JACKSONVILLE, FL—Have you noticed salon suites popping in your area? There's been a rapid rise of this concept in recent months in cities around the nation, and particularly in Northeast Florida.

Salon suites, a concept that offers salon professionals the chance to own and operate their business without the start up expenses associated with managing a facility, began a little over a decade ago in a few cities. Katy Figg, an associate at Franklin Street who represents these tenants and the centers looking to lease to them, reports significant uptick in the number of franchises looking to expand into the area.

“We have seen a significant increase in salon suite franchises looking to open in the Jacksonville area,” says Figg. “This provides an exciting opportunity for not only stylists looking for independence, but also the landlords who are looking to fill some larger vacancies.”

Here's how it works: The salon suite owner leases space with a property's landlord, then builds out several smaller spaces where stylists can enter into a “license” agreement with the salon. The private luxury suites function as fully equipped mini-salons, offering local stylists, aestheticians, skin care experts, massage therapists, nail technicians, and others the opportunity for independent salon ownership.

For landlords, salon suites are attractive to neighboring tenants due to the increased foot traffic they bring to a shopping center or area. Customers who visit a salon most likely have disposable income and will often visit the other shops or restaurants in the center after finishing their trip to the salon.

Stylists are attracted to salon suites because of the opportunity to commit to space month-to-month as opposed to signing a five to 10-year agreement with a landlord. Entrepreneurial spirit also entices stylists who want to be their own boss, set their own hours, and keep all profits.

Figg says the salon suites concept can work in a variety of spaces, ranging from a free standing building to a grocery-anchored shopping center. Franklin Street recently completed leases for salon suites in Riverplace Shopping Center and Atlantic Village.

Neil Solomon, a Phenix Salon Suites franchise owner, is looking to expand his business to Jacksonville and plans to open at least five locations in the area. As he sees it, the salon suites are a successful concept because of their unique business model.

“In the past, a stylist who wanted to open his or her own salon would need about 1,000 sq. ft. of space and anywhere from $25,000 to $100,000 to get started,” says Solomon. “Salon suites allow stylists to be their own boss, but with much less overhead.”

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