Chidsey Opens His 54th Sola Salons Unit

Multi-unit franchisee Haynes Chidsey recently opened his 54th Sola Salons location. The new unit is in Orlando.

"We've been a part of the Sola system since the beginning," Chidsey said. "It just celebrated its 20-year anniversary, and we're proud to have been part of that journey. It's fit well with our background in finance and operations, especially given the importance of getting the lease right and providing a spirit of service to our customers."

As a former colleague of the company's founders, Chidsey was involved from the earliest stages, ultimately becoming one of Sola's first franchisees. His decision to join the brand wasn't driven by a desire to enter franchising, but by his long-standing trust in the founders and belief in their vision.

"We're definitely planning to grow. We'll have a couple more stores opening shortly after this one in Orlando. We operate in four states, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. and we're looking to grow in all four," Chidsey said. "More than just growth, though, our most important goal is to develop our team. We invest a lot of time, effort, and money in recruiting, retaining, and training our team to provide the best possible customer experience. That's just as important to us as expanding to more locations."

With a background in finance and operations, Chidsey found that the Sola model aligned well with his skill set. He appreciated the business' simplicity, especially in contrast to more complex franchise systems, like food or hospitality. Chidsey and his business partner, Peter Pak, joined the Sola Salons system in 2005.

"We are thrilled to grow the Sola Salons brand in Orlando," 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."