--- title: "Knockouts Haircuts Accelerates Franchise Expansion" url: https://burnaze.com/article/583dc9e6-5f8b-445b-8a92-7663375fbfbe source: "Franchise Wire" original_url: https://www.franchisewire.com/knockouts-haircuts-accelerates-franchise-expansion/ author: "Lisa Ocker" category: "Hair & salon suites" industry: "Beauty & Wellness" segment: "Hair & salon suites" topics: ["Development & multi-unit","People"] published: 2026-11-12T11:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-11-13T00:02:31.665Z image: https://www.franchisewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/KNOCKOUTS.jpg --- # Knockouts Haircuts Accelerates Franchise Expansion **TL;DR:** Knockouts Haircuts & Grooming is accelerating its nationwide expansion with a sports-bar-like ambiance and services beyond haircuts. *By Lisa Ocker, originally published in Franchise Wire on 2026-11-12. [Read the original](https://www.franchisewire.com/knockouts-haircuts-accelerates-franchise-expansion/).* ## Story ## Sports Bar-Meets-Barber Shop Ups the Game in Men’s Grooming - Knockouts Haircuts & Grooming, founded in 2003 and franchising since 2004, is accelerating its nationwide expansion led by seasoned franchising and men’s grooming professionals. - The men’s grooming franchise offers services beyond haircuts to include beards, eyebrows, back hair, hair color, waxing, facials and more. - Knockouts has a sports-bar-like ambiance and offers complimentary beer and other beverages. Heather Sorrells talks about the importance of experience “on both sides of the chair.” As a former hair stylist who now serves as president of Knockouts Haircuts & Grooming, she knows what she’s talking about. But she also could be referring to the men’s grooming franchise and its owner, Nathan White, who was a franchisee before buying and leading the brand as CEO in 2024. Or she could be talking about other stylists who have become Knockouts Haircuts & Grooming franchise owners or ascended into leadership roles. Now, as the Knockouts Haircuts franchise accelerates a nationwide expansion, Sorrells says the breadth of experience in all aspects of franchising and men’s grooming is a huge advantage for new franchisees. “If you want something that’s been tested and really pushed to its maximum potential, you need to go with a franchise that is being led by people with experience in the industry who have built their own individual success,” she says. “An old adage my dad used to say to me was to never take advice from someone who has never been where you want to go. And we’ve been there.” ### Men’s Grooming Franchise Comes of Age Knockouts, founded in 2003 and franchising since 2004, has been there and evolved. Today, the Texas-based brand, which has a dozen corporate locations and 38 franchised units, is at the forefront of men’s self-care trends. Services offered by the men’s grooming franchise go beyond haircuts to include beards, brows, back hair, hair color, waxing, facial care, neck massages and more. Demand for men’s grooming and self-care – beyond one-style-fits-all barber cuts – has boomed. The men’s personal care market size was estimated at $48.86 billion in 2026 and predicted to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 9.24% to top $99 billion by 2034, according to Fortune Business Insights. “Growing awareness regarding appearance, hygiene, skin health and self-care among male consumers has significantly expanded demand across multiple age groups,” Fortune Business Insights reports. ### Sports Bar Meets Barber Shop Knockouts’ sports-bar-like environment, which includes complimentary beer and other beverages, creates a welcoming atmosphere aimed at attracting new clients who might think of men’s self-care as fussy or intimidating. It also appeals to regulars who enjoy the community and vibe as much as the services. “Getting a haircut shouldn’t be something you just check off your list of errands. At Knockouts, you don’t have to wait until you need a haircut to come in. You can come in and just relax for a minute, get a scalp massage, get a neck massage, get your eyebrows cleaned up, get your ears cleaned up,” Sorrells says. Or get a nose wax! She describes a comical social media post created by one of the stylists: “This guy is getting his first nose wax. Afterward, he’s standing there and taking a deep breath, sucking in the whole room. All of a sudden, everything just starts flying toward him, including the stylist!” Sorrells says. “We try to make it fun and enjoyable. No guy wants to admit that he has hair growing out of his ears or nose, but he and his stylist can keep that secret for eternity. And that’s what we do at Knockouts.” ### Experience Matters The Knockouts Haircuts & Grooming corporate team prioritizes franchisee success through training, operational and marketing support, and a proven system honed over more than two decades. Franchisees don’t need experience in men’s grooming. The semi-absentee model allows owners to focus on managing their managers and monitoring key performance indicators.They do receive individualized coaching from the Knockouts corporate training team in day-to-day salon management. Sorrells stresses that franchisees must be good communicators with her and with their managers. Another priority: “Getting involved in the community and doing grassroots marketing and being a champion for your town. That is what’s really going to bring clients in the door and make them come back.” ### Advantages for Franchise Owners **Real estate research:** Knockouts Haircuts & Grooming’s corporate team helps with site selection by providing advanced market research and live map models showing everything from walkability scores, live traffic counts, income profiles, demographic information, competitor business locations, school districts, community zoning and even parking meter locations. **Construction:** The construction team has built out Knockouts’ locations, including new builds and retrofitted interiors. Construction project managers regularly report progress to franchisees and the corporate team, and the head of construction personally attends on-site inspections and project milestones to check and verify project outcomes. **Training and support:** The men’s grooming franchise provides individualized training in day-to-day salon operations for franchisees, and in-person coaching at franchise locations for managers and stylists. Online courses and videos provide ongoing learning opportunities. “Our training isn’t just about cutting hair; it’s about building skills in customer service and business intelligence,” White explains in a note on the brand’s website. “This way, our team grows with us, and they’re pumped to deliver the best experience for our clients.” *Knockouts Haircuts CEO Nathan White* **Marketing:** Knockouts helps franchise owners maintain consistent branding and messaging through marketing partners who manage day-to-day social media efforts, email newsletters, SMS campaigns, national promotions, grand opening strategy, influencer relationships, in-store graphics, public relations and more. Stylists participate as members of an artistic team to create (and get paid for) social media posts such as the one involving the nasal waxing. “This allows every single stylist to be a part of the bigger picture and to get their individual talent and artistic abilities out there to the world instead of just being trapped in their little hometowns,” Sorrells says. **People and culture:** “Knockouts is all about that perfect mix of entrepreneurial drive and team spirit,” White says. “We’ve built a place where everyone – from our crew to our clients – feels right at home. It’s not just a haircut spot; it’s a community.” Knockouts Haircuts franchise owners are collaborative team players who support each other at quarterly systemwide team calls and the annual in-person summit. Managers participate in monthly online performance rooms that begin with an education topic and then open for discussion. “These end up being a very large collaborative effort so that no one is alone on an island by themselves,” Sorrells says. **Operations:** Knockouts’ operational playbook has been honed and proven over the brand’s 20-plus years of experience. The franchise has streamlined its suppliers and negotiated competitive rates to prioritize franchisees’ success in every aspect of operational decision making. “Our business model is a well-oiled machine designed to make the most of our franchisees’ investment. We focus on keeping things running smoothly and profitably so they can reap the rewards of their hard work,” White says. *To learn more about opportunities with the* *men’s grooming franchise**, go to* *Knockouts Haircuts & Grooming**.* --- Originally reported by Lisa Ocker, Franchise Wire (https://www.franchisewire.com/knockouts-haircuts-accelerates-franchise-expansion/). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/583dc9e6-5f8b-445b-8a92-7663375fbfbe).