Sugaring NYC Founder and President Daria Nartov started the company in 2014 using a mixture of sugar, water and lemon juice to remove clients’ hair.
In Russia, waxing is old school. That’s why when Daria Nartov moved to New York City from Russia 14 years ago, she immediately noticed the lack of businesses that offered sugaring, a waxing alternative. “In Russia, it’s so popular. No one is doing waxing, people either do laser or sugaring,” Nartov said.
She tried waxing, but she didn’t like any of her experiences. Everything felt like a doctor’s office, or she’d visit a nail salon that also did waxing, where she’d be behind a curtain. “It was so weird,” she said.
Sugaring differs from waxing because the paste is made from sugar, lemon and water, and can be used multiple times, unlike wax. It’s also meant to hurt less than traditional waxing.
Taking matters into her own hands, Nartov founded Sugaring NYC, a franchise with more than 100 units open nationwide, in 2014. She initially did sugaring as a side hustle while in college, but it got so popular that she had to turn down clients. She got her certification in Russia.
“I never thought, it’s gonna be a full-size business, I didn’t even know what franchising is,” Nartov said. “I was shocked. I’m still shocked, I still can’t believe we have more than 100 locations open.”
Now, sugaring franchises are having a moment. There’s SugaringLA, which Franworth acquired in December. Danielle Correia founded the company in 2011 in Santa Monica, California. Sugar Sugar is another option, with a handful of locations throughout the United States. The franchise has sold 47 franchises in eight states, according to its website.
Sugaring NYC is mostly located in the eastern United States, so the next target is the West Coast, Nartov said.
Nartov and her husband had the goal to open 50 stores and started opening about three units a year. “It got to the point where it started to be difficult to manage some of the locations in other states,” she said.
That’s when the pair looked into franchising as a new route to expand. Sugaring NYC partnered with a firm in Miami to build a franchise plan. Nartov wasn’t sure franchising was right for the brand because she wanted to ensure every store ran the same way and customer service was up to her standards.
“I was like, this business runs well because I’m president, because I’m hands on and doing all that stuff,” she said.
Soon, she realized she could accomplish her goals with franchising, so Sugaring NYC launched its franchising initiative. As long as she sold two franchises, the brand would make its money back on what was spent to start franchising, she said.
The first year, Sugaring NYC didn’t sell any franchises. But once it sold one, it quickly sold 10.
Franchisees don’t need sugaring or waxing experience to sign a deal with Sugaring NYC. “There’s no particular qualities we look into people, but it’s very important that the person is involved in the business,” because so many people want to get into franchising as a side hustle or with plans to work remotely, Nartov said.
“It’s really important to be present and to teach your employees how to be nice, basically customer service,” she said. “That’s why it doesn’t work for someone who just wants to get to have passive income, just buy it and basically make it run by itself. Unfortunately, that’s not what Sugaring NYC is about.”
The total investment required to open a Sugaring NYC franchise ranges from $80,000 to $140,000, according to the brand’s website.