bex+Co.
bex+Co. is a privately held Shared Workspace Salon™ franchise founded in 2015 in Austin, Texas, where independent stylists lease chairs inside premium salon locations. The company operates seven Austin-area salons and launched its franchise program in 2025 to expand nationwide, supported by proprietary POS systems and stylist education content.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What bex+Co. does
bex+Co. is a Shared Workspace Salon™ franchise operator founded in 2015 by Rebekah (Bex) Irvine in Austin, Texas. The company runs a hybrid model where independent beauty stylists set their own schedules, prices, and policies while operating inside premium, professionally designed salon locations operated by franchise owners. Each 1,800-2,400 sq ft location fits 18-22 chairs and runs with only 1-2 part-time team members, with one operations manager capable of overseeing up to six locations. The platform combines proprietary POS tools and back-office systems with an educational ecosystem (Beauty Empire Blueprint course and weekly Glam Chats community sessions) intended to help stylists transition from commission-based roles to independent business owners.
After growing to seven company-operated locations across the Austin metro area (South Lamar, Downtown, Cedar Park, Barton Hills, Gateway, and Georgetown) between 2020 and 2023, all reported as waitlisted, bex+Co. launched its franchise program in 2025. The franchise offering includes a single-salon option ($60,000 franchise fee, total startup investment $378,596-$551,494) and multi-unit development agreements for 3 or 6 salon territories, with a 15% military veteran discount. Revenue mechanics for franchisees include chair/space rental income, while bex+Co. collects a 6% weekly royalty on gross sales, a 2% brand development fund contribution, and a $400/month minimum local marketing spend requirement. The franchise is restricted from operating in 14 U.S. states including California, New York, Illinois, and Virginia.
The company is founder-owned and privately held, with no disclosed institutional or venture capital backing. Co-founders Gary Ratner (former President of Salon Plaza Enterprises, which scaled to ~350 locations before its 2021 exit) and Dennis Ratner (50+ years in beauty, scaled Ratner Companies to ~1,000 locations) bring deep franchise-scaling experience. bex+Co. is currently led by Founder Bex Irvine, with go-to-market executed through a structured 7-step franchise sales process (inquiry → team call → model review → confidential questionnaire → Discovery Day in Austin → final approval → onboarding) supported by a franchise website, FDD distribution, and Discovery Day in-person experiences.
bex+Co. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- bex+Co.
- Legal name
- bex+Co.
- Website
- https://bexandcofranchise.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- bex+Co. is a privately held Shared Workspace Salon™ franchise founded in 2015 in Austin, Texas, where independent stylists lease chairs inside premium salon locations. The company operates seven Austin-area salons and launched its franchise program in 2025 to expand nationwide, supported by proprietary POS systems and stylist education content.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
bex+Co. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Beauty Salon Franchise
- NAICS
- Beauty Salons (812112)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Salon Suites & Chair Rental (Independent Stylists) (HSALAAAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Unisex/Family Hair Salons (HSALAAAC)
Keywords
Where bex+Co. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
bex+Co. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Chair/Space Rental: Independent stylists rent chairs/spaces within the salon. Stylists set their own schedules, prices, and policies while operating inside a high-end shared workspace environment.
- Franchise Fees: Initial franchise fee of $60,000 per location. Multi-unit pricing available: 2 salons at $50,000 each ($100,000 total), 3+ salons at $120,000 plus $40,000 per additional outlet. 15% discount for US Military Veterans.
- Royalty Revenue: Ongoing royalty of 6% of gross sales, paid weekly, from franchise locations.
- Brand Development Fund: 2% of gross sales contributed to brand development fund, plus additional $400/month minimum in local marketing required from franchisees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Single Salon Franchise |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Two Salon Multi-Unit Agreement |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Three+ Salon Multi-Unit Agreement |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Ongoing Royalty |
| Subscription | Monthly | Brand Development Fund |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
bex+Co. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
bex+Co. franchises a Shared Workspace Salon™ brand in which independent beauty stylists lease chairs and run their own businesses inside premium, professionally designed salon locations. Franchise owners provide the physical space, operational systems, and brand ecosystem, while stylists set their own schedules, prices, and policies and bring their own clients. The offering is sold as single-salon and multi-unit franchise packages supported by the proprietary Beauty Empire Blueprint education program and ongoing Glam Chats community sessions.
Product overview
bex+Co. is a Shared Workspace Salon™ franchise offering. The core product is the bex+Co. salon franchise, a business model where independent stylists lease chairs/spaces and operate their own businesses within premium salon locations. Supporting this core offering are the Beauty Empire Blueprint educational course (covering pricing, scheduling, retention, and personal branding) and Glam Chats (weekly education and community sessions). Together, these create an ecosystem supporting both franchise owners and independent stylists.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- bex+Co. Shared Workspace Salon Franchise A franchise offering for executive owners to open a bex+Co. salon where independent stylists lease chairs, bring their own clients, and run their own businesses under the company's brand and operational systems. Franchise buyers receive site selection support, 3-day training in Austin, on-site opening support, POS and back-office systems, and ongoing field support.
