Squeeze Massage INFO

From the founders of Drybar, meet Squeeze, a way better massage experience. After seeing a gap in the massage industry, Alli Webb and Michael Landau dreamt up the concept for Squeeze. In 2017, Brittany Driscoll, who was vice president of marketing at Drybar at the time, was tapped to turn Squeeze into a reality. She stepped into the role of Co-Founder & CEO, spearheading the launch of the brand and the opening of its flagship location in Los Angeles. Squeeze’s revolutionary app-based booking platform allows guests to book, pay, tip, set personalized preferences, rate and review all at the touch of a button. This allows guests to walk in and figuratively float out. Massages are tailored to guests’ preferences including pressure, aromatherapy, music and lighting with no additional fees. The company has established its headquarters in Nashville and is now franchising nationwide. For more information on Squeeze, please visit squeezemassage.com, follow @squeeze on Instagram and download the app.

The Squeeze app is free and available to download in the Apple App Store.

“We started Squeeze because we love getting massages,” says Driscoll, “and so do 50 million other Americans - but we found ourselves frustrated with the options out there: either mediocre discount establishments with subpar experiences (which to their credit, made massages accessible to the masses) or overpriced spas that make routine massages unattainable for most. Not to mention hard-to-book appointments, awkward checkout counters and massages that were Never the right pressure. So, we decided to create A Way Better Massage Experience.”

While the COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly created challenges for the massage industry, the Squeeze team is confident that the brand is well-positioned for the future. Not only is there a growing interest in self-care and wellness, but there is also a growing desire for personalized, stress-free experiences, something Squeeze was pioneering long before the pandemic.

IT’S APP-SOLUTELY STRESS FREE

The Squeeze concept is built around its end-to-end platform and proprietary app-based booking  and payment platform which allows guests to book, set personalized preferences, pay, tip, rate and review, all in the same place. So after their massage, they can just float on out.

EXTRAS DON’T COST EXTRA

Each massage includes a choice of deep tissue, heat therapy, percussion therapy and aromatherapy at no additional charge. Instead of focusing on upselling, this allows their massage therapists to focus on one thing: delivering a way better massage.

YOU MIGHT THINK THEY’RE MIND READERS.

But they’re not. They just save each guest’s massage preferences to their profile, so their therapist knows exactly what they want, each and every time.

CONTROL FREAK? NO PROBLEM.

Squeeze allows guests to select from six different music playlists to listen to during their massage. There is also a “ready button” they can push once they are on the table and ready to start their massage. The button turns on a light outside of the massage suite signaling to the massage therapist that the guest is ready for them to re-enter, eliminating any awkward exchanges.

MEMBERSHIP-FIRST MODEL

Squeeze’s membership model was also built to be way better. The two monthly membership options require no obligations - guests are billed month-to-month and can cancel at any time. Memberships are transferable to all locations. Unused monthly credits roll over and never expire and guests can even gift their monthly massage or unused credits to a friend. Members also have access to discounted rates on additional massages. 

For every membership sold, Squeeze helps provide a day of canine support to a person in need through their partnership with Canine Companions, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly-trained assistance dogs at no charge to the recipient. This special partnership gives members the opportunity to feel-good and do-good at the same time. 

The health and wellness industry has seen explosive growth in recent years and massage accounts for a large portion of it. The massage industry generates over $17 billion annually and almost 50 million Americans receive a massage each year, giving franchisees the opportunity to capitalize on an in-demand market. Despite growth and rising demand, the experience of getting a massage is still rather antiquated and ripe for the kind of disruption Squeeze is bringing to the industry. 

At their core, the ideal Squeeze Operating Partner is a people-person with a passion for doing good in their community. They should also have a strong business acumen, experience leading and managing teams, the drive to grow and succeed and be aligned with the brand’s five core values - affectionately referred to as “The Feels.” The minimum financial requirements to own a Squeeze include $150K in liquid capital and a net worth of at least $800K. 

As part of the first wave of franchise growth, Squeeze Operating Partners will have direct communication with their seasoned leadership team. The support infrastructure includes access to a digital learning management system, in-person training at the flagship in Studio City and on-site at the newly constructed location, a 550-page operating manual, customized online booking and POS systems, digital, PR and marketing assistance, extensive direction from Squeeze's head of franchise development and much more.

It's not just the massage and wellness industry that Squeeze is looking to disrupt — it's also the traditional model of franchising. Drybar was approximately 40% franchised and 60% corporate-owned, and the leadership team that helped Drybar expand to 150 locations was notoriously exclusive when it came to letting owners into the system. Driscoll says she took her learnings from that experience, as well as research of other franchise models, and decided to make Squeeze 100% franchise-owned-and-operated, while continuing to maintain Drybar’s very high standards. Squeeze’s current network of franchisees, referred to as “Operating Partners”, includes individuals with leadership experience from Amazon, Walmart, Disney, Coca-Cola, Target, Planet Fitness and more.

When it comes to the day-to-day operations, every aspect of Squeeze’s business model was thoughtfully designed with future Operators in mind. Unlike other franchise concepts, Squeeze even provides a centralized guest experience team as a first tier of support available to Operating Partners and their teams 7-days a week. 

"Little things are big things here at Squeeze – a philosophy that has shone through every facet of our experience since joining this new family,” says Andrew Nicoll and Sam Lewis, Squeeze Scottsdale Operating Partners. “Every detail of the establishment has been intentionally crafted with the guest in mind, and every detail of the business model has been crafted with the franchisee in mind."

The investment ranges from $493,623 to $662,728 to open a Squeeze franchise, which includes working capital and initial franchise fees of $60,000. For more information on franchising with Squeeze, visit: https://www.squeezemassage.com/franchising

Franchise Journal, Top Brands 2022