The 3rd annual Salons by JC Franchise Owners Conference took place on November 10th through 12th in downtown San Antonio, Texas. Over 75 of our franchise owners and vendors attended the 3-day conference that took place at the beautiful and historic Omni La Mansion del Rio hotel, overlooking the historic San Antonio Riverwalk, and within walking distance of the unforgettable Alamo. When asked why the annual conference is so important, Salons by JC VP of Operations, Drew Johnston, had said, “Our conference is always a great opportunity for our franchisees to come together and learn from one another and celebrate the many successes of the year.”
Salons by JC founders, Jack Griffey and Cecil Miller
A night on the rooftop
The conference kicked off with an exclusive mixer at The Fairmount Hotel Rooftop Bar. Boasted as “The Jewel of San Antonio”, our guests were treated to a relaxing evening with one of the most sought after views of downtown San Antonio. Guests indulged in artisan cocktails and premiere hors d’oeuvres overlooking the Hemisfair Park entrance and Tower of the Americas. Franchisees from across our system were able to catch up with one another while enjoying some cocktails. New members to the Salons by JC team also had the opportunity to meet many of the franchise owners in person for the first time.
Salons by JC Sunday night owners mixer.
New to the agenda this year was The President’s Circle Dinner hosted by founders, Jack Griffey, Cecil Miller, and President Steve Griffey. The VIP dinner honored past franchisee of the year winners and the newest addition to that elite club. The dinner took place at NONNA Osteria located inside of The Fairmount Hotel.
Conference kickoff
Day one of the conference was jam-packed with presentations from CIC, Kaemark, the Marketing Team, and our President and VP. Kaemark graciously brought one of their newest salon chairs and several of our franchisees had a fun time trying it out for themselves.
The highlight of the day was the presentation of awards for Concierge of the Year, highest occupancy honors, presentation of the 100th franchise location, and Suite of the Year- our newest award. Concierge of the Year honors was awarded to Miriah Clasen, concierge at our Uptown, MN location owned by April Simek. Miriah has been with the Salons by JC community for 3 years. She has worked at all 3 locations owned by Simek – Minnetonka, Southdale – Edina, and most recently Uptown. Miriah is passionate about her job and the success of each location and each individual salon suite owner. Miriah was unable to attend our conference due to a new addition to her family, her son Owen.
Miriah Clasen
Suite of the Year- The House of Blondes by Christina Payton
The House of Blondes by Christina Payton, located in Naples, FL on 5th was the big winner of our new category, Suite of the Year. Christina started out with one suite and one chair and has expanded her business to 3 suites and currently employs 6 stylists. Christina not only has a beautiful suite she also created a thriving business that includes a 2-year apprenticeship program specifically designed for mastering working with blonde hair.
Salons by JC Naples owner, Lisa Bayard and The House of Blondes owner, Christina Payton
Christina has window suites overlooking 5th Avenue in downtown Naples. When you walk into Christina’s suite you are dazzled by the white and gold color scheme that is accented by decorative mirrors, chandeliers, and brilliant jeweled accents. The suite is beautifully branded with the House of Blondes signature logo across all windows. Don’t forget to pick up some merchandise when you visit! Caps, bags, and shirts are the perfect complement to your experience.
100 locations and counting
Salons by JC opened its first location in 1998 in Dallas, Texas. Jack Griffey and Cecil Miller, the “J and C” are the founders behind the success of the salon suite concept. The company celebrated its 21st year in the industry and also the opening of its 100th location. That honor was bestowed up the Greenville, SC location owned by Wayne Kosbe and Rick Schwartz. Wayne and Rick have been working hand in hand with the corporate operations and marketing teams gaining momentum for their opening. “A huge part of each location’s success is based upon having a solid organizational structure and that is what Wayne and Rick have created. They really took the time and paid attention to our advice and suggestions. It shows as they are opening with 11 signed leases”, stated Director of Marketing, Nick Dunlap.
Cecil Miller, Salons by JC Greenville owners- Wayne Kosbe, Rick Schwartz, and Jack Griffey
Occupancy Awards
A huge part of our conference is the honoring of our stand out locations with the highest occupancy. Those honors went to the following locations: San Jose, CA, Hollywood, FL, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, Coon Rapids, MN, Maple Grove, MN, Austin Lakeline, TX, and Cary, NC. Awards were based upon large and small occupancy, based on the size of the location. Several franchisees went home with more than one award. Occupancy is a huge part of the success of our locations. It is not only based on leasing it is also based upon retention and having an adequate waiting list if the time comes for one of the suite owners to leave the location. These owners have shown exemplary occupancy tactics and are appreciated by their suite owners.
Jack Griffey, Highest Occupancy Award Winners: Martin Gothberg, Brent Koughan, Mindy Ratcliff, John Ratcliff, Cyndi Scher, Peter Scher, and Cecil Miller
Guest Speaker – Bertrand Fontaine
Day two of the conference began with our esteemed guest speaker Bertrand Fontaine, President of SalonCentric. Bertrand addressed our audience about the importance of customer service in the salon industry from the owner to the beauty and wellness professionals. His presence electrified the audience and he had a line of franchisees waiting to greet him at the end of his presentation. Bertrand focused on the importance of your salon community and how your online presence must be consistent in order for a salon to thrive.
Steve Griffey, Bertrand Fontaine, Jack Griffey, Cecil Miller, and Drew Johnston
“Our partnership with SalonCentric has afforded our franchisees opportunities for educational growth for our salon suite owners. We are honored to be able to have Bertrand join us at our conference and give his insight on the salon industry”, stated Steve Griffey, President of Salons by JC.
Steve Griffey and Bertrand Fontaine
And the Franchisee of the Year award goes to…
The highlight of the conference came at the end of the day with the crowning of the 2019 Franchisee of the Year went to Cyndi and Peter Scher who own 3 locations in Florida – Hollywood, Palm Beach Gardens, Kendale Lakes, and the soon to open Kendall Palms. Cyndi and Peter are franchise veterans starting their careers in the food franchise industry.
Cecil Miller, Franchisee of the Year winners- Peter & Cyndi Scher, and Jack Griffey
They have taken what they have learned from past experiences and developed a successful mix for their locations in the salon suite industry. The husband and wife team delegated duties to one another in order to have their business run at peak performance. Peter manages all operations while Cyndi controls all marketing efforts. “We took into consideration our areas of expertise as we opened store number 3. This worked perfectly for us and as we prepare to open store number 4 we are running like a well-oiled machine”, stated Cyndi Scher.
As the conference came to an end, we were left on a high note with the expansion of the marketing team and all the innovations that will be taking place for the company to keep us as the #1 salon suite in the industry. Looking forward to the year 2020, we capitalize on our strengths and develop our weaknesses into successes. The last few months proved challenging for the home office but each individual accomplished more than ever with their dedication to each franchisee and suite owner. That speaks volumes as the team looks to reach a goal of 200 locations within the next 5 years.
About Salons by JC
Salons by JC is an international company located in 26 states and in Canada. For more information about franchising opportunities please visit https://salonsbyjc.com/franchise-opportunities/
