Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, the nation's leading luxury massage and facial spa franchise, announced today that 2021 marked one of the most successful years in its 18-year history, signing 59 new franchise agreements as well as significantly expanding its footprint with 24 new spas. This surge in development doubles the thriving spa concept's year-over-year signings from 2020 and is fueled by the growth and support of existing franchisees, with more than half of the new agreements in 2021 coming from within the brand's system. Hand & Stone's commitment to innovation is a driving force behind its ongoing success. Hand & Stone's advanced and proprietary massage and facial services are at the forefront of the market and have positioned the brand as the authority on skincare and wellness within the personal services segment.

"2021 was a successful year of franchise development for Hand & Stone. We welcomed several new franchise partners to the system, including established operators with experience in multiple brands. In addition, we saw significant growth from our existing Hand & Stone franchise owners, who accounted for better than 50% of new territory commitments for the year. Our franchise owner's commitment to the brand and proven success demonstrates the strength of the Hand & Stone model. It is clear that Hand & Stone's industry-leading innovation and unparalleled service offerings translate to thriving businesses for our franchisees," said John Teza, CEO of Hand & Stone.

Hand & Stone experienced significant unit growth nationwide throughout 2021, bringing 24 new spas to key markets throughout North America. Hand & Stone expanded the number of markets under development in 2021, adding cities such as El Paso, TX; Mobile, AL; Knoxville, TN; Savannah, GA; Birmingham, AL; and Edmonton, ON to the list of major metros in the brand's growth pipeline. In May of 2021, Hand & Stone acquired the 23-unit Massage Experts brand, providing the company a footprint in Eastern and Western Canada. There are Hand & Stone spas and Massage Expert clinics in thirty-four states and seven provinces in Canada.

"We closed out 2021 with tremendous momentum and have no doubt that the best is yet to come. We will continue to build upon the strong foundation of the brand. We will continue to engage new and experienced operators from outside the system and know that existing franchise owner development is key to our brand's overall success. We expect 2022 to be a year of significant growth for Hand & Stone, as we launch Cryoskin body contouring and continue to innovate in both skincare and massage services. We're focused on attracting the most talented operators across the entire enterprise," added Teza.

In 2022, Hand & Stone aims to more than double its new spa openings across North America, with the goal of opening 50 locations throughout the U.S. and five in Canada. Additionally, Hand & Stone has aggressive nationwide expansion plans for the year, targeting growth in states like Florida, Texas, Arizona, Ohio and Tennessee.

Throughout 2021, Hand & Stone continued to be recognized as a leading massage and facial services concept and outstanding franchise system. The brand received the Zor Award in the beauty and wellness category by Franchise Times as one of the 10 best franchises to buy in 2021. Hand & Stone also ranked #154 on the publication's annual Top 400 list (formerly Top 200+), moving up six spots from the 2020 ranking. Most recently, Hand & Stone ranked #296 on Entrepreneur magazine's highly competitive Franchise 500 ranking of the top franchise brands where it remains one of the leading massage and spa services franchises.

With more than 500 spas across 31 states and Canada, Hand & Stone is the massage and facial industry leader and fastest growing spa franchise concept. For more information about franchise opportunities, visit www.handandstonefranchise.com.

ABOUT HAND & STONE MASSAGE AND FACIAL SPA
Hand & Stone is a 500-plus unit massage and facial spa franchise with a mission to bring massage and facial services to the masses. Launched in 2004, Hand & Stone now has locations in 31 states and Canada. Over the past several years, the brand has garnered noteworthy industry recognition including being named No. 1 in the spa category by Entrepreneur Magazine, ranked No. 8 on Forbes' Best Franchises to Buy list in the high investment category and is the fastest-growing spa concept in the country. For more information on Hand & Stone, visit www.handandstonefranchise.com.