Dolce Salon & Spa - Scottsdale AZ
Brandi Nuttall wanted a better working environment. That desire was the impetus to her starting a salon-and-spa business that has evolved into a multimillion-dollar operation that employs close to 300 workers at multiple locations.
After attending cosmetology school as a teenager, Nuttall worked at a few salons. She found the pay lacking, as were opportunities for further education and other benefits.
“I couldn’t find that all in one place, so it was kind of out of necessity,” Nuttall recalls. “I knew it could be done, and it had been done at other places.”
Nuttall faced a few hurdles before opening her first Dolce Salon & Spa location in 2002 near Chandler Fashion Center. The biggest was persuading a bank to lend to someone who, at the time, was in her early 20s. She struggled with the same obstacle when trying to negotiate a lease for her first location.
Eventually, she struck a deal with her father, who provided financing to Nuttall much like a traditional lender would. Since then, Nuttall’s company has been able to obtain financing through banks, helping it to expand.
One year after opening, Nuttall expanded into the space next door. She since has opened a location at Borgata of Scottsdale and built a 30,000-square-foot spa and salon in Peoria.
She says she would like to open more but wants to wait until her newest locations get acclimated.
“I definitely want to cover the Valley,” she said.
