Tattoo shop also a spa
By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer
A tattoo parlor and day spa.
Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser
The combination might not seem the most obvious, but for Tattoolicious in Waikiki, it's worked.
Libra, a tattoo artist from Kaimuki, works on the arm of a customer at Tattoolicious in Waikiki. Tattoolicious also doubles as a salon and day spa, offering haircuts, waxing and massages.
Hundreds of people walk through the shared lounge area every week, waiting for massage or piercing appointments, sitting on the inviting couches or drinking herbal tea.
And the concept has worked for owner Sean McCready.
A year ago he added a salon to his growing tattoo shop. Then eight months later it became an AVEDA concept salon and day spa, offering everything from haircuts to bikini waxing, from scalp treatments to full-body massages.
Clients getting tattoos might make appointments for facials or foot massages. Those getting highlights might add on a belly piercing or ankle tattoo.
"There's cross-promotion, definitely," said McCready, sipping tea in the Balinese-style salon. "It's very unexpected."
The idea of expanding services to lure a different kind of customer isn't new to Hawai'i's small businesses: Restaurants transform into nightclubs after dinner service, coffee shops turn into open-mic venues. It's still a risk some owners will take.
"Obviously what we're seeing is that business is improving overall and the entrepreneurial spirit gets fired up in this type of environment," said Gary McCarty, associate consultant with Business Consulting Resources. "People are seizing the opportunity."
And some owners are reaping the rewards.
Greg Heller saw his photography business triple when he took over a small cafe in the Hawai'i Kai Towne Center.
Now called Studio Cafe, the boutique cafe serves up ginger spice pancakes and gourmet coffee before transforming into a photo studio in the afternoon.
Heller shoots everything from weddings to pet portraits, his specialty being photo greeting cards. Christmas has always been the busiest time of the year for him. And since he took over the cafe, it has been even busier.
Before the cafe, he made about 1,000 cards. Last year he made about 3,000 — and he's hoping to double that this year. He's already 20 percent booked for Christmas and has even shot some holiday cards already.
The reason?
Simply, the cafe, Heller said.
"This has become more of a marketing tool than I thought it would be."
Rebecca Breyer • The Honolulu Advertiser
Without any advertising, he has built up his photography business by word-of-mouth. And having the cafe as a venue to advertise his photography — the walls are covered with huge displays of his photography skills — has improved business in ways unexpected.
David "David O" Obdrzalek, the salon director at Tattoolicious in Waikiki, tends to the hair of Brian Manning of Kahala. Customers seeking different services share a common lounge area.
"I'm getting the best kind of client, too," he added. "I'm not soliciting anybody. They're actually soliciting me, in a way. ... The clients are comfortable with the place, they know where it is and they're not intimidated."
But business owners have to be careful not to introduce a new service that clashes with existing services, McCarty said. That might hurt business instead.
"The biggest downside risk to these kinds of expansions is (owners) losing sight of their main business," he said. "You don't want to get distracted and end up sinking the reserves from a profitable company with a not-so-profitable idea. As good as it sounds on paper, a lot of times the biggest risk is getting too overextended both in time and money."
And as much as services should be complementary, so should decor, he added.
"It's important (for stores) to keep a theme and focus," McCarty said. "It's really to try to venture into too many areas and realize that all the investments made and the theme no longer applies to this new branch of business. ... Customers aren't naive. They can see that the company is trying to capitalize off their presence. But their loyalty will remain as long as the primary product or service is being fulfilled."
At Tattoolicious, design is a big part of its function.
The waiting area, for example, was created with customers in mind. Funk-fusion tunes fill the lounge-inspired lobby fashioned with inviting couches and dark corners. The calming environment gives customers a chance to relax and focus on what they want. It gets them in the mood for a stone massage or four-hour tattoo.
The artsy waiting area serves as a physical segue between the tattoo parlor and salon, which attempts to create an atmosphere of creativity and relaxation.
The tattoo and piercing area is bright and sterile with dentist-style chairs and minimal framed art on the walls. Customers like the simplicity and cleanliness of the room, which puts them at ease, McCready said. By contrast, the salon evokes serenity with dim lights, scented oils and a romantic decor with a bedroomlike feel.
"Everyone walks in here and says how comfortable they feel and how clean and cool everything is ... " McCready said. "People always say they've never seen a shop like this in their life."
Reach Catherine E. Toth at 535-8103 or ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.
• • •
| What to do before expanding your services
• Do your homework: Make sure your concept is really feasible, said Gary McCarty, associate consultant with Business Consulting Resources. "If your idea is good enough to stand alone, maybe it should," he said. "The fact that it might only work on the coattails of an existing business may be a sign that it's a little weak." • Stick to what you know: Restaurant owners have restaurant experience. That's how they learn the business, McCarty said. "Don't venture too far off where your own beaten path is," he said. "Stay within your realm of expertise." • Make sure the service complements the other: You shouldn't stretch the concept beyond reasonable boundaries. Some things go well together naturally, like coffee and Internet service. "There's synergy there," McCarty said. "Try to keep it real." • Don't let the existing business suffer: The danger lies in running both businesses poorly. "You can't be all things to all people," McCarty said. "Instead of doing one thing really well, you might try to do two things and end up being mediocre at both. That's the risk." — Catherine E. Toth |
