the area for a personal commitment, Erin went by the site again to reassess it within the larger strategic context.
“I drove by, and I just loved it,” she said. “I got a really good feeling from the building, and, of course, the parking was outstanding. I really liked the neighborhood. I booked a tour the next day with the listing agent, and when I walked in, it was even better. I just imagined the whole place transformed into a very happy salon. It checked all the boxes, and it was fun to build the biggest Sola and beef up the amenities to take up some of that space.”
The project moved forward with the support and approval of the Sola corporate team, which validated the site based on market data, projected demand and the opportunity to test a first-of-its-kind large-format location within the system.
In addition to the 101 suites, Erin and Patrick added seating alcoves throughout the location; a fitness center, including a yoga studio, meditation room and showers; a content creation space, including a podcast studio and professional photo space; a large break room; and an on-site beauty supply store.
While such a large location may feel like a liability to some entrepreneurs, Erin used it as a foundation for a professional ecosystem that goes far beyond the industry baseline for a salon suite building.
“The most popular amenity is a tie between the beauty supply store and the fitness center,” she said. “People just absolutely love that they can walk down the hall and get everything they need, and the barbers, especially, love the fitness center. Many of the women also use the fitness center and appreciate the yoga and meditation spaces. It’s just something that hasn’t been seen before, so they’re really excited about it.”
The sheer scale of the location and the thought put into the amenities have been attractive to professionals from a range of industries. Currently, the location hosts hairstylists, barbers, nail techs, traditional tattoo artists, permanent makeup artists, massage therapists and medspa providers.
While Erin often describes her approach as people-first, that philosophy operates within a disciplined framework of site selection, operational systems and corporate support that enables long-term, scalable success.
Erin and Patrick’s decision to build this location and include the amenities and support they did for the beauty pros can be tied back to a combination of this strategic approach and the philosophy that has driven her growth and success over the lifetime of her Sola ownership journey.
The scale of this particular location and Erin’s general reach in the Sola Salons system are what grab attention, but her thoughtful approach to this development has been the quiet driver of success for over a decade.
“We’re putting our professionals first; they come before profit,” she said. “People over profit. I’ve trained my staff to have that Sola Pro-first attitude in everything we do, and then it pays off — the profit comes. The personal touches make a big difference, and I’m big on showing the love.”
From celebrating the longest-tenured professionals from previous locations to thoughtfully establishing amenities at her newest location that support both the pros’ businesses, with the beauty supply store and content creation space, and personal wellness, with the fitness space, it’s clear Patrick and Erin consistently prioritize the people that drive the business.
“I think this is a lesson for people that you don’t have to nickel and dime the pros for profit,” she said. “Be choosy with your site selection, put your Sola professionals first and the profit and abundance come naturally.”
While Erin and Patrick are currently taking a break after the “mountain climb” of opening a record-breaking location, her vision for the Twin Cities is continued growth.
“I don’t think we’re done yet,” she said. “I think the sky’s the limit, and there are other parts of the Twin Cities where we could expand.”
For Sola Salons, this 30,000-square-foot milestone is a victory for the larger system, and it’s proof of concept for the entire industry. It demonstrates that, when leading with heart and providing an environment that nurtures beauty professionals’ growth and wellness, suites are full, ecosystems are built and there’s an opportunity to sustain growth at a scale never seen before.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/sola-salons.
Sign up for the 1851 Franchise newsletter to get our biggest stories before everyone else
By signing up, you agree to our user agreement (including class action waiver and arbitration provisions), and acknowledge our privacy policy.
No related articles found
