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Drybar, is a California-based chain of salons that solely provide hair styling service, also known as “blowouts,” founded in 2008.

History


In 2008, founder Alli Webb began a side business called Straight-at-Home. She quickly outgrew her one-woman operation and realized there was a huge hole in the market for just blowouts. Along with her brother Michael Landau, former Vice President of Brand Marketing at Yahoo! , Alli co-founded what would become Drybar with a salon in Brentwood, California. The following year, along with the help of friends, they were able to raise $2.5 million in order to expand the business. Once their business had been expanded, Drybar looked to add to their investors as well as their board of trustees. After an extensive search, they added Castanea Partners, a Boston-based private equity firm, to their list of investors. Additionally, Paul Pressler, former CEO of Gap and President of Disney, became an investor and Board member. Janet Gurtwitch, the founder and former CEO of Laura Mercier Cosmetics, also became an investor and Board member at Drybar.

Drybar’s motto is "No cuts. No color. Just blowouts."

Everything at Drybar is designed with the “bar vernacular” in mind. The cashiers are aptly called “bartenders” and hairstyles are named after cocktails such as the cosmopolitan mai tai, or manhattan. The idea behind this came from Webb who believed that “women [should want] to come in and have fun” and "what's more fun than going to your local bar?" Webb’s vision is present in the designs brought to life by Josh Heitler. Instead of the typical salon set up, clients at Drybar “sit facing a U-shaped or single-stretch bar, with their backs to the mirrors,” which brings to mind sitting at a bar rather than being at a salon.

Aesthetically, all Drybars look roughly the same, due mainly in part to Josh Heitler. Heitler, the principal of a boutique architectural firm and now partner in the company, came up with the design elements and look of Drybar. The reasoning behind the name Drybar, is evident in the design.

Locations
Drybar grew from four locations and revenue of $1.5 million in 2010 to 25 locations and a revenue of $19 million in 2012 to $39 million in 2013. As of 2014, Drybar has 37 locations in 7 states and the Washington DC area. These locations include :
 * Arizona (2 locations): Phoenix, Scottsdale
 * California (18 locations): Brentwood, Burlingame, Encino, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, Marina Del Rey, Newport Beach, Pacific Palisades, Palo Alto, Pasadena, San Diego, San Francisco (2), San Jose, Santa Monica, Studio City, West Hollywood, Westlake Village
 * Georgia (1 location): Atlanta
 * Illinois (1 location): Chicago
 * Massachusetts (2 locations): Boston/Back Bay, Chestnut Hill
 * New York (7 locations): Flatiron, Midtown, Murray Hill, Tribeca, Upper East Side, Midtown East, Roslyn
 * Texas (4 locations): Dallas, Houston, Northpark, Plano
 * Washington D.C. Area (2 locations): Bethesda, Georgetown

Products
Webb, a longtime professional stylist, spent several years developing a complete line of products. This came about “after trying nearly every existing product line." Webb just couldn't find what she was looking for to meet their very specific styling needs, so she “partnered with some of the best labs in the world to create exactly what [was] needed at Drybar."

After being frustrated with the product and tool choices available, Webb (along with the help of Board member and investor Janet Gurwitch) developed a line specifically for Drybar and blowouts. In 2013, after testing the line in about 70 Sephora locations, Drybar then went ahead with 300+ Sephora shops and QVC to launch their line of products. These products range from brushes to a blow dryer to hair accessories to various spritzes, sprays, and creams. These products are for home usage in order to lengthen the life of a Drybar blowout or for customers to achieve the look on their own. Buttercup, the official blow dryer used at Drybar, is the Drybar mascot and is sold for at-home use.

Milestones
One of the core components to the “Drybar Experience” is the ability for the salons to serve a glass of champagne or wine to their clients as they are receiving a service. Due to alcohol licensing laws, certain states and locations don’t allow for this. In October 2012, a Drybar location was opened in Bethesda, Maryland. When the regional manager, Courtney Barfield, realized this, both she and Drybar began working with District 16 Delegate Ariana Kelly to push legislation in this year’s General Assembly to allow for Montgomery County hair salons to provide complimentary wine, beer and champagne.

On May 5, 2014, Governor Martin O’Malley signed the so-called “Drybar Bill” and the law was enacted on July 1, 2014.

Governor O’Malley declared July 1 “Buttercup Day”, in reference to Drybar’s yellow blow dryer mascot.

On September 4, 2011, Drybar was featured on an episode of the hit HBO show ‘Entourage’. In the episode, studio head Dana Gordon stops by the blow dry bar, which is a favorite of celebrities such as Emma Roberts, Zooey Deschanel, Renée Zellweger, Cindy Crawford and Perry Reeves.

On December 7, 2012, Webb was featured on Katie and was interviewed by Katie Couric about Drybar and how it came to be.