Almond Nail Bar digs into expansion mode

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This article was published 30/08/2024 (379 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg’s newest export is packing its polish.

The first out-of-province Almond Nail Bar has quietly opened in Burnaby, B.C. Chinh La, the franchise owner, is preparing for a big unveiling in September.

His shop’s opening will be followed by one in Ontario and two more in British Columbia. Back in Manitoba, locations in Niverville and Steinbach are brewing.

In Winnipeg — where La and his wife own two locations — things are “very busy.”

“We are very excited to try something new,” La said by phone from B.C. “It’s a new market, so there’s a lot of opportunity for us to grow.”

Almond Nail Bar arrived on the Winnipeg scene in 2017. It was formerly called Cristalla Spa; it had one location on Grant Avenue. A rebrand and model change later, Almond Nail Bar is focused on expansion.

“Our goal is to become the leader in our industry,” said chief executive Thomas Nguyen.

The beauty chain has grown through a franchise model. Many franchisees began as staff in other locations.

Nguyen spoke to the Free Press about the company’s growth in 2022. At that time, he’d been eyeing Asian headquarters in Vietnam and expansion into the United States.

Stores were in the works throughout various provinces, he relayed.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic — and resulting inflation and higher interest rates — dampened plans, Nguyen said Friday.

An Asian expansion is on the back burner and south of the border might be in the future, but new locations outside of Manitoba are becoming a reality.

Ethan Duong considers Almond Nail Bar the “Starbucks of nail salons.”

“(I’m) pretty excited about joining,” he said.

Duong and wife Tracy are waiting for construction to finish on a residential block in Vancouver’s River District — their nail salon will be a ground-floor tenant.

The Duongs are no strangers to Almond Nail Bar: when they lived in Winnipeg from 2020 to 2022, Tracy worked as an aesthetician at the chain’s location on Regent Avenue.

She was “bummed” to leave the business upon moving; the couple then heard Almond Nail Bar was expanding.

“We like the concept, the structure, the procedures,” Duong relayed. “Everything is set up for you.”

If all goes to plan, they’ll launch Almond Nail Bar’s third British Columbia hub in the spring. A second should open in Burnaby by the end of the year, according to Nguyen.

He hopes the company’s first Ontario location — also franchisee-run — will open in Toronto before the December holiday rush.

Almond Nail Bar hasn’t raised its prices, despite pandemic-era inflation, because of its uniform systems and its proprietary treatments, Nguyen said.

It offers pre-made gel nail sets for application in its shops, which are time-efficient, he added.

Almond Nail Bar employs some 300 people, Nguyen estimated. The corporation operates two stores: the largest Almond Nail Bar location, in the Winnipeg neighbourhood of St. Vital, and one set to open in Niverville.

The 3,800-square-foot Almond Nail Bar opened on Meadowood Drive, across from St. Vital Centre in June.

It has a lounge area with snacks for sale (think cheese and dried fruit) because the company wanted an extra something for its flagship, Nguyen relayed.

The chain counts at least 11 Winnipeg locations. A franchisee has committed to opening in Steinbach and is searching for space, Nguyen said.

Sylvie Albert called her experience at Almond Nail Bar “very clean” and “very comfortable.”

It’s part of the company’s value proposition, said the University of Winnipeg business professor. Generally, franchises have established supply chains, marketing and recruitment policies, among other things — it’s why they’re appealing to burgeoning entrepreneurs, Albert continued.

“It’s basically business in a box,” she said.

Franchises can flourish in Winnipeg because of the city’s diverse economy and centrality within North America, Albert added.

Almond Nail Bar owners pay a $50,000 franchise fee.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com