How would a concept like mine do in Davis Square?

[neknockouts.livejournal.com]

I recently acquired the master franchise rights to a relatively new but fast growing salon concept called Knockouts®. 

It is a sports-themed franchised salon chain providing competitively-priced haircuts and other grooming services including coloring, massage therapy, facials, manicures, pedicures, and hair waxing. It caters specially to men by offering a pampering experience that is not available at other discount walk-in salons and without charging high-end salon prices.  

Each salon features specially-chosen staff of female stylists wearing Knockout Girls^® uniforms, large leather chairs fitted specially for men, individual flat screen TV's with a remote control at each station and complimentary beverages. The environment is upscale and professional yet casual and fun.

Since 2004, Knockouts has sold more than 123 franchised locations in thirteen states, including Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Texas and Vermont. The chain currently operates nine salons, with many more scheduled to open soon.  For more information, please visit our websites www.nekocorp.com and www.knockouts.net.

I'm looking into the possibility of putting my first location in Davis Square.  Do you think it would do well in Davis Square? Are there good locations available? Any input/comments would be welcomed and greatly appreciated.  Thanks...

Comments

Re: Hmmm..."crunchy granola" parts of town

[cemeterygates.livejournal.com]

Sure thing. Upscale hippies absolutely are totally fine with completely sexist businesses like Healthworks that alienate men, but not fine with anything that uses female sexuality or appeal for environment enhancement. You'd be better off trying for the clientele of steakhouses, for example, than the clientele of the veggie foo foo section of Boston, which is what this part of Cambridge/Somerville is.

Re: Hmmm..."crunchy granola" parts of town

[deadwinter.livejournal.com]

Never fails...a place whose intent is to provide a safe space gets labeled sexist. We should have more safe isolation bubbles young lady, not less ;/

Re: Hmmm..."crunchy granola" parts of town

[ifotismeni]

legitimate question though: "safe space" sort of seems to imply co-ed gyms like bally's are unsafe? i used to be in curves though, i can sympathize with wanting to workout without guys. but it does really smack of double standard to me. just in cemetarygates' defense there.

Re: Hmmm..."crunchy granola" parts of town

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

The problem as I see it is that our society is set up so that men feel comfortable wherever they go in the world. That's part of how patriarchy works, how invasive it is and how much it permeates everything. Men don't *need* a men-only space because day-to-day it's just not that hard to be a man in a sexist world. Women-only space is meant to offer an alternative, a temporary break and space to not have to feel like second-class citizens. While I don't like the tone of deadwinter's comment, I would definitely be more in favor of more safe spaces.

As a simple experiment take a poll amongst your own friends (which will admittedly be a skewed sample group) and ask:

Men: On a scale of 1-10, how uncomfortable do you feel working out in a group with women?

Women: On a scale of 1-10, how uncomfortable do you feel working out in a group with men?

Re: Hmmm..."crunchy granola" parts of town

[cemeterygates.livejournal.com]

I would feel just as uncomfortable working out with women who were inclined to join a female only club as I would be going to a party at a white-only country club. White only country clubs are considered "safe space" by their members, too. That doesn't make it progressive.

Re: Hmmm..."crunchy granola" parts of town

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

Well, we're comfortable because even when faced with attitude, we just don't give a flying fuck. As a straight sports-loving non-metrosexual white guy, I can say that all sorts of ugly assumptions are made about me by the unshaven legs sisters of the victimhood set. Oh well.

But just to clarify a bit, we men do like having our own space where we can be free to speak our minds and make jokes without having some uptight PC twit raving about how we're sexist pigs. Takes focus away from the game, you know?

Re: Hmmm..."crunchy granola" parts of town

[dani-namaste.livejournal.com]

I actually disagree with this. Whether or not we're in a patriarchy, women still make the vast majority of purchasing decisions in the average household (I know this from being a marketer) and there are significantly more places that are designed to deal with womens' discomfort around men than the reverse. While I do, in fact, prefer Healthworks and have a membership to it, it's not because I feel "safer" there due to lack of testosterone, it's because frankly, it's a better health club. It has more features that I appreciate, and thus I actually look forward to going there, as opposed to a place like Golds or Bally's, which I found entirely too bright and hospital-like.

