The Gents Place is an ultra-premium and membership-based men's grooming and lifestyle club launched in Frisco, Texas, in 2008. The combination barbershop, spa and salon offers services including haircuts, coloring, shaves, hand and foot repairs and shoe shine services.

History

The Gents Place was founded by Benjamin Davis in 2008, with the opening of the first location in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas.Steven R. Thompson
"Male grooming clubs are coming into fashion in DFW,"
''

Dallas Business Journal American City Business Journals, Inc. (ACBJ) is an American newspaper publisher based in Charlotte, North Carolina. ACBJ publishes The Business Journals, which contains local business news for 44 markets in the United States, Hemmings Motor News ...

'', May 25, 2012. Davis also founded GentsDeals.com, a men's buying club, and digital marketing company Male Advertising Network. Davis has stated that the idea for The Gents Place came to him because he disliked getting his hair cut and wanted to improve upon the experience."The Gents Place Succeeds by Treating Both Clients and Staff with Respect,"
''American Salon'', November 19, 2015. To start, he focused on building, training and retaining a staff with high standards, and used a social media campaign to sign up over 5,000 clients. In 2011, Davis purchased an existing men's salon in

Leawood, Kansas Leawood is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States, and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 33,902. History 19th century After the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, the area ...

, turning it into a second Gents Place location. A third location was opened in the Preston Hollow neighborhood of Dallas in 2012. By that time, men's grooming was the fastest growing segment of the beauty industry. As of July 2019, there are eight Texas locations, one in Kansas, one in Bentonville, two in Chicago, and one in Las Vegas.Katie Burke
"Growth pushes Massage Heights to establish new holding company, make first acquisition,"
'' San Antonio Business Journal'', March 9, 2016. In March 2016, The Gents Place received an undisclosed investment from Elevated Brands, a holding company established by San Antonio-based massage therapy company Massage Heights, to help expand The Gents Place to a nationwide franchise brand.Korri Kezar
"Men's grooming company launches franchise program; plans to build 150 units in 5 years,"
''Dallas Business Journal'', June 24, 2016. As of July 2019, The Gents Place has 13 locations. In May 2016,

Hall of Fame A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

running back

Emmitt Smith Emmitt James Smith III (born May 15, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. Among other accolades, he is the lea ...

became co-owner of The Gents Place, alongside the company's founder and president, Ben Davis. Smith has been a member and has worked with the company since it was founded. After observing its potential to meet the growing need for men's luxury grooming, he decided to make an investment in the company, to assist with franchise growth and brand awareness.Jessica Golden
"NFL legend Emmitt Smith shares his best business advice,"

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, July 25, 2016. That month, Davis announced a national franchise program, with plans to open 150 franchise locations in the next five years, in addition to several more corporate-owned stores. In September 2016, The Gents Place announced that they would be expanding to Houston, developing up to 10 clubs in the area.

Services and culture

The Gents Place provides hair services, hot towel shaves, waxing, shoe shines and hand and foot repairs,Todd Plummer
"Why You Should Join a Grooming Club,"
''

Men's Journal ''Men's Journal'' is an American monthly men's lifestyle magazine focused on outdoor recreation and comprising editorials on the outdoors, environmental issues, health and fitness, style and fashion, and gear. It was founded in 1992 by Jann Wenne ...

'', June 17, 2014. and features complimentary bars and cigar-smoking patios. Interior features include dark wood paneling, leather barber chairs, big lounge chairs and a red felt pool table in at least one of its locations. The atmosphere is comparable to a country club or high-end steakhouse. The company offers monthly and yearly memberships with various service packages. As of July 2016, The Gents Place has 2,300 members.

Accolades

The Gents Place was named #1 Barber on the

WFAA WFAA (channel 8) is a television station licensed to Dallas, Texas, United States, serving the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex as an affiliate of ABC. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside Decatur-licensed Estrella TV affiliate KMPX (channel 29), ...

Dallas A-List in 2009. '' Haute Living'' called it one of the top five barbershops in Dallas, and it has been featured in '' Men's Health'' as one of the Manliest Barbershops in America. In 2014, ''

Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...

'' magazine said it offers one of the most luxurious shaves in America. In December 2015, The Gents Place was named one of three winners of the OnDeck Barbara Corcoran Seal of Approval contest. The company received a $10,000 cash prize, and Davis met with ''

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'' investor

Barbara Corcoran Barbara Ann Corcoran (born March 10, 1949) is an American businesswoman, investor, syndicated columnist, and television personality. She founded The Corcoran Group, a real estate brokerage in New York City, which she sold to NRT for $66 million ...

in New York.

"Meet the Barbara Corcoran Seal of Approval Contest Winners,"
OnDeck.com, December 21, 2015.

References

External links

Official Website

Deluxe Massage UK
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gents Place, The Companies based in Dallas Privately held companies based in Texas American companies established in 2008 2008 establishments in Texas Beauty salons Barbers Spas