Room to Groom
By Nila Do Simon and Wade Sheridan
It started as a simple idea. Lee Garipoli originally opened ManKind in 2005 in Fort Lauderdale to give men a relaxing, hip yet masculine space that happened to double as a spa experience. Little did he know that it would balloon into a lifestyle.
As ManKind celebrates its 10th anniversary, Garipoli admits the concept of creating a men-only salon experience with hot stone massages, paraffin manicures, chemical peel facials and hot shaves was a risky one. After all, those treatments were reserved for women, right?
Perhaps the then-34-year-old Garipoli was catching onto a trend. According to the International Spa Association, the portion of male spagoers has risen from 31 percent to 47 percent in less than 10 years. But for Garipoli, the initial concept had to be different than the average, female-geared spa experience. It had to be, well, masculine.
To sweeten the deal and entice a steady clientele, Garipoli added a large flat-screen TV, bar and pool table to his salon.
“ManKind was an idea I had for a long time,” says Garipoli, whose grandfather owned a barbershop. “I put everything on the line to open up ManKind.”
Putting everything on the line included leaving his job as a country club golf professional, closing out his 401(k) and maxing out his credit cards. It was ManKind or nothing for Garipoli.
Ten years later, the lofty idea has turned into salon gold for Garipoli. Today, ManKind sees everyone from successful executives getting their routine hot shave to 2-year-olds receiving their first haircuts. And it’s not lost on him what the appeal to the salon is.
“We sell an experience,” he says. “We let the client relax and have a good time.”
With the popularity of ManKind, in 2013, Garipoli opened The Barber’s Bar on Sunrise Boulevard next to the beach. Offering similar services but in a more low-key setting, Garipoli is now considering franchising The Barber’s Bar.
That’s not it for Garipoli. He’s even scheduled to release a product line called The Good Stuff that’s based on ManKind’s popular One of a Kind shave. The signature treatment was developed utilizes a homemade moisturizer blend that’s infused with healing ingredients and aromatherapy. mankindformen.com
