PAINT NAIL BAR Franchise: Do Franchisees Recommend the PAINT Nail Bar Franchise?
Mark & Michele Schlossberg claim the PAINT Nail Bar franchise is “the opportunity of a lifetime.” Yet their disclosure documents, Yelp! & Google reveal a disturbing number of franchise closures & ownership transfers. We ask the franchisor: Why do so many PAINT Nail Bar franchisees exit the system prematurely? Have you identified the reasons franchisees are failing? What are you currently doing to reduce the failures and ease their distress upon exiting?
Current & former PAINT Nail Bar franchisees: Why have so many PAINT franchisees left the system? Which closures/transfer have we missed (below)? Would you recommend the PAINT Nail Bar franchise investment to close friends or family members? Why or why not? by Sean Kelly
(UnhappyFranchisee.Com) According to a 2024 profile in the Sarasota Observer e-newspaper, Mark Schlossberg was a successful franchisee (the #1 Huntington Learning franchise owner, according the article) who came out of retirement to sell and support PAINT Nail Bar franchises – the concept he co-founded with his wife, Michele.
Mark & Michele Schlossberg’s vision for PAINT Nail Bar was to build “a chain of clean, toxin-free nail salons” with exceptional customer service.
As of February, 2024, the Schlossberg’s had sold “more than 40 franchisees nationwide” on investing in what the PAINT franchise website describes as “the business opportunity of a lifetime [for] ambitious, talented, and passionate entrepreneurs nationwide and into Canada.”
In 2018, the Schlossberg’s first PAINT Nail Bar franchise opened in Lubbock, TX and, according to the article, was a “great success.”
The Schlossbergs eventually bought back that franchise “because its owner got an opportunity in Big Pharma.”
In February, 2022, they sold a franchise in Lakewood Ranch, FL but also bought that franchise back from the owner.
The PAINT Nail Bar website lists 35 franchise locations in addition to the two company-owned locations Sarasota-area locations – 5 fewer franchise locations than claimed in last years’ article.
Many PAINT Nail Bar franchise locations appear to have had several ownership changes (transfers) and many appear to have ceased operation completely.
For the benefit of those who may be considering investing their life savings in a PAINT Nail Bar franchise, we ask:
Is the PAINT Nail Bar franchise the opportunity of a lifetime?
The mistake of a lifetime?
Or something in-between?
Do Current & Past Franchisees Recommend the PAINT Nail Bar Franchise as the “Opportunity of a Lifetime?”
With an initial investment of ranging from approximately $217,850 to $755,700* to open a single salon, anyone considering investing in a PAINT Nail Bar franchise (or any franchise) should do rigorous due diligence, ask hard questions and never ignore red flags or warning signs.
According to the Federal Trade Commission’s “Consumer Guide to Buying a Franchise,” the most critical step in assessing a franchise opportunity is hearing the candid opinions and experiences of current and recent franchisees. That’s why every franchise seller must provide a current and up-to-date Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) that includes accurate contact information for every current and recent franchise owner.
Getting straightforward and candid franchisee opinions can be challenging, so we invite PAINT Nail Bar franchisees and former franchisees – and others familiar with this franchise – to provide comments below or by emailing the author – in confidence – at UnhappyFranchisee[at]Gmail.com.
We also invite the PAINT Nail Bar franchisor and all involved with the franchise to address our questions and concerns in the spirit of open and constructive communication.
* based on the 2024 PAINT Nail Bar FDD, the most recent we could find online
Does the PAINT Nail Bar Franchise Suffer From Widespread Closures & Ownership Transfers?
Note: This information is compiled from publicly available sources, is unconfirmed & likely incomplete. It is submitted here with an invitation for discussion, correction and additions from franchisor and franchisees. Please use this as a starting point for your own independent research and verification.
PAINT Nail Bar Closed Locations
The 2024 PAINT Nail Bar Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) includes these franchisees exits during 2023:
- CA Napa Valley 1300 First Street Suite 322 [Yelp! ] [Closed June 2023 Franchisee Elyse Quast*]
- MN Wayzata 1129 Wayzata Blvd, Wayzata MN [Yelp!] [Closed October 2023 Franchisees Dan and Angela Murphy]
- TN Nashville 3990 Hillsboro Pike, Suite 210, Nashville, TN 37215 [Opened 11/18 Franchisees Kaitlin & Will Andrews; Closed in August, 2023 Franchisee Jill Martin] [BirdieLu, LLC – Declared Bankruptcy]
- TX Perryton 107 S Main St, Perryton, TX 79070 [Closed July 2023 Franchisees Alissa and Byron Hoover]
- CA Encinitas 292 N El Camino Real, Encinitas, CA 92024 [Closed April 2023 Franchisees Roz Sledz and Jeff Cook] Resold & Reopened
Searches of Google, Yelp!, Facebook & other pages for Paint Nail Bar locations reveal a number of others that are (or have been) designated as temporarily or permanently closed, including:
- FL Plantation 10055 Cleary Blvd Plantation, FL 33324 [Facebook]
- MO St. Louis/Richmond Heights 18 The Boulevard St Louis St. Louis, MO 63117 [Yelp!]
