One-year-old Wichita business to get second site and will be franchised by next year

When Kristin Kienzle announced last year that she was going to open a salon suites business near Top Golf, she was so confident of demand that she said, “It’s kind of no fail.”

She was right.

Utopia Modern Salon Suites at 11124 E. 28th St. just south of 29th and Greenwich celebrated one year in business last month, and now Kienzle is planning a second east-side Utopia and is working on franchise plans for next year.

“After working in a suite concept salon for the past 10 years and being in the industry for over 30 years, I had a pretty good idea of what beauty professionals would want, and we provided it,” Kienzle said.

Currently, there are nine hair stylists, a wax professional, an esthetician and a nurse practitioner who does medical aesthetics.

The new business, which will open just after Thanksgiving, is at the Offices at Cranbrook at 10111 E. 21st St. just east of Webb Road, which isn’t far from the first one.

“The location is great,” Kienzle said. “The need on this side of town for a suite concept salon was very great.”

The new location also has 12 suites.

“We really did a copy paste with the exception of the floor plan being different,” Kienzle said.

As she finishes work on the space, Kienzle also is working with her business coach, Lee Gray of ActionCoach Business Coaching, on the franchise plan.

“She’s amazing,” Kienzle said. “We hope to have it franchised this time next year.”

She said she sees the industry moving toward more suite concept salons.

“I feel like this is an opportunity for us, and I feel like our model is good enough that it will be successful as a franchise.”