A Phenix Salon Suites franchisee plans to occupy a commercial building at 6165 Stage Road in Bartlett that has been vacant for at least five years.
The 9,360-square-foot building at the southwest corner of Stage and Elmore Park Road sits on just over 1 acre and is owned by MB Gordon Investments LLC.
Franchisees Eric and Jacob Fountain plan to open their next Phenix Salon Suites there. Their first Phenix location is at 4699 Poplar Ave. between Colonial and South Perkins Road.
Phenix Salon Suites, headquartered in Encinitas, California, has more than 300 facilities in 33 states and the U.K. It currently has five locations in Tennessee.
Phenix Salon Suites provides lifestyle professionals – from hair dressers and massage therapists to occupational therapists, yoga instructors and nail artists – an upscale facility where their suites can be individually designed. A common entry space with a water feature, lighting and quality interior finishes provides “an upscale spa feel,” according to its website.
Each independent professional can design and decorate their own private boutique. All utility and overhead expenses (except phones) are included with their monthly lease.
A Phenix location can be 2,000 to 7,500 square feet with 14 to 70 suites, according to its franchising website, and can be freestanding or located in retail strip centers.
The Bartlett Planning Commission will consider a site plan application for the Stage Road property on Monday, June 6.
No rezoning is required for the intended use, City Planner Sam Harris said. A key element of the site plan is adding 18 parking spaces on the south side of the property where the lifestyle professionals would park.
Brian Kelley, president and CEO of Phenix Salon Suites Franchising LLC, said the company’s business model has been thriving since the COVID-19 pandemic hit when a lot of conventional salons closed.
The company has a new design prototype for franchisees that updates the outside, entryway and common areas with a more modern look, he said.
Professionals leasing Phenix suites can carry their own salon styling products for re-sale and keep their mark-ups; have all the equipment provided that they need to launch their business; choose their suite finishes, including 10- to 12-foot ceilings and a door window for ambiance; and get complimentary WiFi access for them and their clients.
Phenix Salon Suites was started in 2007 by Gina Rivera, who rented a booth after attending beauty school like so many lifestyle professionals do and realized there was very little support and resources provided to renters to ensure their success. She began franchising the business in 2012 and it is now one of the fastest growing franchises in the country. Phenix Salon Suites has been included in Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 list nine years in a row and was ranked No. 75 in 2022.
The company provides training for lifestyle professionals and has partnerships with with Associated Skin Care Professionals, Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals, Associated Hair Professionals, Associated Nail Professionals, NASNPRO, Insure Fitness Group, beYogi, and the National Association of Barbers, among other organizations.
