Wade Brannon has a habit of acquiring the companies he’s working with. After starting his career with food retailer Heavenly Hams on the franchisee side in 1984, he and his partners acquired it and 20 years later sold it to HoneyBaked Ham Co.
His next endeavor with kids hair salon franchise Pigtails & Crewcuts followed a similar path, and this time he’s still on it.
“My son hated haircuts, it was very traumatic for him,” said Brannon. “It was really rough when I took him to my barbershop.”
Brannon needed a solution, preferably one that didn’t frighten his son. In came Pigtails & Crewcuts. The stylists are trained in how to handle children and know what to do when they’re scared or can’t sit still. And Brannon’s son took to it without the fear he expressed before.
When the owner of Pigtails & Crewcuts approached him for help with franchising, Brannon jumped at the chance. He’d wanted to return to a smaller brand after his time with HoneyBaked Ham, and seeing how happy his son was after the haircut solidified the deal.
Wade Brannon.
“We’ve created this concept to handle the children who don’t enjoy a haircut and put the systems and training in place for our employees and team members to make it a more enjoyable experience,” said Brannon. “It’s much more comfortable for the parents, too, because if the children are happy then the parents are happy.”
With the founder looking to sell, Brannon acquired Pigtails & Crewcuts in late 2004. The brand, like many others, has dealt with the ups and downs of the economy and adapted where it could. During the 2008 recession, for example, unit growth wasn’t viable so the brand leaned into operations and supporting existing stores, with sales remaining steady or even increasing in some locations as kids still needed haircuts.
The pandemic brought business adjustments that stuck, such as appointment booking, which allowed franchisees to more easily balance labor and profit margins.
“We focused a lot on unit economics, profitability over the last few years,” said Brannon. “As a result, many of our franchisees are adding units.”
New franchisees looking for a simple business model are part of the mix as well. Brannon looks for franchisees who enjoy being around people. The team can train on accounting and how to run the business, but people skills aren’t something that can be taught easily, so franchisees already savvy with customers are a big plus.
At 80 units 20 years later, Pigtails & Crewcuts is continuing its growth efforts across the United States. Average sales in 2023 were $321,031. The brand added seven net new units last year; the cost to open a franchise ranges from $130,000 to $256,000.