Major Hand & Stone Franchisee Signs Another Multi-Unit Deal
Quick Take
Eric Danver, who gained experience as a multi-unit Papa Johns franchisee, entered the Hand & Stone system in 2015. Today, he’s one of the brand’s biggest franchisees and signed a new deal to expand his operation in the Southeast.
With 63 units, Eric Danver is the largest franchisee in the Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa system. And he’s not done growing.
In the next four years, Danver expects to surpass 100 units, and he took a step toward that goal with the signing of a new 13-unit agreement.
The locations will open primarily in Florida, where Danver already operates 11 spas. Along with the Sunshine State, Danver’s portfolio spans Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia.
For Danver, scaling a multi-unit franchise operation is a professional subject he’s well-versed in. He signed on to open 12 Papa Johns restaurants in 1996, and by 1999, he had built those and then some, with a total of 20.
The company then approached him to work on the corporate side, where he assisted the brand in its effort to develop more stores in the Northeast. But having that entrepreneurial spirit, Danver said he couldn’t stay away. He again became a franchisee and built his portfolio up to 53 locations before selling his Papa Johns stores in 2021.
In the 2010s, while he was running dozens of pizza shops, he entered the Hand & Stone system after years as a customer.
“At the time, I was trying to diversify a little bit,” Danver said. “With Hand & Stone, I loved the membership model, with the annuity effect of the revenue coming in consistently. With acquisitions, I got to see more of the brand, and I saw it was going to be the horse to ride with, which is why I eventually exited Papa Johns to focus on the spas.”
Today, through his company FGG Spa, Danver has reached $95 million in sales. His operation is part of a brand founded in 2004 with more than 650 locations in 36 states and Canada. Matt Stanton, Hand & Stone’s chief development officer, said by the end of 2026, the brand will be near 700.
“I don’t think we’ll quite be there yet, but we’re definitely moving toward that direction,” Stanton said. “Being in that 25 to 50 openings a year is a nice sweet spot where we can support those openings without degrading our support.”
Danver fully believes the concept can keep up the pace, mainly because of consumer interest. He didn’t initially know he’d get to the scale he’s at today, but realized early on the platform offered plenty of potential, he added.
“The latest deal is just my continued confidence in the brand,” Danver said. “There’s just an insatiable appetite for what we do. The beauty and wellness category is continuing to grow, with people seeking accessibility to the luxury. There’s more demand with people prioritizing self-care and they want it to be affordable.”
Stanton said the brand already has a lot of density in Florida, where there are more than 90 units, but noted there’s still plenty of white space and Danver’s additional locations will cement Hand & Stone’s position in the state. Danver said the expansion will also benefit from Florida’s growing population.
Along with Florida, Stanton said Pennsylvania-based Hand & Stone is opening locations in California and continuing to fill in markets in the New England area. To do so, Stanton said the concept is still signing one-to-three-unit agreements, but more often than not is signing larger deals.
“As you start to hit this scale, you start to see the larger franchisees get interested and come into the mix, as Eric has done, with a mix of acquisitions and new builds,” Stanton said. “This concept is one of the more sophisticated in the space, and it warrants a sizable investment.
So, it fits with where the brand is in attracting that level of talent and commitment from larger franchisees. But the brand still fits with both.”
The cost to open a Hand & Stone franchise ranges from 320,891 to $864,729. Average gross sales for franchise locations in 2025 were $1.3 million.
Regardless of how many units a franchisee ends up signing up for, Stanton said the concept is on the lookout for more owners who bring experience to enhance the brand.
“In franchising, it should be where the franchisor learns from the franchisees and vice versa,” Stanton said. “But he, in particular, adds something special to that because he has a perspective and an experience level that a lot of our franchisees don’t. Just given his seniority in franchising, it adds value to get his perspective.”
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