Isle PediSpa

Mar 30th, 2012

Nineteen-year industry veteran Cindy Huynh was desperate to unearth a nail salon that provided quality services in a sanitary and creative environment. When she couldn’t find one that met her criteria, she decided to open her own in 2003 in the Rice University Village of Houston, Texas. Her successful eight-station salon concept, specializing in pedicures, quickly turned into 12 stations in two years. And by 2007, the salon made over $1,000,000 in gross revenue. Shortly thereafter, the a sister salon opened in Sugar Land, and in August 2011, Huynh opened the Voss/Memorial location. “I definitely have a passion for what I am doing,” she says, “and I knew that I could help improve the industry, one nail salon at a time.”

5 Reasons Why We Think It’s Fabulous

1. Sanitation is the top priority.
“All the bad media about sanitation and the whirlpool outbreak didn’t help the way people perceived our profession,” explains Huynh, which is why it was of the utmost importance to ensure a clean and disinfected environment. All of the furniture and fixtures are custom designed and built using stainless steel for the footbaths–without a whirlpool. The salon was also one of the first in the area to use a dental-grade autoclave for all of its metal implements and one-time use files and buffers that clients can take home.
2. It’s all about client comfort.
Huynh decided in the early design stages that she wanted her clients to experience manis and pedis without moving around or rearranging furniture. “We found that this helped make up for space and the client didn’t have to move after her pedicure,” she relates. Since clients would be seated for the long haul, Huynh wanted them to have as many accommodations as possible: Each station was built with individual LCD cable TVs; clients are provided with a warm herbal neck wrap; and they have a choice of teas, coffee, hot chocolate, sparkling water, soda, wine, champagne, beer for men, and mimosas on the weekends.
3. Supreme service selection.
To set her salon apart from the rest, Huynh felt that, most importantly, the services had to be her niche. She wanted to create services for every client: women, men, little girls, mommies-to-be, diabetics, etc. “I did my homework and realized how beneficial fruits were when applied directly onto the skin,” she reveals. Therefore, most of the pedicures are fruit themed. However, selecting products that fit the bill back in 2003 proved difficult. “So I started developing my own custom blended products,” she says. “We use fresh natural ingredients without preservatives for our services.” Huynh came up with over 30 pedicures and 15 manicures for the menu. “I was so worried that the menu was overdone, too confusing, but our clients love all the choices and can’t wait to come back again to try different ones. We even have some clients that come every week or bi-weekly for pedicures!”
4. Retail is a must–for business and clients.
“I firmly believe in retail sales,” notes Huynh. The salon averages roughly $60,000 in sales from retail items, the most popular being polishes, sandals, neck wraps and nail treatments. “It’s so important to properly educate our clients how to maintain their nail health at home in between salon visits,” she enthuses.
5. Employees are top notch.
The last piece of Huynh’s puzzle is the quality of work–it has to be impeccable. “I have an eye for detail and am very picky when it comes to the quality of work that is performed on our clients,” she says. Therefore, she painstakingly goes through many applicants before hiring a new staff member. “Our techs are all professional, English speaking, polite, accommodating and as passionately driven as I am,” boasts Huynh. “Education is our utmost priority as well. We have monthly meetings to get updated on the latest nail trends and products, and educators are flown in for classes. We even occasionally attend nail shows.”

Salon Statistics
Owner:Cindy Huynh
Website: www.islepedispa.com
Address/Phone:West University Isle PediSpa, Houston, TX; 713.528.8802. Mani Pedi at the Isle, Sugar Land, TX; 281.565.8838. Memorial location, Houston, TX; 713.780.8838.
Hours: Mon.-Tue., 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Wed.-Fri., 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sat., 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Signature Service: Pedicures and gel manicures.
Most Requested Service: Coconut Milk, Plumeria, Green Tea, Mango and Honey Mandarin pedicures.

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