Marketers market to specific demographics; the more specific the better. Healthworks is successful because they know there's a large percentage of women who don't want men around while they're working out; just as Hooters works because they know there's a large amount of men who want to watch sports while women with oversized knockers serve them chicken wings and beer. The system feeds itself, and for every woman who gets annoyed at the male patriarchy, there's another one who decides to use it to her advantage.

Another point on this as well - for every strip club or porno mag out there, there's at least one Harlequin romance novel that some woman (who's "horribly offended" by the male-centric porn industry) is reading voraciously.

I'm just as much of a feminist as the next gal (even more, to a certain extent), but I really get sick of the "everything's all about men" arguments. In fact, it isn't. Hasn't been for years.

Re: Hmmm..."crunchy granola" parts of town

[gemini6ice.livejournal.com]

open a men-only gym. i'll go: yum

Re: Hmmm..."crunchy granola" parts of town

[cemeterygates.livejournal.com]

You're kidding, right?

Re: Hmmm..."crunchy granola" parts of town

[deadwinter.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...did the term "isolation bubble" not tip you off?

Re: Hmmm..."crunchy granola" parts of town

[ifotismeni]

oh *facepalm* oops, sorry XD

Re: Hmmm..."crunchy granola" parts of town

[deadwinter.livejournal.com]

Not to mention the wink at the end.

Sheesh hon.

Re: Hmmm..."crunchy granola" parts of town

[dani-namaste.livejournal.com]

"safe space?" I'm sorry, but I tend to think that's overblowing it a bit. Healthworks isn't a DV shelter; it's a gym. Nobody's escaping from being beaten. They're just working out without the annoyance of flourescent lighting and overgrown gym rats leering at them. That, to me, isn't about being *safe* - it's about liking it more. I've worked out at plenty of co-ed gyms without feeling unsafe. I go to HW because it's just a nicer gym.

Re: Hmmm..."crunchy granola" parts of town

[dillonpuff.livejournal.com]

yea, every time I go to boston sports club I chain-rape all the wimmins there.

WTF are you talking about? It's a fucking GYM. I think it's pretty fucked up and sexist to make a "women's only" gym, but whatever.

Why not just have more safe isolation bubbles by putting all the "colored" kids in their own school. maybe we can isolate our bathrooms again too.

Re: Hmmm..."crunchy granola" parts of town

[deadwinter.livejournal.com]

Seriously, I know that tone is hard to convey in text, but next time read the whole thread.

By now you probably have, and realize I was joking, and fundamentally agree with you.

cemetery_gates and I have been friends a long time. I was trying to get a laugh out of her.

To go off on a tangent

[androidqueen.livejournal.com]

Upscale hippies absolutely are totally fine with completely sexist businesses like Healthworks that alienate men, but not fine with anything that uses female sexuality or appeal for environment enhancement.

As much as I think there is a double standard there (and as much as I don't have a problem with it and wouldn't have a problem with a men-only gym), I don't think it's true that the area spurns businesses that use female sexuality or appeal for environment enhancement. I think it's just a different kind of sexuality and a different kind of female, in general.

Re: To go off on a tangent

[ifotismeni]

*points to the tanning salon in davis*

Re: To go off on a tangent

[ron_newman]

Which has gotten complaints at Davis Square Task Force meetings, mostly because of its sidewalk sign.

Re: To go off on a tangent

[cemeterygates.livejournal.com]

You beat me to it.

Re: Hmmm..."crunchy granola" parts of town

[androidqueen.livejournal.com]

LOL!

Re: Hmmm..."crunchy granola" parts of town

[wonkywheels.livejournal.com]

I think the actual Hooters (on Friend St. in Boston near North Station) went out of business recently. Maybe this guy could open his Hooters for Haircuts there.

Re: Hmmm..."crunchy granola" parts of town

[londo.livejournal.com]

Right, so, you're clearly entertaining and worth keeping an eye on. :)

(Read: I agree with you. I'm not sure I would have quite had the stones to put it that way.)

Re: Hmmm..."crunchy granola" parts of town

[dani-namaste.livejournal.com]

which says to me "Route 1 in Reading"