The Ed.
Well-Known Member
While men in beauty salons are becoming more and more common, men in nail bars are still a fairly rare breed. This doesn't meant that they don't want or need their weekly mani and pedi, it just means that perhaps they still don't feel totally comfortable walking into the female-centric nail bar.
LA based entrepreneur has decided to tackle this. Screenwriter, Michael Elliot, will be launching Hammer & Nails - the first all-male nail salon - on Melrose Avenue in November 9th 2013. He describes how he had his lightbulb moment when he struck up conversation with the only other man in a nail salon.
"It was just clear that we both felt uncomfortable, and we talked about how uncomfortable this is. I asked a lot of my other guy friends about their experiences and realised I wasn't alone. I've always hated going to get a mani just because of that feeling of walking in the door and it seems like all the women kind of look at you like, "What are you doing here?" and it's just awful."
Hammer and Nails is designed to bring the red-blooded male in for manis and pedis and isn't just about the metrosexual man or the gay man. The salon is lined with oversized leather chairs, a vintage punching bag hangs in the corner, all units are fitted with TVs and headsets and a selection of premium sports channels are available. While it doesn't have a liquor license yet, the salon hopes to offer complimentary scotch and beer too.
"There is a misconception that only metrosexual men would get a mani or pedi, or only gay man. I want to make nail care as common as getting a haircut and I feel like creating the right environment is key to that."
So what's on offer? The menu includes a standard mani and pedi but eventually plans to offer more. "I do plan to offer [coloured polishes] here. It wasn't my original plan until I read an article in the New York Times very recently about this growing popularity of colours for guys. So I want to make that available here as well."
But despite the need to appeal to you regular guy, this salon will not be about "tits & ass" explains Elliot. "Absolutely not. In fact the very first nail tech I hired has been doing men's manicures for over thirty-eight years."
Elliot really believes he's hit on a niche but profitable market and with franchise enquiries coming in regularly, he may well be right.
Until then...geek on!
The Ed.
LA based entrepreneur has decided to tackle this. Screenwriter, Michael Elliot, will be launching Hammer & Nails - the first all-male nail salon - on Melrose Avenue in November 9th 2013. He describes how he had his lightbulb moment when he struck up conversation with the only other man in a nail salon.
"It was just clear that we both felt uncomfortable, and we talked about how uncomfortable this is. I asked a lot of my other guy friends about their experiences and realised I wasn't alone. I've always hated going to get a mani just because of that feeling of walking in the door and it seems like all the women kind of look at you like, "What are you doing here?" and it's just awful."
Hammer and Nails is designed to bring the red-blooded male in for manis and pedis and isn't just about the metrosexual man or the gay man. The salon is lined with oversized leather chairs, a vintage punching bag hangs in the corner, all units are fitted with TVs and headsets and a selection of premium sports channels are available. While it doesn't have a liquor license yet, the salon hopes to offer complimentary scotch and beer too.
"There is a misconception that only metrosexual men would get a mani or pedi, or only gay man. I want to make nail care as common as getting a haircut and I feel like creating the right environment is key to that."
So what's on offer? The menu includes a standard mani and pedi but eventually plans to offer more. "I do plan to offer [coloured polishes] here. It wasn't my original plan until I read an article in the New York Times very recently about this growing popularity of colours for guys. So I want to make that available here as well."
But despite the need to appeal to you regular guy, this salon will not be about "tits & ass" explains Elliot. "Absolutely not. In fact the very first nail tech I hired has been doing men's manicures for over thirty-eight years."
Elliot really believes he's hit on a niche but profitable market and with franchise enquiries coming in regularly, he may well be right.
Until then...geek on!
The Ed.
