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Sarah and Kyle Sleeth |
ORLANDO, FL– The doors of the most recent Floyd’s 99 Barbershop expansion
opened March 26th at 3097 Curry Ford Rd. Orlando, FL 32806 with a ribbon cutting
attended Patty Sheehan, Orlando City Commissioner.
This is the
seventh location for the modern barbershop
chain in Central Florida and owned by Kyle and Sarah Sleeth.
Kyle and Sarah
Sleeth were entrepreneurs in search of a cause. When Kyle’s professional
baseball career as a pitcher with the Detroit Tigers ended in 2008 due to an
injury, the couple knew they wanted to have their own business. But they also
wanted to have an even bigger purpose.
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The most recent Floyd’s 99 Barbershop expansion opened March 26 at 3097 Curry Ford Road, Orlando, FL 32806
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“We were interested in providing a great
service to our customers, creating a great work environment, and impacting the
community where we operated,” says Sarah. The couple chose Floyd’s 99
Barbershop, a national franchise for men & women that offers an alternative
twist on an old school classic. They were drawn to the brand’s authentic vibe
and commitment to a client-first approach.
Today, the Sleeths operate six
Floyd’s 99 shops in central Florida and have three more shops in development.
They provide great jobs and employee benefits.
“Across our six central Florida
shops we have 130 employees and offer health, dental, and vision coverage; life
insurance; accrued paid time off; and free hair education,” she says.
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Photo by Roberto Gonzalez Copyright 2016 (Part of the Floyd's Barbershop gang)
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Compassion is a part of the fabric of the
Sleeth’s operating philosophy. “We try our hardest to build a personal
relationship with each employee and show them that they’re appreciated,” says
Sarah.
“I make it a habit to greet every single team member when we visit a
shop and learn at least one new thing about them. I also make sure I say at
least one nice thing to someone – whether it’s a cool haircut or they look
great that day.”
And their compassionate spirit goes beyond
their shops and out into the community. When the Pulse nightclub shooting
happened in 2016, the Sleeths lost 17 clients.
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Pulse nightclub today, Orlando, FL |
“When you’re in the hair
grooming space, you’re really part hair stylist, part therapist – especially
given the community nature of Floyd’s 99,” says Sarah.
In the aftermath, the
Sleeths gave their employees and the community a space to talk about what
happened and assist in the healing process.
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OneOrlando signature |
Together, they also raised more
than $70,000 for OneOrlando, a local non-profit organization that supported
Pulse victims’ families and survivors.
Only a month after the Pulse shooting, one of
their barbers suddenly passed away leaving behind a young daughter. The Sleeths
adopted the employee’s family and raised funds to help support them.
They also
began providing life insurance to all their employees. “Those immediate months
were especially hard for everyone, but they stayed focused on taking care of
each other and anyone that walked through our doors,” says Sarah.
Their community is like a family to the
Sleeths. “We’re very grassroots, so you can find us frequently at local
community events, partaking in the festivities and giving out swag or coupons,”
she says.
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Jonas Never |
The Sleeth’s latest community activity
involves the creation of a Jonas Never mural right outside one of their shops.
Jonas Never is a famous LA muralist who has painted murals outside a majority
of Floyd’s 99 locations nationwide.
“Over the next few weeks, he’s painting a
large Freddie Mercury mural right outside our Floyd’s 99 shop on Mills Avenue
(near Pulse nightclub) and a Mr. Rogers mural outside our Winter Park shop -
across the street from where Fred Rogers attended college. "The murals are going
to be amazing – we can’t wait to show the community,” she says.
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Patty Sheehan |
Sarah believes that she and Kyle have been
successful at Floyd’s 99 because the brand offers a great product, a proven
system, and fantastic support. But she’s also bullish on the kind of culture
she and Kyle have created.
She says it all boils down to happy employees who
create happy clients. That’s why, she says, they make sure each shop is
characterized by a positive, fun environment that provides employees a sense of
empowerment and a chance to flourish.
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Frank Sinatra |
“If a client is having a bad day, it’s okay to
give them a free shampoo or extra-long shoulder massage to help them relax,”
she says. “I tell them to just do the right thing and have empathy for one
another.”
If Floyd’s 99 Barbershop sounds like the right
investment opportunity for you, visit www.floydsbarbershop.com/FRANCHISE/.
“We are thrilled to expand the Floyd’s
footprint in the Orlando market,” says Bill O’Brien,
co-founder of Floyd’s Barbershops.
Each Floyd’s has its own vibe showcased
by their exclusive hand-curated poster wall highlighting musical greats
throughout the decades with special emphasis on local artists.
This shop’s poster
wall includes classics like Frank Sinatra mixed
in with modern pop culture icons like Billie Eilish.
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Billie Eilish |
Some of these services are on a temporary
hiatus as Floyd’s adheres to local requirements and
incorporates additional strict safety rules based on the recommendations of
health officials.
Clients and employees are required to
wear face masks at all times. Government restrictions on
capacity are strictly enforced at each shop.
Employees and clients have temperature
checks prior to a shift and their service. Barbers and stylists sanitize
hands and tools, disinfect barber chairs, and provide clients with fresh
capes and towels.
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The Scissors Trim
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Every night and each hour while open, surfaces and
high-traffic areas throughout the shops are cleaned and sanitized.
Clients are asked to call ahead
or make a reservation online; those not getting a service will be
asked to wait outside the store to ensure optimal social distancing.
Floyd’s will be
open Monday-Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to 7
p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Reservations can be made at floydsbarbershop.com or by calling (407) 379-7840.
ABOUT FLOYD’S 99 BARBERSHOP
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Paul, Rob, and Bill O’Brien
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Floyd’s 99 Barbershop is a family-owned
company, established in 1999 by brothers Paul, Rob, and Bill O’Brien on
the principle that success is driven by providing superior client service and
that satisfied employees result in satisfied clients.
Floyd’s 99 Barbershop operates over
125 locations in 14 states, including AZ, CA, CO, FL, IL, KY, MA, MD, MI,
MN, NV, PA, TX and VA.
CONTACT
KAYLA MCDONALD
Account Coordinator, Prim + Co
T: 805.766.9496
66 South Logan Street
Denver, CO 80209
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