— Interview with Courtney Claghorn —
Building on its founding principle of affordable luxury, SUGARED + BRONZED is smartly growing through store expansions, pop-up locations and 11 new stores in 2026.
Retail takes all forms, and service-oriented retailers occupy a crucial, high-demand piece of a shopping center’s tenant mix. California-based SUGARED + BRONZED is one such brand. The growing salon was founded in 2010 and offers luxury at an affordable price, with services including hair removal and sunless tanning. With 48 units now open, as well as a pop-up store at Coachella this past April, S+B aims to add 11 additional units to its store roster this year. Retail & Restaurant Facility Business recently interviewed S+B’s founder, Courtney Claghorn, to learn more.
R&R: How many stores does SUGARED + BRONZED operate today?
Courtney Claghorn: “As of March 2026, we have 48 locations across California, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas and Washington, D.C., along with our mobile pop-up that’s currently situated in Coachella Valley for festival season. We’ll have 50 locations by the end of summer with the opening of Hoboken, New Jersey, and Tustin, California.”
R&R: You plan to open at least 10 new stores in 2026. Will some of those be in new states?
Claghorn: “Yes! We are especially excited to open in a new market in Chicago. Hoboken will also be our first store in New Jersey.”
R&R: Where will the rest open?
Claghorn: “Hell’s Kitchen, New York City; La Jolla, San Diego, Glendale and Tustin, California; Rice Village in Houston; Suburban Square in Ardmore, Pennsylvania; Long Island City, New York; Bethesda, Maryland; and Alexandria, Virginia.”
R&R: Tell me about the expansion of your Union Square store. Is that underway? What necessitated it? With whom are you working on construction and design of the addition?
Claghorn: “Yes, the expansion of our Union Square location is currently underway. It was one of our earliest stores, so this project is both an expansion and an opportunity to give the space a full refresh and elevate it to reflect how the brand has evolved. Over time, demand at that location has continued to grow, and we outgrew the original footprint. This expansion allows us to better serve our clients while also reimagining the space with a more elevated, modern design that aligns with our current standards.
“We’re working with a trusted group of architects and contractors who have experience scaling service-based retail environments while maintaining a strong brand aesthetic. For us, it’s critical that any expansion still feels intimate, elevated and consistent with the S+B experience.”
R&R: Please discuss S+B’s Tiny Home Pop-Up, which opened in April in Indio, California, during the Coachella Valley’s busy festival season. Is this your first pop-up, or just your first location in the desert?
Claghorn: “The Tiny Home Pop-Up in Indio is an exciting moment for us. We consistently see a significant rise in demand across Southern California and nationwide during festival season, so we’re thrilled to bring S+B directly to the desert and meet our clients where they are. Our pop-up concept debuted in La Jolla, California, in October 2025 — but this marks our first activation in the Coachella Valley.”
R&R: Are you prioritizing brick-and-mortar expansion this year?
Claghorn: “Yes, brick-and-mortar expansion continues to be a major priority for us. Our services are inherently in-person, and physical locations are the core of our business model and brand experience.”
R&R: When and where was S+B founded? How does it stand out among other salon/beauty retailers?
Claghorn: “S+B was founded in 2010 in my Santa Monica apartment before opening our first brick-and-mortar store on Montana Avenue in 2012. What sets us apart is our specialization and focus. Rather than offering a wide range of services, we’ve built deep expertise in sugaring and sunless tanning. We pair that with a clean, modern retail environment, highly trained technicians, and a strong emphasis on consistency across all locations, delivering what we consider an affordable luxury experience.”
R&R: Please describe your typical prototype. What type of real estate do you prefer?
Claghorn: “Our typical prototype ranges from approximately 1,200 to 1,400 square feet. Most locations include six treatment rooms in total — three dedicated to sugaring and three for sunless tanning — along with a welcoming front-of-house retail area.
“We prioritize high-foot-traffic, street-level retail in strong lifestyle corridors — areas that align with wellness, fitness and beauty-driven consumers. Proximity to complementary brands and overall accessibility are key factors in our site selection, as they help us integrate naturally into our clients’ daily routines.”
R&R: What are your biggest operational and/or maintenance related challenges?
Claghorn: “Our biggest operational and maintenance-related challenge is HVAC, primarily due to the advanced filtration and exhaust systems required to properly extract tanning solution from the air. Maintaining a clean, comfortable environment is a top priority for us, so this requires diligent, ongoing preventative maintenance — typically on a quarterly basis — as well as continuously improving how we design and engineer these systems.
“On the operational side, hiring is equally critical. We’re extremely intentional about the talent we bring onto our team, because delivering exceptional service is at the core of our brand. Finding and retaining highly skilled technicians who align with our standards and culture is essential to maintaining consistency across all locations.”
