A 52-suite Sola Salon Studios flagship is headed for Fort Worth's Westcliff Shopping Center, with pre-leasing now open to independent hairstylists, estheticians, nail technicians, and barbers ahead of a targeted Spring 2027 grand opening. The location sits less than half a mile from Texas Christian University, placing it inside one of the city's busiest retail corridors for foot traffic and student clientele.
The project was first reported by WhatNow, which confirmed the Westcliff studio will mark franchisee Shay Stevenson's ninth Sola Salon Studios location. Stevenson, a Denton, Texas, native who became a Sola franchisee in 2015, said the Westcliff project represents an investment in Fort Worth's beauty and wellness community, according to the same report. He also encouraged beauty and wellness professionals to reach out early to reserve a space before suites fill.
Sola Salon Studios already operates 16 locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth area and more than 700 nationwide, per WhatNow's reporting. The company, founded in Denver in 2004 by Stratton Smith and Matt Briger, pioneered the turnkey salon suite model that now serves more than 20,000 beauty professionals across North America, according to Sola Salon Studios. Entrepreneur magazine named Sola the No. 1 franchise in the Salon Suites category on its 2026 Franchise 500 ranking, marking the brand's seventh consecutive year on that national list, as reported by Usearch.
A Historic Shopping Center Gets a Fresh Chapter
Westcliff Shopping Center itself carries a deep local history. The surrounding neighborhood was originally master-planned between 1945 and 1965 after builder J.E. Foster purchased the land and established the original Westcliff Shopping Center in 1945, according to 6th Ave Homes. The community also includes Westcliff Elementary School, which opened in 1954, alongside historic single-family ranch homes.
Houston-based Partners Capital bought the 134,750-square-foot center in October 2023 for $14.8 million through its Opportunity Fund V, marking the firm's first property acquisition in North Texas, according to Disney Investment Group, which brokered the deal on behalf of seller CTO Realty Growth. The center was 86% leased at the time of sale and has been anchored by an Albertsons grocery store since 2009. Last October, Partners Capital completed a facade restoration on a 22,000-square-foot section of the property, uncovering the site's original 1950s cast-stone exterior that had been hidden under a 1970s metal roof, according to Partners Real Estate.
How the Suite Model Pencils Out for Stylists
The financial appeal of the suite model helps explain why pre-leasing is already underway more than half a year before the doors open. Beauty professionals who rent private salon suites keep 100% of their service fees and retail sales after paying fixed weekly rents between $250 and $600, a structure that has produced national average incomes between $50,000 and $120,000 annually compared with traditional 40% to 60% commission splits, per the Salon Studios Guide. That independence also lets practitioners set their own schedules and prices rather than working under a shop owner's terms.
Opening a single Sola Salon Studios franchise is a substantial undertaking for operators like Stevenson. Franchise disclosure filings show a total initial capital investment ranging between $1,181,960 and $1,939,349, including a $55,000 initial franchise fee, according to franchise disclosure documents cited by Vetted Biz.
Licensing Rules Shape How the Suites Operate
Texas regulation adds another layer to how the Westcliff studio will function once open. Under Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation rules, salon suite developments operate as gallery establishments, meaning each beauty professional leasing an enclosed suite must hold an individual mini-establishment license, with each suite required to be fully walled and independently compliant with sanitation rules, according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Texas House Bill 1560 consolidated barbering and cosmetology regulation under TDLR in June 2021, establishing streamlined establishment licensing that allows dual barbering and cosmetology practitioners to operate within shared suite facilities, per Consentz. The state also requires 1,000 training hours for cosmetology operator licenses.
Sola Salon Studios has said the Westcliff location will maintain its own website and Instagram presence, and Stevenson confirmed the studio is still targeting a Spring 2027 grand opening. The Fort Worth studio will be located at 3584 South Hills Avenue, Suite 120, offering private, move-in-ready suites for independent beauty professionals across hair, skin, nails, and barbering.
