Oct 24, 2022
Gaines opened her first store on Singleton Boulevard in Dallas in 2020. But she had been experimenting with her techniques by operating pop-up shops in Boston in 2018 when she was attending Harvard Business School. Pressed Roots’ revenue significantly increased from $270,000 in 2020 to $900,000 by the end of 2021. In June 2022, Pressed Roots hit $1 million and projects total revenue of $3 million from its three locations by the end of the year.
Gaines raised $500,000 to open her first store and raised $2.3 million to open her next three stores. In surveys given out to customers who came to Gaines’ trial salons, 100% of the women in Dallas answered they needed the service; many said they had started wearing their hair naturally because few stylists could style their natural hair.
“The reason she sold it to me was because of the culture. She told me that it’s people who are like me who are doing my hair,” Means said. If that still sounds like a long time, “Texture hair takes a little bit longer,” said Endia Dawkins, training manager at Pressed Roots. “It’s like we have to take a little bit more care.”
Gaines said her stylists “are evaluated on their speed, and they are incentivized to make sure that you are getting [customers] in and out in an efficient [and] express manner.” “I traditionally all day, and I don’t have to do that anymore,” Marsh said. “Having my appointment ensures that I can get in and out in a timely manner, and when I book my appointment, it tells me how long I can expect to be here, which makes my day go by smoothly.
“Nobody knew at that time when we would be able to open again [or] if we’d ever be able to open again, like if this was the end of the world,” Gaines said. “It was just so confusing and so scary.” “I’m not a hair stylist. So, the only way this business can operate is if we have talented stylists who are willing and able and excited to work,” she said.