Hand & Stone Further Propels Southeast Expansion With Signing of Four New Franchise Development Agreements

Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, the nation’s leading luxury massage and facial spa franchise, announced today the signing of four new franchise development agreements that will further expand the brand’s footprint in key states across the Southeast. As part of this growth, the company will open new spas in prime markets throughout Georgia, Florida and North Carolina including Savannah, Orlando, Tampa, and Raleigh over the next year. Hand & Stone is continuing to experience a surge in franchise development accelerated by the brand’s tremendous success in 2021, where it doubled year-over-year signings from 2020 and opened 24 new locations nationwide, including nine new spas throughout the Southeast region.

“Hand & Stone’s compounding success over the past several years has reinforced our brand’s position as an industry-leading powerhouse within the spa and franchise segments. The Southeast, and Georgia in particular, has quickly become a prime growth market and we’re thrilled to be accelerating development throughout the region with our outstanding franchisees," said John Teza, CEO of Hand & Stone.

Hand & Stone’s new Southeast franchise agreements include:

• Established multi-unit franchisee Tara McLain, who currently owns and operates four Hand & Stone locations throughout Florida, has signed on to develop a new spa in Savannah, adding the state of Georgia to her fast-growing portfolio. McLain, who opened her first Hand & Stone franchise in 2012, is slated to bring the luxury spa concept to the Savannah market by early 2023.
• Existing franchisees Ron and Stephanie Urton will be growing their operations in Central Florida and developing a new spa in The Villages North area of the greater Orlando DMA. The couple currently have another successful location in The Villages, which opened in 2019.
• Husband-and-wife team Mark and Valerie Gallarelli have committed to bring Hand & Stone to Spring Hill, expanding the brand’s footprint in the Tampa Bay Area and joining a number of successful other locations in Florida’s Suncoast.
• First-time Hand & Stone franchisee Daniel Hook will be a part of the brand’s growth into North Carolina, joined by his wife Tiffany who is an experienced Massage Therapist and Esthetician. They both bring a wealth of knowledge from the spa, financial management and sales industries to their new Hand & Stone business.

“As an experienced franchise owner, I am confident in what Hand & Stone has to offer franchisees and members alike and have no doubt we will experience great success as we continue to develop locations in the Southeast,” said Tara McLain, Hand & Stone franchisee. “We’re excited to be a part of growing Hand & Stone’s presence in a booming market like Georgia and introducing the community to the innovative services and unparalleled experience this brand is known for.” [EJ1]

Throughout 2021, Hand & Stone continued to be recognized as a leading massage and facial services concept and outstanding franchise system. The brand received the Zor Award in the beauty and wellness category by Franchise Times as one of the 10 best franchises to buy in 2021. Hand & Stone also ranked #154 on the publication’s annual Top 400 list (formerly Top 200+), moving up six spots from the 2020 ranking. Most recently, Hand & Stone ranked #296 on Entrepreneur magazine’s highly competitive Franchise 500 ranking of the top franchise brands where it remains one of the leading massage and spa services franchises.

In 2022, Hand & Stone aims to more than double its new spa openings across North America, with the goal of opening 50 locations throughout the U.S. and five in Canada. The Southeast continues to be a prime market for expansion, with franchise opportunities available throughout the region in key states including Georgia, Florida, the Carolinas, Alabama and more.