R&R: Describe how you handle maintenance.
Claghorn: “We manage maintenance through our in-house facilities team, utilizing a ticketing platform, OpenWrench, to track and respond to requests efficiently across all locations. This allows us to stay proactive and organized while maintaining visibility into each store’s needs.
“We’ve also built an extensive network of trusted vendors and subcontractors who support everything from preventative maintenance and routine cleanings to repairs and larger remodel projects. While we do partner externally, we’ve found the most success working directly with our vendors rather than through third-party management companies.
“We’re a very hands-on and highly involved team, and those direct relationships allow us to move quickly, maintain our standards and ensure consistency across all of our stores.”
R&R: Do you rely primarily on national vendors? Or a mixture of national and regional/local service providers?
Claghorn: “As a growing company, national service providers can be very appealing, especially as they promote streamlined processes and operational efficiencies. However, our experience has shown that our strongest partnerships are often with local, mom-and-pop vendors. We’ve found that these partners tend to be more reliable, more responsive and deliver a higher level of care and attention to detail.
“Working with local vendors also allows us to support and give back to the communities we operate in, which is important to us as a brand. That said, we’re always evolving — continuously exploring new partnerships and expanding our vendor network to ensure we’re getting the best possible service across all of our locations.”
R&R: By what criteria do you choose your vendors?
Claghorn: “We choose our vendors based on a combination of reliability, attention to detail and consistently high-quality work. Because our stores operate as service environments, not traditional retail, there’s very little margin for error when it comes to maintenance and presentation.
“It’s also essential that our vendors are respectful of the service environment. We place a strong emphasis on client privacy, so we partner with teams who are professional, discreet and mindful of working within an active service setting.”
R&R: Does SUGARED + BRONZED have any “green” initiatives in place or in the works, such as how they maintain their stores, lighting retrofits or other energy-related upgrades, sustainable materials used in construction, etc.?
Claghorn: “Our services naturally align with a more sustainable approach — sugaring is made from just three simple ingredients, and our sunless tanning solutions are formulated with naturally derived ingredients. On the product side, we are actively redesigning our packaging to incorporate glass bottles, helping reduce our environmental impact.
“Operationally, we focus on thoughtful resource management through measures such as optimizing ordering cadence, eliminating printed receipts, using hand dryers instead of disposable towels, and reusing or repurposing materials whenever sanitary and appropriate.
“From a buildout perspective, we prioritize ordering materials in bulk to reduce our carbon footprint. We also recycle construction waste whenever possible and utilize Title 24-compliant lighting systems to ensure energy efficiency. Additionally, we select durable, low-maintenance materials to extend product lifecycles and minimize unnecessary replacements.
“As we continue to grow, we remain committed to identifying new opportunities to enhance sustainability across both our stores and overall operations.”
R&R: What do you think is unique about maintaining your facilities as compared to other retailers?
Claghorn: “Each location is designed to support two distinct services with very different operational needs. Our hair removal services require cooler room temperatures, strict sanitization protocols and a highly controlled, hygienic environment. In contrast, our spray tanning services call for warmer, more comfortable temperatures, effective air filtration and specialized spray areas to maintain cleanliness and air quality.
“Balancing these two environments within one space requires thoughtful design, consistent maintenance and operational precision. Across both service types, we prioritize privacy, cleanliness and an elevated aesthetic experience, ensuring every client feels comfortable while maintaining the highest standards behind the scenes.”
R&R: What do you enjoy most about your job on a daily basis?
Claghorn: “What we enjoy most is seeing the immediate impact we have on our clients. There’s something incredibly rewarding about watching someone leave feeling happy, confident and genuinely pleased with their experience. That boost in confidence — no matter how big or small — is what makes the work meaningful every day. We take great pride in the opportunity to truly make our clients’ day.”
R&R: What are some of your future goals you’ve set for your team or your stores? Short and long term?
Claghorn: “In the short term, we’re focused on restructuring and strengthening the organization of our facilities department to better support our growing footprint. A key initiative we’re currently piloting is the introduction of regional, in-house facilities technicians in our larger markets, including Southern California, New York and Texas. This allows us to be more proactive, responsive and consistent in maintaining our studios.
“Long term, our goal is to build a scalable facilities program that supports operational excellence across all locations while continuing to elevate the client experience. We’re actively hiring for these roles as part of this expansion — interested candidates can learn more on our careers page.”
— This Q&A originally published as the cover story of the April 2026 issue of Retail & Restaurant Facility Business magazine. To have your retail or restaurant concept featured on an upcoming cover, please email the editor, Katie Lee, at katie@francemediainc.com.