Quantifiable outcome
- Seven locations, all waitlisted with proven retention and repeat demand
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use bex+Co.
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
bex+Co. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
bex+Co. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Salon Plaza / Suite Management FranchiseminorGary Ratner, bex+Co. co-founder, previously served as President and Co-founder of Salon Plaza Enterprises, LLC. Salon Plaza partnered with Suite Management Franchise to grow a national franchise under MYSALON Suite and Salon Plaza brands. Before Gary's exit in 2021, the company tracked one store per week growth and approached 10,000 members and 350 locations.
- Frederic FekkaiminorBex Irvine, bex+Co. founder, previously worked at Frederic Fekkai on Fifth Avenue before moving to Austin and launching her own successful business.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
bex+Co. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Salon Lofts: Salon suite concept where independent stylists lease private suites within upscale shared facilities. Competes with bex+Co. for stylist tenants in overlapping markets and offers a comparable premium-positioning, multi-suite format.
- Salon Plaza: Salon suite franchise where bex+Co. co-founder Gary Ratner served as President before exiting in 2021 at ~350 locations. The closest historical/operational analog to bex+Co. and a direct competitor for franchisees in any market where both operate.
- Sola Salon Studios: Established salon suite franchise with hundreds of locations across the US where independent beauty professionals rent private studios. Same target customer (independent stylists), same business model (chair/studio rental to freelancers), and directly competing for franchisees in the executive-investor segment.
- Suite Management Franchise / MYSALON: Franchise platform co-founded with Salon Plaza (Gary Ratner's prior venture) operating the MYSALON Suite and Salon Plaza brands nationally. Directly comparable franchise system targeting the same suite-based, independent-stylist economics.
- Phenix Salon Suites: Salon suite franchise offering move-in-ready, private studio spaces for independent beauty professionals. Competes head-to-head with bex+Co. for both franchise buyers and stylist tenants, with similar revenue model (rent + brand fees) and unit economics.
- My Salon Suites: One of the largest salon suite franchise brands in the US, offering independent stylists private, lockable studios inside purpose-built facilities. Directly comparable to bex+Co.'s shared-workspace salon model and operates in the same franchise acquisition channel.
Broad incumbents
- European Wax Center: Public beauty services franchise with hundreds of locations and a corporate retail model. Not a direct competitor to bex+Co.'s suite model, but occupies the same broader category of scaled, multi-unit beauty services franchising and serves as a comparable benchmark for unit economics and franchise-system maturity.
Emerging players
- Blo Blow Dry Bar: Blow-dry bar franchise with a more service-focused (employee-stylist) model rather than independent contractor studios, but operates in the same premium-beauty franchise category and competes for similar franchisee capital and end-customer share-of-wallet.
- Amazing Lash Studio: Lash-focused beauty franchise with hundreds of locations nationwide. Operates an employed-stylist model but is comparable to bex+Co. as a category competitor in the premium-beauty franchise segment that sells to the same executive franchisee buyer profile.
- The Lash Lounge: Lash and brow services franchise competing in the same upscale-beauty-services category as bex+Co., with a comparable franchise sales motion targeting semi-absentee investors seeking a lean-operating beauty business.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
bex+Co. social profiles
Digital presencebex+Co. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
bex+Co. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
bex+Co. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
bex+Co. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about bex+Co.
What does bex+Co. do?
bex+Co. franchises a Shared Workspace Salon™ brand in which independent beauty stylists lease chairs and run their own businesses inside premium, professionally designed salon locations. Franchise owners provide the physical space, operational systems, and brand ecosystem, while stylists set their own schedules, prices, and policies and bring their own clients. The offering is sold as single-salon and multi-unit franchise packages supported by the proprietary Beauty Empire Blueprint education program and ongoing Glam Chats community sessions.
Is bex+Co. a public or private company?
bex+Co. is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was bex+Co. founded?
bex+Co. was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is bex+Co. based?
bex+Co. is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does bex+Co. make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Chair/Space Rental is the primary driver. The others are franchise Fees, royalty Revenue and brand Development Fund.
Who are bex+Co.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Salon Lofts, Salon Plaza, Sola Salon Studios, Suite Management Franchise / MYSALON, Phenix Salon Suites and My Salon Suites. European Wax Center is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are Blo Blow Dry Bar, Amazing Lash Studio and The Lash Lounge.
Does bex+Co. have an API?
No public API is recorded for bex+Co..
What industry is bex+Co. in?
bex+Co.'s product category is Beauty Salon Franchise. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSALAAAN, Salon Suites & Chair Rental (Independent Stylists), with a secondary code of HSALAAAC, Unisex/Family Hair Salons. Its NAICS code is 812112.