Salon suite concept invests £1m in new Derby location

An innovative salon suite concept has chosen Derby city centre as its latest location and invested £1 million in fitting out its unit.

Phenix Salon Suites has taken the basement unit of The Condor, Grainger Plc’s 259-apartment build-to-rent scheme.

It has now invested £1 million to transform the 4,300 sq ft site, in Springwell Square, into 23 suites.

Phenix Salon Suites offers unique private spaces for hair and beauty industry professionals to rent.

It has already enjoyed success in the US where the brand currently has more than 400 sites.

Its suites offer salon and beauty professionals the opportunity to own and operate their own business at a prime spot in the city, with no long-term contract.

At the Derby location, each suite is an average of 115 sq ft and comes complete with high-quality equipment including a salon chair or beauty bed, backwash or spa sink, cupboard and trolley.

The suites also have 24-hour access, Wi-fi, air conditioning and kitchen and laundry facilities, with tenants able to fully customise each suite to make the space their own.

Derby represents Phenix’s fifth opening since the launch of its first UK site in Manchester in 2021.

It is the firm’s second East Midlands site after recently opening in Nottingham.

John Gillespie, UK managing director at Phenix Salon Suites, said: “We were blown away by the feedback we received after opening in Nottingham, and we look forward to building on those successes with our second East Midlands site in Derby, a city that’s bursting with creativity, talent and a wealth of opportunity.

“A key element of the Phenix brand is the buildings we choose. We always opt for spaces with character, in a central location, to ensure all our tenants get to work somewhere they feel proud of, but that also gives them the best opportunity for their business to thrive. Our new Derby site certainly meets the brief.”

The Condor and Springwell Square represent the first phase of the ongoing  £200 million regeneration of the Becketwell area of Derby city centre.

John said: “It’s fitting that the apartment complex where we’re based also puts a key focus on supporting modern ways of working, by offering rooms to facilitate remote working for corporate professionals – and now that we’re there, it will be easy for residents to come and enjoy their favourite hair and beauty service right on their doorstep.”