Luxury Men's Grooming Club Eyeing Atlanta Entry

A private men's grooming and lifestyle club—co-owned by NFL Hall of Famer and commercial real estate leader Emmitt Smith—is looking to style itself into the Atlanta luxury retail scene with potentially a dozen locations.

The Gents Place is eyeing locations up to 3k SF in a variety of metro Atlanta locations for its luxe, private, male-targeted spas, including Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Midtown, Buckhead, Alpharetta and Sandy Springs. But first, it's attempting to round up franchisees to invest in the rollout, said CEO Ben Davis, here with co-owner and E Smith Realty Partners founder Emmitt Smith.

“We target more of the more affluent, discerning male clientèle,” Davis said. While they're destination retail, the clubs do center around trade areas where there is a lot of disposable income and hopefully a male client base known for taking particular care of their grooming and looks.

Davis said the model works on a membership basis, with rates starting at $400/year. The memberships vary depending on the type of services and frequency a customer is seeking, including haircuts, waxing, shoeshines, and hand and foot “repairs” (also known as manicures and pedicures) centered in a country club atmosphere that includes a full-service bar and lounge. He said a typical location can turn a successful profit with 1,000 members.

The Gents Place has not inked any deals in Atlanta as of yet. Davis founded the company in Texas in 2008 and has four locations, including in Dallas and Leawood, KS. But the company's franchise growth plans—with an unspecified investment from Smith this past summer—are aggressive, with a target of 350 locations across the country, Davis said.