Lemon Tree: New Jersey-based salon franchise picks Hurst for Texas debut

Shaw in salon 

Lemon Tree Family Salons

1828 Precinct Line Road

Hurst 76054

https://lemontree.com/

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Lemon Tree Family Salons, a full-service family hair salon franchise with more than 70 locations in six states, is headed to Dallas-Fort Worth thanks to CEO Jonathan Shaw.

The Lemon Tree Family Salons brand was founded in 1973 and made a name for itself in the New Jersey tri-state area, but only started franchising nationally last year. Shaw hopes to keep expanding and make Lemon Tree a household name.

Now 52, Shaw has been in and around the salon business his entire life, beginning with his grandfather’s salon. Shaw is a third-generation owner of his family’s company, Salon Development, which owns and operates 40 salons across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut under the names Cutting Crew and Gentry.

Shaw is a graduate of the business retailing program at Syracuse University and his franchising experience comes from a six-year stint as a franchisor with Boston Chicken, now known as Boston Market.

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“I felt like I understood what it meant to be a franchisee in a franchise system,” he said. “So I felt comfortable jumping into the franchise world as the franchisor because of my six years with Boston Market.”

Now, thanks to Shaw, Salon Development also has 33 Lemon Tree Family Salons franchised to franchisees under its umbrella, and he hopes to keep that number growing. However, Shaw knows the importance of expanding properly rather than just expanding quickly.

“When I opened my Boston Chicken restaurant, I was a pioneer in the market. Nobody had ever heard of it. I was the first one outside New England, the first location in New Jersey,” he said. “So I understand what our franchisees feel opening in Texas. … I understand what they feel being a brand new franchisee of a brand new market or concept that nobody’s ever heard of in the market

“So it’s really important to me to get it right with our pioneer franchisees, because they are going to be our best sales people and our best customers — and then we grow from there,” he continued. “I’m not looking to conquer the world. I just want to grow this business at a comfortable pace, in a way that supports all our new franchisees. We’ve been in business almost 55 years. So, no pun intended, we’re the tortoise, not the hare — kind of slow and steady.”

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The first Dallas-Fort Worth location is set to open at 1828 Precinct Line Road in Hurst the third or fourth week of July. It will offer professional salon services including cutting, styling, blowouts, color treatments, perming, straightening and facial waxing.

“Lemon Tree has a proven business model and its success throughout the East Coast is a testimony to that,” said Megan Eom, owner and operator of the new salon in Hurst. “I look forward to bringing a business that truly caters to every member of the family, from children and their parents to young adults and seniors who are looking for a change, big or small. We’ll have it all in one place.”

Shaw says Lemon Tree salons provide a full range of services and products for the whole family – from a child’s first haircut to styling for seniors.

“What we strive for is that we want to deliver a very high quality service with a world class customer service experience at an affordable price,” Shaw said.

The salon will be open seven days and five nights a week, taking appointments and walk-in customers.

Shaw said that when the company decided to shift from focusing exclusively on its northeast market to expanding nationally, it was practically inundated with interest from the Lone Star State.

“It’s not like we said Texas is where we want to be,” he said. “We cast a wide net nationally and we’ve gotten inquiries from all over. But there’s been a disproportionate interest from people in Texas. I think it’s because of the rapid growth that Texas is enjoying right now.”

As for the move to the D-FW area, Shaw said, “We like the Dallas-Fort Worth community. … It’s some of the fastest growing small cities and counties in the country. It’s the right demographic for us [and] we like the market.”

Interested in franchising?

Here are some quick facts

The total initial investment to open a Lemon Tree franchise ranges from $94,600 to $128,400, including a franchise fee of $35,000.

The franchise fee for a three-pack of salons is $85,000 and the fee for a five-pack is $120,000.

Salons typically range in size from 800 to 1,200 square feet.

“I like the franchising model because it’s an efficient way to grow and expand a business quickly and at the same time provide opportunities for entrepreneurs to get into business,” CEO Jonathan Shaw said.

For more information, visit lemontreefranchise.com.