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Blo Blow Dry Bar: A Sexy Niche Salon Concept Looking to Expand in American Big-City Markets

Last updated on May 7, 2012 by Franchise Chatter 4 Comments
in Franchise Commentary, Franchise Reviews, Salon Franchise

I used to live one block from the first Blo Blow Dry Bar located in downtown Vancouver’s chic Yaletown neighborhood.  Although I knew that the salon was quite popular, I didn’t realize that Blo is an emerging franchise brand, with a growing presence in the United States.  Thanks to a wonderfully written piece on The Globe and Mail, one of Canada’s national daily newspapers, I learned more than I ever wanted to know about Blo.  Here are a few highlights:

The Business Model:  No haircuts. No colouring. Just a wash and a blow-dry style (30 minutes of styling) for $35, instead of the typical $65 to $70 that others spend for a similar service at a full-service salon.  Every Blo Blow Dry Bar has a book with a menu of hairstyles, with cheeky names like Holly Would, Red Carpet, and Hunt Club.

Blo Blow Dry Bar Photo



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Blo’s History:  The idea for a blow-dry only salon came to 20-year-old Devon Brooks of Vancouver while studying at the London College of Fashion.  Devon’s mother, Judy, worked with her daughter to open the first Yaletown salon in July 2007.  Two additional Vancouver salons opened within the first year.  Around this time, Blo caught the attention of Toronto-based investors Ari Yakobson and Paul Spindler, who already owned a salon franchising company called Melonhead, which does children’s haircuts.  Within months, Mr. Yakobson finalized a deal to purchase Blo Blow Dry Bar for an undisclosed sum.

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Blo’s Reach and Growth Plans:  Today, there are 18 Blo Blow Dry Bars, including eight in its new home base of Toronto, five in the United States, with two more due to open in Miami this month. Mr. Yakobson expects to sign agreements with 10 to 12 more franchisees within the next year, all in American big-city markets.  He would also like to open salons in the province of Quebec in Canada.

The Look:  A modern, club-like atmosphere, with magenta being the signature color.Blo Blow Dry Bar Photo

The Competition:  In the three years since the acquistion of Blo, the blow dry only concept has been copied by numerous independent operators and a similar franchise chain, called Drybar, has emerged. Launched in Los Angeles in 2008, Drybar now has 12 locations in California, Arizona, Texas, Georgia and New York, and is looking to expand to other cities. DryBar has gone for a less sexually suggestive image than Blo.

Franchise Cost:  The total initial investment to open a salon (typically between 400 and 1,000 square feet in size) is around $200,000, including the initial franchise fee of $25,000.  The royalty fee is 6% of gross sales, and advertising fees are variable.

Training:  Blo requires that all staff at a new salon attend “Blo U”. A senior Style Director teaches one class to the new staff, then handpicks one of them to be the Chief Style Boss, who receives additional training, which she then passes on to the rest of the staff.


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Tagged as: Blo Blow Dry Bar

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. kimberlee sylvester says

    October 20, 2012 at 2:18 pm

    I am interested in opening a drybar franchise here in the salt lake area. Please let me know who I need to speak with regarding the setup, whats included as part of the franchise ect. Also, I can plan on coming to California within the next week or so to preview the original location.

    I look forward to hearing from you.

    Reply
    • Franchise Chatter says

      October 20, 2012 at 5:00 pm

      Hi Kimberlee,

      The best way to contact the franchisor is through their website. I’m sure they’d be thrilled to know that you plan on visiting the original location. Best of luck with your due diligence.

      Best regards,

      Ambrosio

      Reply
  2. Peter Eagle says

    March 11, 2015 at 6:49 am

    Dear Kimberlee,
    Please let me know what happened with your Dry Bar franchise plans and the results ? I’m interested in doing the same thing soon in another state.
    But, would appreciate your thoughts on the subject and the results of your due dilegence ?
    http://www.thedrybar.com/franchise
    THE BLOWDOWN ON FRANCHISING. Hi there! So, you’re interested in a Drybar franchise. Sweet! Below you’ll find a whole bunch of helpful information about Drybar …
    Thanks Kimberlee and Ambrosio as let me know if this is a great idea or just another franchise package of dreams ?
    Best Regards Alway’s
    Peter Kim

    Reply
    • Franchise Chatter says

      March 11, 2015 at 9:01 am

      Hi Peter,

      Thanks for the message. Just to clarify, Blo Blow Dry Bar is different from Drybar. I hope the proprietors of Drybar get to read this question. Would love to learn about them as well. Best of luck with your plans.

      Best regards,

      Ambrosio

      Reply

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