A new salon complex is on it’s way to Bothell and is anticipated to open at the end of January.
Janet Chua is the force behind the new Phenix Salons franchise opening up along State Route 527 near the Interstate 405 interchange.
“It takes a while to find a place, for it, it took eight months,” she said. “I just thought that this is such a great location.”
The Sammamish resident said she has been looking locations to open a Phenix location, ultimately choosing Bothell because of its quick growth and a perceived lack of salon options for area residents.
Phenix Salon Suites is a national franchise chain of multi-suite salon centers, with more than 120 complexes in 19 states according to their website. Chua’s location is the first one in Washington state.
The Bothell location will house 25 individual suites, three of which are doubles, which individual professionals ranging from hair stylists and aestheticians to photographers and massage therapists can rent out.
Chua said this allows an individual professional to basically start their own business, in their own space, without the overhead of renting a whole building, or working under an owner at a larger salon. She said around 20 of her suites are already rented.
Carrie Alburtus, 31, is the owner of Mane Suite salon and is renting Suites 101 and 102 in the new Phenix location. Alburtus said she used to work at other salons, recently at a boutique salon in Mill Creek, but decided she wanted more control over her work.
“I feel like this is a really good opportunity to kind of dip my toe into being an entrepreneur,” she said.
Rent for both units is $2,600 a month, but Alburtus already has subcontractors lined up for the space to spread out cost, and said the price is competitive: one of her friends rents a single chair from a salon in Kirkland for $1,500 a month.
Phenix allows tenants to decorate their own spaces, including painting their suite.
“This give you a little more freedom to kind of make the environment look the way you want it to be,” said Alburtus, who is planning on creating an upscale antique feel for her suites.
The Bothell location will offer a shared receptionist, a laundry room, sound insulated suites and individual temperature control.
Phenix Salon Suites was made Entrepreneur Magazine’s top 500 franchise list in 2015, and according to the magazine, requires between $282,600 and more $937,500 to start up.
According to the Phenix website, the franchise was started in 2009 by Gina and Jason Rivera, but the beauty industry has been a family profession for 85 years.
Other salon suite franchises are already operating in the area, including in Lynnwood, Edmonds and Bellevue. Alburtus said she knows stylists who work at some of these, and their experience got her interested in renting a suite.
“I decided I wanted to work for myself, and this opportunity with Phenix came along,” she said. “It just seemed like a really good opportunity, and it was just knocking on my door so I had to take it.”
The Bothell Phenix Salon Suites was expected to open in mid-January, but this has been pushed back to the end of the month, Chua said. Individual suites could begin operating shortly after.
