In the crowded landscape of beauty and wellness franchises, few stories are as compelling as the ascent of goGLOW. What started as a single mobile spray tanning truck in Minneapolis in 2010 has evolved into a nationwide franchise powerhouse with 26 locations now open across the country and an additional 25 stores in the process of opening. The momentum is undeniable, and the brand is only accelerating.
Melanie Richards, goGLOW's founder and CEO, spent more than a decade working as a probation officer in Minnesota before launching a mobile spray tanning service on the side. One truck became four, and a small but fiercely loyal clientele grew into a movement. Richards opened her first brick-and-mortar location in Edina, Minnesota, in 2015, with a second corporate-owned location in Chicago in 2017. By 2023, goGLOW officially launched its franchise program, and the results have been explosive.
As of early 2026, goGLOW has reached 26 open locations, a mix of salons already welcoming clients and more than a dozen in the final stages of opening. For context, goGLOW entered 2025 with roughly 7 operating locations. Reaching 26 in a single year is the kind of trajectory that puts a brand on the radar of every serious franchise investor in the country. The expansion is unfolding across high-demand markets from coast to coast, with new locations signed or opened in cities such as Charleston, South Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Kansas City, Kansas; Long Beach and San Diego, California; and Delray Beach, Florida, among many others.
The 2025 calendar was a whirlwind of ribbon cuttings, with new salons opening in Austin, Texas; Alpharetta, Georgia; Newtown Square, Pennsylvania; Westfield, New Jersey; Phoenix's Dana Park; and Sherman Oaks in Los Angeles. The brand also made a strong push into the Colorado market, securing a spot at The Orchard Town Center in Westminster and another location opening in Boulder, Colorado this summer. In December 2025, goGLOW celebrated its Sherman Oaks grand opening with a red carpet event featuring celebrity guests and reality television personality Brandi Glanville, signaling the brand's arrival as a lifestyle brand with genuine cultural currency.
Industry observers point to several factors driving goGLOW's rapid ascent. The brand occupies a unique niche as a skincare-forward beauty destination, with every spray tan custom-blended based on the client's skin tone and preferences. The proprietary product line features plant-based, hydrating cleansers and moisturizers, and the company's patented air-filtration system addresses longstanding health concerns in the spray tanning industry. From a franchisee perspective, the model is built for accessibility, with locations typically occupying just 1,200 to 1,500 square feet, keeping real estate costs low. The brand requires no prior skincare experience from its franchise partners, and startup costs are positioned below many traditional beauty franchise concepts. Multi-unit ownership is encouraged, and several early franchisees have already begun developing second locations.
The diversity of goGLOW's franchise partners tells its own story, including former corporate tech professionals, healthcare workers, real estate investors, and seasoned multi-brand franchise operators. With a healthy pipeline of additional territories in development, goGLOW is entering its next chapter with serious scale on the horizon. The brand's Allure Best of Beauty Award recognition and more than 5,000 five-star reviews provide social proof that resonates with both consumers and prospective franchise partners. For the beauty and wellness franchise industry, goGLOW's rise is a signal that the next great franchise brands may come from entrepreneurs who see a gap in the market and have the tenacity to fill it.
