Key to Growth Strategy: Franchisee Profitability through Low Startup Costs and High Margins
FACE FOUNDRIÉ, franchising since 2021, reached a significant milestone in December with the opening of 50 locations, including its first in California. The following week, the Minneapolis-based brand opened facial bars in three more markets, and the growth continues. The franchise, which provides services for “all things face,” has about 120 sales so far – many to multi-unit owner-operators experienced in franchising or the corporate world who recognize the potential for franchisee profitability. FACE FOUNDRIÉ‘s goal is to have 150 units open by the end of 2027.
The growth has been intentional and thoroughly planned with systems and processes honed at the direction of founder and CEO Michele Henry. The consummate entrepreneur, who already had launched, built and sold a clothing boutique, planned to franchise FACE FOUNDRIÉ from the start, operating her first location for a year to gain financial data and prove the concept. Just two weeks after that first-year anniversary and the launch of franchising, COVID restrictions forced FACE FOUNDRIÉ’s closure.
“We paused and it actually was a huge blessing in disguise,” Henry says. “We were able to go back through all of our systems and make sure they were streamlined, and we focused on developing a platform and a tool to train people online. Since our relaunch, we’ve been growing quickly.”
Franchisee Profitability a Priority
FACE FOUNDRIÉ is an all-inclusive, focused facial bar offering cutting-edge services provided by extensively trained estheticians at accessible prices. Services for “all things face” include facials, lashes, brows and skin care.
The idea to focus on facial services resulted from Henry’s difficulty in accessing services while experiencing skin breakouts after the birth of the third of her four children. The price point and time required for a facial were daunting, she says. “And that really sparked my idea: If I’m struggling with this, there has to be a better way where there’s more accessibility and that same-day service. I wanted to take the aspects I loved about getting a facial and make it more approachable.”
In addition to providing unparalleled customer service, Henry sought to distinguish FACE FOUNDRIÉ by prioritizing franchisee profitability and success. These factors have contributed to the brand’s growth:
- Extensive training and ongoing support from the corporate team. Corporate support starts with the due diligence process and franchise agreement signing, and extends through initial onboarding, site selection and assistance in connecting franchisees with real estate and construction professionals, says Hannah Wolf, franchise sales manager.
Once construction begins, franchisees enter the operations and hiring phases. “We provide guidance and act as a resource throughout the hiring process. And then the owners, manager and two estheticians will come for 10 days to our corporate headquarters and receive operations training,” Wolf says. Back at their stores, franchisees finish hiring and conduct on-site training while simultaneously starting work to plan their grand openings with a dedicated marketing team.
Franchisees also have access to an online portal, which provides all the information needed to run their businesses, plus updates from operations, marketing and merchandising teams, and marketing materials they can customize for print or digital marketing initiatives. - Lower startup costs resulting from flexibility in buildout, which may be in an existing space or in new construction. The initial investment ranges from $334,200 to $670,000, Henry says. “What we’re finding with our competition is they’re almost two to three times that much to get their doors open. And so we’re really focused on cost savings for our franchisees because we know up front, the less you have to spend on a buildout to get a store open, you’re that much closer to the green.”
- Greater profit margins resulting from proprietary products developed and manufactured in Minneapolis, which reduces shipping challenges and costs. “Having that efficacy is impactful and having the margins for our franchisees is something that is unmatched within our competitive set,” Henry says.
- Recurring revenue. FACE FOUNDRIÉ’s membership model has been a boon to franchisees by providing recurring revenue, and also has appealed to clients who increasingly want accessible skin care on an ongoing basis.
- Increasing consumer interest in beauty and self-care overall. The global beauty and personal care market is expected to generate $673.7 billion in revenue in 2025 and grow at an annual rate of 3.35% through 2029, according to Statista. The United States leads globally in the beauty and personal care market, continuing to thrive despite economic challenges, with revenue generation of $104 billion in 2025, Statista reports.
Ideal Franchise Owners
FACE FOUNDRIÉ seeks owner-operators who will be involved in their facial bars to ensure consistency, customer satisfaction, team development and smooth operations, all resulting in greater franchisee profitability. Prospective franchisees who prefer to be semi-absentee must have a local operating partner who owns at least 20% of the business, Wolf says.
“It’s really important that our franchise partners are networking, creating local partnerships within their markets with like-minded businesses, managing the bigger marketing initiatives and making sure there’s a face to the brand,” she says. “It’s really important for us to have owners who really understand and care about their [key performance indicators] and come to joint business planning meetings with our operations teams and be able to speak to their numbers. We want owners who are determined and dedicated high achievers who want to stay involved in the brand.”
FACE FOUNDRIÉ also seeks franchisees who have experience in small business ownership, entrepreneurship or franchising, with an understanding of operations, marketing, driving revenue and team development.
Franchise partners seeking to be multi-unit developers are ideal, says Wolf, whose experience prior to joining FACE FOUNDRIÉ includes owning multiple units in the boutique fitness space. “We want franchisees to own their market,” she says.
Visit the FACE FOUNDRIÉ website for more information about franchising opportunities.
