OUR STORY
Phenix Salon Suites was established in 2007 by Gina Rivera, a celebrity stylist with deep roots in the beauty industry, spanning 90 years through her family’s involvement since 1929. The idea sparked when she was pregnant with her first son. While in the hospital after going into labor a few weeks early, she received a call from her salon owner demanding her weekly booth rental payment. This experience highlighted the need for a better model for independent Salon and Lifestyle Professionals.
Gina envisioned a place where they could run their own businesses with less overhead and no major upfront investment to start their business. Named after her son, Phenix, Phenix Salon Suites was created to offer customizable, upscale suites, along with resources and benefits like maternity leave, to empower these professionals. Franchising began in 2012, and the company has since grown to over 425 locations in two countries, with continued expansion.
PHENIX HISTORY
2003
The idea for Phenix Salon Suites was born
2007
First Phenix Salon Suites opens
2012
First Phenix Salon Suites franchise store opens
2014
100th location opens
2015
Gina appears on Undercover Boss
2017
200th location opens
2021
First international location opens in Manchester, UK
2023
Biggest development year in the brand’s history
2025
400th location opens
Gina Rivera,
The Icon
Gina Rivera started her life in beauty as a little girl sweeping hair from the floor of her parents’ salon. With 25 family members currently working in the industry, her family’s legacy dates to 1929 and is rich with hairstylists, barbers, salon owners and beauty school operators. Determined herself to have a career as a hairstylist, Gina dropped out of high school to attend beauty school at the age of 17. After graduating from cosmetology school, she worked for other salon owners who discouraged her from pursuing a career in the industry. Undeterred, she opened the first Phenix Salon in 2007 while raising two small children and franchised her first Phenix Salon Suites location 5 years later, naming the brand after her first-born son. Her goal was to provide a cost-effective solution for Salon and Lifestyle Professionals to own and operate their own businesses throughout the country and beyond.
Serving the lifestyle professional
A tenacious businesswoman, Gina worked tirelessly alongside of her husband Jason building the business and expanding the brand for the next several years. In 2015, Gina appeared on the CBS Emmy winning series UNDERCOVER BOSS which launched the brand into the global limelight. This was followed by guest appearances on television shows such as EXTRA and HSN, as well as Gina being featured in a music video. Simultaneously, she launched her International Artistic Team which participated in additional high-profile events including the Grammys, NBA All Star Week and the Coachella Music Festival. From there, she went on to develop a list of highly innovative beauty lines that included infrared styling tools, her own hair color line; Colours by Gina, and her makeup line; xoxo Gina. With success on multiple levels, Gina became a sought-after expert columnist featured in publications such as Modern Salon, O Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Glamour, Huffington Post, and numerous others. With a mass following, her articles and social media page impressions are in the billions, and she is well recognized as a fierce advocate for Salon and Lifestyle Professionals everywhere.
The World Takes Notice
Today, Gina is a household name in beauty growing the Phenix Salon Suites brand to over 425 locations on two continents with global expansion plans underway. The company has won multiple awards including being named as the Best Beauty Franchise, Best Personal Care Franchise and nine times to the Top 500 Franchise list reaching the elite Top 25. The rapid elevation of the brand, in just over a decade, is directly related to Gina’s unique ability to make heartfelt decisions that support the needs of every Salon and Lifestyle Professionals. Gina’s passion for the professional led her to create the Gina Cares Foundation established to support beauty professionals that are facing catastrophic illnesses or circumstances. At the core of Gina’s success, and long before she launched the multi-national brand Phenix Salon Suites, she is a hairstylist who has worked over 42,000 hours behind the chair and has genuine empathy for the Lifestyle Professional.
