The interior design of your salon is one of the most important aspects of positive customer experiences, particularly with children.
With a kid’s haircut franchise, the salon’s interior design should convey the nature of the experience: fun, whimsical and engaging.
Because interior design is a central component of positive customer experiences, we offer comprehensive site selection and design support for franchisees.
You’re able to get your salon up and running in an environment that’s just as enjoyable and engaging for guests, as it is convenient and efficient for staff.
Here are three ways we support Pigtails & Crewcuts franchise owners with salon design:
1. Finding the Right Framework
The first steps in our site selection process lie in identifying the right market and location to ensure strong demand for our concept. However, it’s just as important to vet sites and spaces with an open layout conducive to solid interior design.
Similarly, an ideal site should feature many of the essentials to run a salon business, from paint-ready walls to functional plumbing, HVAC and electrical systems. Typical sites will also be about 1,200 to 1,500 square feet, but we’re always flexible and willing to work with franchisees to accommodate a particular site or preference.
“We generally look for second-generation sites, or first-generation sites that we refer to as a ‘vanilla box’ space with four walls, a bathroom, working lights – a solid framework that makes the site turnkey-ready to begin the build-out and design process,” said Wade Brannon, president and CEO of Pigtails & Crewcuts. “We’ll then put our design and finishing touches on the space.”
By seeking these sites, we’re able to help franchisees get up and running quickly and avoid additional build-out costs.
2. Drawing up a Solid Layout and Design
Once the site is selected, we work with an architect to draw up several design templates to share their vision for the space.
“Usually, our architect will create one to three drawings of the space, outlining what we think it should look like – where the stylist chairs, front desk area, and break room will all be situated, for instance,” Wade said. “These templates include all of the components that go into a Pigtails & Crewcuts salon, and each template is based on past successful site designs. This helps us optimize the spaces for functionality and customer flow, as well as create an aesthetically-pleasing design an open, inviting atmosphere.”
The initial templates and drawings are shared with the franchisee and local contractor to provide us with their feedback, based on their particular vision and preferences.
“It’s a collaborative process, and we always welcome franchisees’ feedback to incorporate into the final plans,” Wade said. “We want a site design that we know will be successful and up to our brand standards, but we’re always open to customizing certain aspects of the space.”
After collaborating with the franchisee, we’ll arrive at the final design and have our architect create a digital file with the specific space plan, layout and template drawings. We then provide franchisees with a full set of plans for contract and construction bids and local building permit approval.
3. Designing an Inviting Interior
With an overall framework and layout in place, we move on to the final design phase: furnishing the salon.
“We encourage some aspects of localization with interiors, but we don’t want wholesale change to our design because the consistency of the look and feel of our salons represents one of our brand strengths,” Wade said. “We want customers to know they’re in a Pigtails & Crewcuts when they walk in, so we incorporate specific branding elements into our design with branded paint colors and consistent furniture across locations.”
At every salon, kids love looking at the whimsical artwork, playing with the wooden train table and paying a visit to our packed-with-adventure treasure chest. Vibrantly-painted walls and vehicle chairs also contribute to the welcoming and engaging kid-friendly environment.
Not only does our consistent design strengthen brand identity and boost the customer experience, but it also serves as an asset for franchisees during the build-out process.
“Since we handle the ordering for furniture and fixtures, it takes a lot of the guesswork out of the process for franchisees,” Wade said. “We order everything and arrange for the shipping of materials from manufacturers from Atlanta to California, and we base the time of furniture arrival around the construction schedule.”
To learn more about the Pigtails & Crewcuts franchise opportunity, download our franchise information packet today!
