Luke Howley to lead the brand's latest expansion in Rhode Island.
PROVIDENCE, R.I., April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Sola Salons, the industry leader in supporting independent beauty professionals through private, move-in-ready salon suites, is excited to announce the opening of its newest location in Providence at 131A Pitman St.
"We are thrilled to bring the Sola Salons brand to Providence," said Scott Thompson, chief development officer of Radiance Holdings. "Sola Salons offers an incredible franchise opportunity because it allows beauty professionals to thrive independently while providing franchisees with a straightforward and scalable business model. With our extensive support, proven track record and strong community, there's never been a better time to join the Sola family."
The Providence location is owned by Luke Howley, who has spent nearly a decade helping beauty professionals launch and grow their own businesses. As the managing partner of Howley Salon Group, he has expanded his franchise portfolio with Sola Salons, creating spaces where independent stylists can thrive. With a background in franchising that includes Panera Bread, he understands what it takes to build a strong, service-driven business.
With the opening of his latest Sola Salons location in Providence, Rhode Island — his fourth overall — Howley continues to support beauty professionals by offering premium salon spaces and hands-on local support. His focus has always been on putting the needs of beauty professionals first, ensuring they have the tools and environment they need to succeed.
"I think people often see the brand name and don't realize it's franchised at all. The really cool thing about franchising is that it's locally owned," Howley said. "I live right here in Rhode Island, and we own our businesses in Rhode Island. So, we truly feel locally owned and connected to the community in that way."
The new Sola Salons in Providence will feature 38 fully equipped private salon suites designed to allow entrepreneurs such as hairdressers, estheticians, nail technicians and massage therapists to run their businesses with complete autonomy. The Sola Salons franchise owner takes care of all common areas, including entryways, bathrooms and break rooms, ensuring that beauty professionals can focus entirely on their clients and their craft. Suites can be modified to accommodate each individual professional.
Unlike other franchise models that require extensive hands-on management, Sola Salons allows owners to enjoy a flexible and scalable business model. "There is no on-site staff, minimal equipment maintenance, no inventory or receivables and predictable expenses," said John Pantera, vice president of franchise development. "That is why over 75% of Sola Salons franchisees own multiple units, many of which choose to expand their existing franchise portfolio with the concept."
Sola Salons' expansion into Providence is part of the brand's broader growth strategy, which includes plans to open up to 275 new locations nationwide over the next few years by offering a turnkey franchise opportunity that enables entrepreneurs to own a piece of the $100 billion U.S. beauty industry. Today, Sola Salons has expanded to over 700 locations nationwide and over 20,000 beauty professionals. The brand was recently No. 1 in Entrepreneur's 2025 Salon Suites Category Ranking and No. 79 overall in the Franchise 500 ranking for 2025, one of the most prestigious lineups in the industry.
For more information on franchising with Sola Salons, visit: https://www.solasalonstudios.com/franchising.
ABOUT SOLA SALONS:
In 2004, Sola Salons was established with the opening of its first location in Denver, Colorado. Now with more than 725 locations open in the U.S. and Canada, Sola is proud to offer 20,000+ independent beauty professionals the freedom and benefits of salon ownership without the risk and overhead of opening a traditional salon. Its innovative salon model empowers hairdressers, estheticians, nail techs, massage therapists and other like-minded professionals to take control of their lives and their careers. Sola provides beauty professionals with beautiful, fully-equipped salon studios alongside the support and tools they need to launch their salon business in no time. For more information about Sola Salons, please visit https://www.solasalonstudios.com/.
Media Contact
Lauren Turner, Mainland, 3125263996, [email protected], www.hellomainland.com
SOURCE Sola Salons
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