Sola Salons 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.
Entrepreneur Haynes Chidsey opened his first Sola Salons 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, it’s also a milestone from the perspective of the people who have confidence in Sola being the place where they want to be.”
The downtown Greenville location highlights Sola’s strategy of matching salon suites with growing urban markets. Between 2010 and 2022, Greenville’s population grew by more than 20%. 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 Sola Salons and downtown Greenville fit together very well. We’re excited. It’s our third location in Greenville.”
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.
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.”
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 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 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 https://www.solasalonstudios.com/.
Sola Salons
SPONSORED
The downtown Greenville, South Carolina opening reflects two decades of growth and strong franchisor support for more than 20,000 beauty pros nationwide.
Sola Salons 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.
Entrepreneur Haynes Chidsey opened his first Sola Salons 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, it’s also a milestone from the perspective of the people who have confidence in Sola being the place where they want to be.”
The downtown Greenville location highlights Sola’s strategy of matching salon suites with growing urban markets. Between 2010 and 2022, Greenville’s population grew by more than 20%. 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 Sola Salons and downtown Greenville fit together very well. We’re excited. It’s our third location in Greenville.”
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.
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.”
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 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 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 https://www.solasalonstudios.com/.
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