Celebrity investor aims to make a difference in local communities through salon suite franchise
Rapper-actor-entrepreneur LL Cool J is teaming with Phenix Salon Suites to help enterprising salon professionals have inviting places to work with their clients. The entertainer – whose actual name is James Todd Smith but with a nickname shortened from Ladies Love Cool James – is investing in salon franchises on the East Coast, including the New York boroughs of Queens (where he grew up), Brooklyn and Manhattan, plus expansion in the Los Angeles market, according to a statement from Phenix Salon Suites.
In founding Phenix Salon Suites in 2007, Gina Rivera sought to fill a significant void in the beauty industry. She knew there were many beauty specialists who wanted to operate their own salons but didn’t have the capital to purchase a site. Rivera’s Phenix Salon Suites allow sole proprietors to realize their career dreams and ambitions by renting spaces – salon suites – for considerably less than money than they would need in traditional salon settings.
Together we are helping them realize their dreams of owning and operating their very own businesses.
LL Cool J
LL Cool J is a fan. “I love the fact that Gina is not only the founder but also an active stylist with over 42,000 hours behind a chair servicing clients,” he said in the Phenix Salon Suites statement announcing his investment in the franchise. “She truly understands what it takes to make a difference in the lives of cosmetologists and estheticians. Together we are helping them realize their dreams of owning and operating their very own businesses. With Phenix, lifestyle professionals have the opportunity to flourish creatively, financially and professionally.”
In sharing news of the deal with LL Cool J on social media, Rivera said the entertainer will partner with Kevin Davis, Phenix Salon Suites’ largest franchisee to own and operate in the markets on the East Coast and in Los Angeles. “I could not be more excited to partner with LL Cool J and… further expand Phenix Salon Suites in key markets,” Davis said. The Covid-19 pandemic seems to have spawned opportunities for the franchise: Phenix reports a 344% increase in beauty industry professionals who are seeking new workspaces since the virus upended normal life around the world.
California-based Phenix Salon Suites began franchising in 2012 and has more than 300 salons in 33 states. The company has franchise opportunities available in the United States and also aims to franchise internationally.