Fans of personal grooming have a hot new option in town: Waxing the City, Jericho, is now open for business. Opened in mid-January, the facial and body hair removal studio also offers specialized brow, lash, and skincare treatments. The studio celebrated its official ribbon cutting on Friday, Jan., 30. The event was co-hosted by the Syosset Woodbury Chamber of Commerce.
Food, music, and cocktails were enjoyed by approximately 50 guests at the ribbon-cutting. Some of the attendees also took advantage of Waxing the City’s promotional offer of 50% off a first wax. The promo will run for 90 days, until early April.
“The ribbon-cutting was a lot of fun,” said studio owner Mark Wells. “It was great to meet new people, see old friends, and celebrate with our Jericho Commons neighbors.”
Neighboring business Market bistro crafted a signature cocktail, “the WTC-Spritz,” for the event, while neighbor Goody’s Bagels & Spreads provided some snacks. Local musician Steven Pinsky played live music, covering classic hit songs.
For Wells, the journey into the waxing business has been one of learning and discovery.
A lifelong Long Islander, Wells previously ran his family’s business importing wedding and party accessories for 40 years. When he felt it was time for a change, he began looking into franchise-owner possibilities.
“I did not want to retire, but nor did I want to reinvent the wheel,” Wells said.
When a consultant presented him with the proposal of opening a facial and body waxing studio, Wells was initially perplexed.
“What are you talking about?” Wells recalled asking the consultant, “What is that and why would I go into it?’”
But as the consultant proceeded to make his case, Wells grew intrigued, and finally impressed by the brand. After all, Waxing the City is the second largest waxing franchise in the U.S. (behind European Wax Center), with over 190 locations, including a branch in Garden City.
After navigating the challenges of finding the right location, getting the store built and boning up on the finer points of the waxing business, Wells said he’s now looking forward to serving customers in the community.
“Clients are starting to come in and I think they’re happy that we offer a more upscale service than what you’re going to find out there,” Wells said, specifically noting their hard wax and soft wax options, which very few businesses offer, he said.
Wells also praised his staff members, who are referred to as “cerologists” in brand parlance. “We have a great team working in a beautiful studio, and we love the Jericho Commons location,” Wells said.
By all appearances—and appearances matter in this business—Waxing the City, Jericho, is off to a great start, with 14 five-star google reviews so far. Several of the reviewers highlight the immaculately soothing studio and the expertise of the caring staff.
Wells welcomed those who might be new to the world of waxing like himself to pop into the studio for a consultation to see which grooming services would be the best fit.
As Wells readies himself for more learning in the days ahead, he also expressed gratitude for all of the support he’s had starting his new venture.
“The biggest positive is having the support of an established franchise,” Wells said. “It is really a fantastic way to get into a new business and mitigate the risk of making rookie mistakes.”