- VA Midlothian 1516 Ewing Park Lp Midlothian, VA 23113 [Yelp! ]
- KS Kansas City 4941 W 119th St., Overland Park, Kansas [Yelp! ]
* A Yelp! reply by former owner Elyse Q. states “…the franchise and I no longer see eye to eye at various levels, and despite months of negotiations, we remain widely divided, and thus irreconcilable due to their forced fraudulent franchise practice of illegally price controlling…”
PAINT Ownership Transfers Disclosed for 2023:
The 2024 FDD states there were 8 ownership transfers from 2021-23, but only discloses the states, not the exiting franchisees (as required) :
- Florida – 2 (2022, 2023
- Maryland – 1 (2023)
- Michigan – 1 (2023)
- Missouri – 1 (2022)
- Ohio – 1 (2023)
- Tennessee – 1 (2022)
- Texas – 2 (2022, 2023)
Totals:
- 2021 – 0
- 2022 – 3
- 2023 – 5
PAINT Nail Bar Suspected Ownership Transfers/Reacquired by Franchisor (one or more times):
In addition, there appears to be evidence of prior ownership changes at now-closed and many currently open locations, including:
- CA Napa Valley*
- FL Lakewood Ranch
FL Naples - FL South Sarasota
- TN Nashville
- TX Lubbock
- TX Perryton
- MO St. Louis/Richmond Heights
- NC Charlotte/Huntersville
PAINT Nail Bar Franchises – Suspected Sold But Never Opened (SNO)
A number of franchises disclosed as “Sold but Not Open” in early FDDs do not appear to have ever opened, including:
- CA San Francisco [Barbara Domingo – Never Opened 2020 FDD]
- FL Tampa [John & Priscilla Conyers Never Opened 2019 FDD]
- NJ Chester [Sasses LLC Sandy & Olivia Sessa Not yet opened 2021 FDD]
- NC Davidson [Madeline Dreyer – Never Opened – 2020 FDD]
PAINT Nail Bar Franchise Litigation
A search of the company FDDs, PACER & other databases reveal troubling franchise-related litigation, including:
- Franchisee Elyse Quast filed an Arbitration Demand (Case Number 01-24-0004-2919) against Paint Nail Bar Franchise Company, LLC (“PNB”) and Mark Schlossberg, on 11/11/23
- Paint Nail Bar Franchise Company LLC, vs.. Boss Beauty Brands, LLC and Sara Brown [franchisee], United States District Court, M.D. Florida. Case No. 2024 WL 4008298 Filed 5/29/24
- Paint Nail Bar Franchise Company LLC, vs. Just Run the Play, LLC, Brushed Nail Bar LLC, Michael Curry and Sharece Ann Miller-Curry, [franchisees] UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA Case No. 8:25-cv-01044-SDM-CPT Filed 4/25/25
Invitation: All individuals and companies discussed on our site have an open invitation to provide corrections, explanations, comments, rebuttals or other statements of their point-of-view which will be fairly and respectfully represented. Comment below or send an email to the author at UnhappyFranchisee[at]Gmail.Com.
Do You Think the PAINT Nail Bar Franchise is the “Opportunity of a Lifetime?”
Why or Why Not?
TAGS: PAINT Nail Bar, PAINT Nail Bar franchise, nail salon franchise, Mark Schlossberg, Michele Schlossberg, Ashley Koshinski, Evan Goldman, The Franchise Firm, franchise churning, franchise failures,
Behind the Gucci, Louis, and polished lies,
Affairs, alibis, and ruined lives.
Abuse runs deep, truth crucified,
Bullying thrives, and facts are denied.
Gaslit halls, contracts flawed—
A franchise of fraud, twisted and painted.
This brand appears to have been built on levels of deception and manipulation, designed to cause maximum damage to the poor souls misled into joining Paint.
Sprinkled in with some arrogance and gaslighting.
It’s a lot of noses being cut off in spite of faces here…
Such a disgrace and poor representation of the beauty industry.
I’ve watched countless intelligent, successful, and driven people buy into this franchise, full of hope and excitement, only to have their lives unravel. Homes lost. Retirement savings wiped out. Crippling debt left behind. Mark Schlossberg sells a dream, but it’s a carefully constructed illusion.
Looking back, it’s telling how every key conversation with him happens over the phone, no texts, few emails, no paper trail. He claims he doesn’t use salespeople because they’re “too sleazy.” That’s a bold statement from a man who has orchestrated financial ruin for so many.
Even locations bringing in top-line revenue are barely breaking even. Most operate at a loss until the owners run out of money. That’s when Mark steps in, not to help, but to profit again. He allows the resale of the location, collects another $45,000 franchise fee, and restarts the cycle. That’s franchise churning. He learned it well during his time at Huntington Learning Center.
When owners raise concerns, they’re met with gaslighting and deflection. There are never real solutions, just the same empty advice: “Sell more retail” or “Change your mindset.” It’s a tactic to avoid accountability and mask a flawed, unsustainable business model.
Most of the owners I’ve met are experienced, hardworking professionals. They didn’t fail because of a poor mindset, they failed because the model wasn’t designed for them to win.