Where Are They Now? Hammer & Nails Builds Excitement Around Men’s Grooming With 50-Plus Units | Franchise News

This article is part of “Where Are They Now?”—an ongoing series in which Franchise Times Managing Editor Emilee Wentland and Reporter Alyssa Huglen catch up with emerging brands.

Aaron Meyers knows self-care hasn’t historically been a priority for men. But the tides are starting to change with the expansion of men’s grooming concept Hammer & Nails, hitting the 50-unit milestone next week.

Meyers, the brand’s CEO, believes the rising interest in men’s grooming goes hand in hand with societal shifts around masculinity.

“Society is doing a lot of the heavy lifting for us,” Meyers said. “Men have been told for the last 50 years that they shouldn’t think of (self-care) … and they’re finally coming around that it’s crazy to talk that way. Men are realizing they live better when they’re healthier.”

Franchise Times last covered the brand in 2020, when Hammer & Nails finished out the year with 11 units, according to its 2021 franchise disclosure document.

Hammer & Nails offers haircuts, waxing, manicures and pedicures, facials, shaving and beard grooming services. The company welcomes a la carte bookings but has found the majority of its success comes from its membership model.

The company touts three membership options: Classic Club, VIP Club and Club Luxe. Transparency is crucial, Meyers said, and he looks to make that clear with a no-catch membership model. Members can gift service credits whenever, unused service credits roll over to the following month, and memberships follow a month-to-month agreement instead of hard-to-cancel, long-term commitments with hidden fees tacked on.

The model has translated to success at Hammer & Nails, as Meyers reported more than 80 percent of booked services are with members.

“We’ve always believed that people should stay with your membership because they’re happy and they love your concept and use it, not because you’ve trapped them,” he said. “What we’ve found out is if you build an environment that’s healthy, caters to men, treats them fairly and doesn’t trap them into contracts or have rules that make them feel like they don’t have control, they actually stay longer with our concepts than brands that do it the other way.”

The brand’s FDD reports franchise units generated $892,965 in average unit volume for 2024, a more than 9 percent increase from 2023’s AUV of $818,793. Units open for three or more years saw AUVS increase by more than 14 percent from 2023 to 2024, going from $849,963 to $972,982.

The total investment necessary to open a Hammer & Nails location is between $653,450 and $866,450, according to its FDD.

“Happy franchisees mean growing new franchisees,” said Meyers, who noted strong word-of-mouth from existing franchisees has attracted prospective ones. Bringing in strong operators and establishing positive relationships have contributed to a stronger Item 19 year after year, he said.

“We’re obsessed with making sure our franchisees can be profitable and make money with this investment, and we’ve been able to make adjustment after adjustment and improvement after improvement,” he said.

Growing the brand’s presence has been a core focus as of late. Hammer & Nails announced earlier this month a partnership with UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber. Faber, nicknamed “The California Kid,” is a brand ambassador as well as an investor for a franchisee group developing 10 units in northern California.

“We started talking about how we could partner together a couple of years ago, and really he loves our business,” Meyers said of Faber. “He used us as a customer, bringing him and his kids in, so it makes sense for us to partner with somebody that enjoys and gets our brand.”

Meyers doesn’t anticipate growth slowing down anytime soon. Hammer & Nails is expected to open another 20 to 25 units this year and has a goal of reaching 100 units by the end of 2026.

“There’s been a lot of doubters and naysayers out there—those people feed me,” Meyers said. “I’m motivated by people that think we can’t achieve. As our results get better, I’m excited about all of the changes and improvements and the amount of technology we’re bringing into the company now that are making our franchisees more effective and efficient.”