New Blawnox salon requires no startup hassles for independent owners

A revolutionary new concept in the beauty business has landed in Blawnox.

Sola Salon Studios is part of a growing movement that supports independent beauty professionals by providing upscale, fully-equipped suites with the tools needed to launch and operate.

“For the first time in state history, beauty professionals can go to work for themselves,” said franchise owner Steve Breuner of Fox Chapel.

“Our business is helping people remain independent and succeed.”

Sola opened this spring in a new retail shopping plaza along Freeport Road.

Inside, there are 26 individual suites appointed for stylists in the following specialties: waxing, color, lashes, skin care, massage, teeth whitening, nails and more.

“They open their business inside of our business,” said Breuner, a San Francisco native who moved to the area 30 years ago to launch SUPERCUTS along Freeport Road in O’Hara, and elsewhere.

“People want to go to work for themselves.”

The beauty of salon ownership is that you control the décor and the overall vibe of your salon

"It’s truly all about the details and making sure you're putting little pieces of yourself into the entire space." - Bianca Margolis @ModernSalon https://t.co/03kyv1Rucj

— Sola Salon Studios (@solasalons) June 10, 2021

With Sola, there are no startup costs to bog down new owners.

The spaces are move-in ready for licensed professionals. They are equipped with a sink, salon chair and supply bar – but almost more importantly, each comes with the support network of a shared building space.

“The nicest thing is that you work for yourself but not by yourself,” Breuner said. “You have camaraderie down the hallway.”

The Blawnox salon is Breuner’s 11th location.

Stylist Chelsey Reimer credited Sola for making her dreams come true at age 32. She opened her salon, Platinum XXXII, in March.

“Sola allowed me to create a luxurious salon that is unique to my style,” Reimer said.

“The building allows me to be creative in a great atmosphere with positivity everywhere.”

In a few short years since its inception, Sola boasts 16,000 professionals in more than 600 locations across the country. Breuner has sites in Lancaster, Philadelphia and Harrisburg, in addition to his properties in East Liberty and Monroeville.

New business owner Keri Noga said launching her nail bar inside Sola was a successful decision.

“This is my first business adventure so it’s very exciting but also a little nerve-wrecking having so many questions,” Noga said. “Sola helped me tremendously.”

She said support was offered for the paperwork hassles of licenses, registration and inspections.

“They provide the building with security cameras and automatically locking doors at night to help us feel safe,” Noga said.

“If I went anywhere else, I would have had to paint and do all of the maintenance myself. Here, they had cabinets and a sink already installed, the walls were freshly painted with my color choice, the chandelier installed for me and perfectly clean and ready for me to move into.”

For building professionals, there is a shared lounge and laundry facilities. All they need to provide is their own inspiration and creativity.

The turnkey spaces offer owners the freedom to call their own shots without the burdens of typical startups, Breuner said.

“It’s a wonderful feel-good thing that I’m doing at the end of my career,” Breuner said. “I’m so happy that professionals today have the ability to do this and chase their dreams.”