Hand & Stone Growth Of Existing Franchisees

Hand & Stone
Published: April 4th, 2022

April 04, 2022 // Franchising.com // PHILADELPHIA - Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa announced today the brand is experiencing a surge in development. In just the first quarter of 2022, more than 10 Hand & Stone franchisees have acquired new spas or signed agreements to develop additional locations and expand the brand’s footprint in their territories. As a result of the continued confidence owners have in the thriving wellness concept, Hand & Stone is positioned to significantly expand its presence in key target markets throughout the U.S., including Georgia, Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee, and Florida, as well as others.

Among Hand & Stone’s existing franchisees who have recently expanded with the brand is multi-unit operator Eric Danver, who recently acquired his milestone 30th Hand & Stone location, marking the brand’s first-ever operator to do so. Danver joined Hand & Stone after being a client himself and opened his first spa in 2015. Since that time, he has grown his Hand & Stone portfolio to span across five states including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, and became the brand’s largest operator within just five years. Prior to Hand & Stone, Danver owned and operated 53 Papa John’s franchises.

“Eric is one of our most esteemed franchisees and embodies the qualities we look for in an ideal franchise candidate. As a seasoned franchise industry veteran, his continued investment in Hand & Stone serves as a testament to our brand’s strength and leadership within the spa category,” said John Teza, CEO of Hand & Stone. “On the heels of a tremendous 2021, where more than half of our 59 franchise agreements were signed by established owners, we are already seeing the trend continue with several existing franchisees expanding their portfolios within the first quarter of 2022. We are so fortunate to have such dedicated and committed franchisees who are truly the backbone of our brand.”

Eric Danver is among a dozen established franchisees who have signed additional franchise agreements since the beginning of 2022, reinforcing how Hand & Stone’s existing network is driving the brand’s rapid growth across the U.S. Markets where Hand & Stone existing franchisees are slated to spearhead developing new spas over the next several years include:

• Savannah, Ga.: Tara McLain will bring a new location adding to her portfolio of four Hand & Stone spas in Florida.
• South Philadelphia: Joseph and Bryn Erace will open a new spa in South Philadelphia. The husband-and-wife team currently have five spas in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and throughout the Greater Philadelphia area.
• Houston, Texas: Mark and Heather Mize will be growing their Texas footprint with the opening of a third location in the Houston-Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan area.
• Detroit, Mich.: Sumit and Monica Bansal have committed to develop a second location in the Greater Detroit area.
• Columbus, Ohio: David Burch will bring a second location to Northeast Franklin County in Gahanna, Ohio.
• Knoxville, Tenn.: Don Williams is an area developer for Hand & Stone and has committed to bring three new locations to the Eastern Tennessee area along with business partners Jeff Sweeney and Shane Smith.
• The Villages, Fla.: Rob and Stephanie Urton, who already have a successful Hand & Stone spa in The Villages, FL and will be opening a second location in the northern part of The Villages community.
• Tampa, Fla.: Mark and Valerie Gallarelli will expand Hand & Stone’s presence throughout the Tampa Bay area by bringing a new location to Spring Hill in Hernando County.
• Myrtle Beach, S.C.: Traci and Anthony Nocito will develop their first Hand & Stone on the South Carolina coast, which is their first new-build. They have two other locations in Huntingdon Valley and Flourtown in Pennsylvania.
• Delray Beach, Fla.: Kelli and Bill Marazzi signed for their fourth Hand & Stone location in South Florida’s Palm Beach County.

SOURCE Hand & Stone