Gene Juarez

What Gene Juarez does

Gene Juarez is a privately held luxury salon and spa operator founded in 1971 in Downtown Seattle and headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, operating as a registered trade name under Highlights Salons, LLC. As of mid-2026 the company runs 14 full-service salon and spa locations plus one Education Studio across Washington State, serving more than 300,000 active guests with hair services (cuts, color, barbering, extensions, treatments), spa services (massage, facials, nails, waxing, lash and brow), and an integrated e-commerce retail line featuring brands such as Kérastase, Eminence, Oribe, GHD, ZO by Obagi, and Colorescience. The operating model relies on a five-tier stylist hierarchy (Artist through Signature), Goldwell Master Colorists, and proprietary color technology (Pure Pigments), with a centralized training pipeline at the Southcenter Square Education Studio.

Revenue is generated primarily through pay-as-you-go service tickets, with tiered pricing ranging from $79-$168 for hair cuts and color, $45-$220 for massage therapy, plus gift card sales ($100-$1,500 denominations), retail product sales, and recurring membership and loyalty programs (GJ Collective rewards, Skincare & Nails Memberships, Hair Extensions Membership, Spa Series packages). Customer acquisition is sales-led and direct-to-consumer, supported by a Zenoti-powered website and e-commerce platform, local SEO, Instagram engagement, referral programs, and earned media in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Allure. The company also pursues sustainability positioning through a partnership with Green Circle Salons (since 2015) that diverts more than 30,000 lbs of waste annually, and operates a dedicated men's grooming vertical at the Barbershop in Bellevue.

Name

Gene Juarez

Legal name

Highlights Salons, LLC

Website

https://genejuarez.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Gene Juarez, founded in 1971 and headquartered in Bellevue, WA, operates 15 luxury salon, spa, and education locations across Washington State, serving 300,000+ guests with tiered hair, skin, nail, and massage services plus a professional beauty retail line.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Salon and Spa Services

NAICS

Beauty Salons (812112), Hair, Nail, and Skin Care Services (81211), Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120), Barber Shops (812111)

SIC

Services-Personal Services (7200), Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Hair Coloring & Highlights Services (HSALAAAE)

Keywords

• Luxury salon services
• Hair styling and color
• Spa and skincare treatments
• Professional beauty retail
• Men's grooming barbershop

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellevue

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Salon and Spa Services: Core revenue stream from hair, skin, nail, massage, and spa services across 15 locations. Services range from cuts and coloring to facials, manicures, and massage therapy.
2. Retail Product Sales: Sale of professional beauty and skincare products including Kérastase, Eminence, GHD, Oribe, and other luxury brands through e-commerce and in-salon retail.
3. Membership and Loyalty Programs: GJ Collective rewards program offering points for services and products, plus membership options for regular guests. Additional services include Hair Extensions Membership and Skincare & Nails Memberships.
4. Gift Cards: Sale of gift cards in denominations from $100 to $1,500, providing prepaid services across all locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Gene Juarez is a luxury salon and spa operator delivering in-person beauty and wellness services across 14 full-service locations plus an Education Studio in Washington State. Core services include haircuts and styling, color and blonding, barbering, hair extensions and re-texturizing treatments, massage therapy, facials and skincare, waxing, lash and brow services, and nail care. The company also retails professional hair, skin, body, and men's grooming brands (Kérastase, Eminence, ZO Skin Health, Colorescience, GHD, Oribe) and runs the GJ Collective loyalty program plus membership packages.

Product overview

Gene Juarez Salons & Spas is a luxury beauty and wellness company offering a comprehensive portfolio of salon and spa services across 14+ locations in Washington State and Spokane. The core offering consists of salon services (haircuts, color, barbering, treatments, hair extensions) and spa services (massage therapy, facials, waxing, lash & brow, nails), complemented by a retail division selling professional hair care, skin care, body products, and men's grooming products. The company operates a loyalty program (GJ Collective), membership options for skincare and nails, and a New Talent training program. Services are delivered through tiered stylist levels (Signature, Premier, Expert, Senior, Artist) and utilize professional brands including Kérastase, ZO by Obagi, Colorescience, and Goldwell.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Salon Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 63% more shine, twice resistance to fading, three times color intensity with Pure Pigments technology
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Green Circle SalonscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Since 2015, Gene Juarez has partnered with Green Circle Salons to reduce environmental impact. The partnership successfully diverts over 30,000 lbs of waste out of waterways and landfills annually, supporting Gene Juarez's sustainability commitment and environmental, social and governance commitments.
• ColorescienceminorOthersColorescience is sold as a professional skincare brand at Gene Juarez locations and online. The brand specializes in mineral-based sunscreen and skin care products.
• ZO Skin Health by Zein ObagiminorOthersZO by Obagi products are featured at Gene Juarez, with the Refine and Restore Facial exclusively using medical-grade ZO Skin Health products at select locations.
• LuxuriminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLuxuri, a London-based international digital publication dedicated to luxury lifestyle, recognized Gene Juarez as Best Full-Service Salon for Hair & Spa in their Q2 2026 Luxuri Awards Programme, providing international recognition and media exposure.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Aveda: Estée Lauder-owned professional hair care brand with Aveda Experience salons globally. Comparable as a premium salon-services brand anchoring high-end hair color and treatment offerings across a multi-location network.
• Regis Corporation: Largest hair salon operator in North America with brands including Supercuts, Cost Cutters, and SmartStyle. Comparable as a multi-brand salon chain operator, though Gene Juarez targets the premium tier versus Regis's mass-market positioning.
• Great Clips: Largest hair salon brand in North America by unit count (4,400+ salons). Comparable as a multi-location hair services operator though positioned at mass-market price points versus Gene Juarez's premium tier.

Emerging players

• Madison Reed: Digital-first professional hair color brand with Madison Reed Hair Color Bar retail locations offering in-salon color services. Comparable as a premium color brand expanding from product into owned service locations.
• Sola Salon Studios: Largest salon-suite concept in North America with 700+ locations providing independent stylists their own branded studios, often targeting premium tiers. Comparable as an alternative service-delivery model competing for the same high-end stylist talent pool.

Direct peers

• European Wax Center: Public company operating ~900 franchised personal-care service locations focused on waxing and related beauty services. Comparable as a multi-location premium personal-care services brand with membership-driven recurring revenue.
• Spavia Day Spa: Franchised luxury day spa with 30+ locations offering massage, facials, and body treatments in a membership-driven model. Comparable as a multi-location premium spa brand competing for the same affluent, recurring-visit guest demographic.
• Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa: Franchised spa chain with 600+ locations offering massage, facials, and hair removal. Comparable as a growing multi-location premium spa brand competing in overlapping wellness and skincare categories.
• Massage Envy: Largest franchised provider of therapeutic massage and skincare services with1,100+ locations. Comparable as a multi-location spa/wellness services brand with membership and recurring-revenue model overlapping Gene Juarez's massage and facial offerings.
• Woodhouse Spa: Luxury day spa franchise with locations primarily in the Midwest and Texas offering massage, facials, and body treatments. Comparable as a multi-location luxury spa brand operating at similar premium price points.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/genejuarez
• Xx.com/genejuarez

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gene Juarez