Husband-and-Wife Franchisees Acquired 3 Pigtails & Crewcuts – 7 Months In, They’re Opening a 4th

Seven months ago, Warin Epstein and his wife Martha acquired three Pigtails & Crewcuts salons in Central Florida. They’re now preparing to open their fourth location of the children’s hair salon franchise.

The couple had been considering venturing into franchising for a while. When they were sitting at their children’s hair appointment at their favorite place, they had an epiphany.

“We looked at each other and said, ‘This place is always busy and seems to be doing well. I wonder if it’s a franchise.’ As we left the salon I began researching on my phone for information on the franchise. After that it all clicked into place very quickly,” Epstein said.

The Epstein family’s love of the brand dates back to their middle son, Sebastian’s, first haircut, which took place at the Dr. Phillips Pigtails & Crewcuts location, which they now own.

We knew we wanted to take him to a special place for his ‘first haircut experience, and we could not have been happier.’ We loved the stylist, Mary, that we were paired with, and to this day she is still the only one that has ever cut Sebastian’s hair,” Epstein said. 

When the opportunity to acquire three thriving locations in their area became available, the Epsteins leaped at the chance. The couple has been operating the three Orlando area locations for seven months now and have loved every minute. In fact, they’ve enjoyed the experience so much that they’ve decided to expand with a fourth location, opening later this year.

1851 Franchise spoke with Warin Epstein about his journey into franchising with Pigtails & Crewcuts and his plans for the future.

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Epstein: I am a real estate attorney and my wife is a property manager, and that's how we met. We met in Brooklyn court actually; she was my witness in a trial. We moved from New York to Florida in 2012, and I had my own law firm and she continued working in property management.

Over time, we realized that with our combined knowledge of real estate that the next obvious step for us would be to invest in rental properties. We built a portfolio of properties, but also knew we wanted to diversify our investments. That is when we began exploring franchise opportunities.

We wanted to do something without having to reinvent the wheel. We wanted some sort of safety and support, but we also wanted something that meant we didn’t necessarily have to give up our careers or be there in person every single day.

My wife and I have brought our kids to Pigtails & Crewcuts, as customers since we moved to Florida. It was such a great experience. We were sitting there, looked at each other and said, ‘This place is always busy and seems to be doing well. I wonder if it’s a franchise.’ As we left the salon I began researching on my phone for information on the franchise. After that, it all clicked into place very quickly.

Soon enough, we began talking to the franchise about a potential location, but unfortunately, there wasn’t any availability in our local market. We were seriously considering opening a new location approximately an hour-and-a-half away from where we live, but before we did so, as part of our due diligence, I spoke to the now prior owner of the three locations in our market. Although she had loved her time with the brand, she was ready to move on to the next chapter of her life. After that conversation my wife and I knew that instead of one, we had to figure out a way to acquire three locations, and that is what we did!

We acquired the three locations about seven months ago, and we’ve been loving every second of it. It's been an absolute blast so far. Now we are getting ready to open a fourth location. 

1851: What was your perception of franchising before becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Epstein: As a native New Yorker, I grew up with a bit of negativity towards franchises. I liked the uniqueness of local mom-and-pop businesses and always sought to support them. What I didn’t understand yet, was that most franchises are mom-and-pop family businesses. They are locally owned. My wife and I knew that we wanted the structure and guidance of an established business model, but we also wanted it to be ours. Franchising allows us to have the best of both worlds. 

1851: What made you choose this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Epstein: We were customers of Pigtails & Crewcuts first; Our son, Sebastian’s, first haircut, took place at the Dr Phillips Pigtails & Crewcuts location, which we now own. We knew we wanted to take him to a special place for his first haircut experience, and we could not have been happier. We loved the stylist, Mary, that we were paired with, and to this day she is still the only one that has ever cut Sebastian’s hair.

It's really nice to provide a safe and fun space for children to get haircuts. We are really enjoying this new chapter. It is so rewarding to see kids smiling after their cut or playing with the toys while they wait their turn. I just walk around the salon in a good mood every time I am there.

1851: What do you like most about the brand?  

When I first reached out asking about franchise opportunities, they were extremely responsive and quick. The support is great.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Epstein: We want to keep growing and be able to support our family and our employees' families. That is why we have decided to go straight to our fourth location. We have appreciated the opportunity to take over the three locations that were already up and running, but we wanted a chance to experience opening a new P&C salon too. We have also been very lucky to have an incredible general manager, Amber Rogers, who has taught us so much about the salon business; she's been with our salons for over 10 years. We honestly don’t know what we would do without her and we are very grateful to have her as part of our team. I don't think you can do this successfully without good people on your team.

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Epstein: For many years we had a dream of becoming franchise owners. During our journey to make the dream become a reality, we faced many obstacles. Many doors were closed, but we never gave up, we would change direction and knock on the next door until the right combination of doors opened for us. We are grateful to now be part of the Pigtails & Crewcuts story. 

1851: What advice do you have for others thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Epstein: Don’t be scared off by the word franchise. It may sound like a daunting task to undertake, but if you do your research and put your head to it, you will find that it is achievable. 

About Pigtails & Crewcuts: 

Pigtails & Crewcuts is a children’s hair salon franchise created by parents for kids to offer a stress-free haircutting experience for the whole family. In addition to hair care services, Pigtails & Crewcuts offers a custom line of kid-centric hair products, accessories and gifts. To learn more or to find a salon near you, please visit www.pigtailsandcrewcuts.com. To learn more about franchise opportunities, please visit www.pigtailsandcrewcutsfranchise.com.