Did you hear that Manchester is now home to the UK’s first ever flexible workspace for the hair and beauty industry?
And it’s now the only place in the country to sell a renowned US hair colour range.
If you’ve made your way down the city centre’s main thoroughfare at all over the past couple of months, then you may have noticed that Number One Deansgate has welcomed Phenix Salon Suites as its newest addition, after the legendary US brand has chosen Manchester as the destination for its first-of-its-kind UK hub – and it’s already proving pretty popular.
Given that it’s already a huge hit across the pond, with over 300 locations and partners to its name in the US, then it’s probably no shock that the venture is taking off here in our city, but what is it actually about?
What’s the story behind the business that’s changing the hair and beauty game?
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Bringing the concept of flexible workspaces over to the world of hair and beauty, Phenix Salon Suites – which was originally launched in Colorado Springs in 2007 by founder and entrepreneur, Gina Rivera, and was created to offer an alternative to renting a chair – gives industry professionals the chance to run their own businesses by leasing an intimate salon inside a fully-kitted-out facility.
Phenix is the first concept to offer the opportunity to become truly self-employed, and to own and operate a business without the hassle and expense of facility management and maintenance.
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Each luxury studio comes complete with high-quality equipment so that tenants can concentrate on running the business without worrying about the costs or set-up of utilities, and Phenix also offers business mentoring to help grow client bases, network, skills, and income, all in a professional setting.
Phenix Salon Suites was created to offer an alternative to renting a chair for hair and beauty professionals / Credit: The Manc Group
Having officially opened doors in our city back in October 2021, over 70% of the 29 studios in the Manchester hub have now been leased. There’s a host of double suites still available for any hair or beauty professionals looking to launch a joint salon business or to work side by side.
Tenants include hair stylists, massage therapists, nail techs, skincare professionals and makeup artists, with some of the businesses having set up shop down the spa-like corridor including celebrity hairdresser Andrew Trott-Barn, legendary Manchester stylist Mitch Woodiwiss, Joseph Snee at Joseph Patrick Hair, Ashley Longmore at Moloko Hair, Kayleigh Johnson at Kayleigh The Hair Witch, Daniel Davies at Arkham Hair Design and many more.
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Each unit has been completely personalised and decorated by its new tenants.
The new Manchester venue is now home to some unique spaces like a witch-themed salon, and a luxury hairdressers inspired by a mirror ball.
Each unit in the Manchester venture has been completely personalised and decorated by its new tenants / Credit: Phenix Salon Suites
Lucy is one of the tenants at Phenix with her business Daytime Studio.
She said: “I started doing nails at home. As I started to grow, I knew I wanted to set up my own nail salon but the thought of renting a chair or a huge space was daunting. The fact that Phenix Salon Suites was a nice little space that I can personalise to my taste was perfect!”
Luke, of Purple Rinse, commented: “What appealed to me about Phenix Salon Suites was the chance to be independent, not having to manage anybody else, and to be as flexible as I want. It’s a private 1-1 space, but you’re not alone as you still have other like-minded people around you.”
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“We know how hard it is to set up a salon from scratch,” said John Gillespie, operations director of the UK & Europe at Phenix Salon Suites.
“Even more so when it comes to finding something affordable in the middle of an incredible city like Manchester, so we wanted to make it accessible and achievable for anyone to create their own business, and [that’s why] we’ve launched the very first Phenix Salon Suites here in Number One Deansgate – maybe one of the best addresses in the city.
“We chose Manchester as our first location here in the UK as it’s already a leader in the hair and beauty industry and there are so many creatives and entrepreneurs.”
“We knew immediately it was the right home for us,” he added.
Over 60% of the 29 studios in the Manchester hub have now been leased / Credit: The Manc Group
Leases at Phenix Salon Suites in Manchester operate month-to-month, with no long term contracts to enable tenants to work with flexibility.
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Hairdressers and barbers will be provided with a backwash, styling chair and hair trolley, while nail artists or beauty therapists will be offered sink units and storage trolleys, and each tenant will also have access to a break room / kitchen space, as well as an on-site laundry room with free use of commercial equipment for fast washing and drying.
And the new tenants only have good things to say.
“There’s no competition at Phenix Salon Suites,” explains Hayley Crankshaw from Cheeky Bleach Hair Boutique.
“We aren’t competing with the other stylists. We all want collaboration. We are like neighbours more than rivals as Phenix Salon Suites is giving working class people the opportunity to have their own business, without the significant debt, which was what really appealed to me, but I also liked the idea of being able to decorate my own suite to fit my own brand.
“There are also no time limits, so I can choose how many clients I see in a day.
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“People are looking for flexibility these days and that’s what’s so great about creating your own small business with Phenix Salon Suites.”
has now become the first place in the UK to sell a new hair colour range / Credit: The Manc Group
If Phenix wasn’t already off to an incredible start as it is, as mentioned, the concept has now become the first place in the UK to sell a new hair colour range, Colours By Gina – which has already seen huge success in the US.
The Colours by Gina range is a specially-curated line of hair colour, which is designed exclusively for hair professionals and entrepreneurs, and is a carefully-chosen collection of calibrated shades that allow for beautiful results.
The PPD-free, c cream-based colours are a unique blend of specialised dye pigments, gentle alkaliser, and protective oxidisers.
Phenix Salon Suites even hosted a special free event to mark the launch of the colour range earlier this month, which included live demonstrations of the Colours By Gina 60 shade palette on real hair models, and saw all attendees walk away with a goody bag worth £50 that’s filled with haircare gifts.
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By swapping competing to collaborating, Phenix Salon Suites has created a community for hair and beauty professionals where they can create and express their love for the industry.
Inside Manchester’s newest Italian restaurant serving 70-year-old Calabrian recipes
Clementine Hall
A new restaurant inspired by Calabrese cooking has opened its doors in Manchester city centre.
Sometimes only a steaming hot bowl of homemade pasta will do, and you’ll find it at the new Pranzo Italian in abundance.
Located on King Street, slap bang in the centre of town, this light-drenched restaurant is set to become your go-to for authentic Italian cuisine.
Born in West Yorkshire, they opened their first restaurant in the spa town of Ilkley back in 2018 before quickly opening another location in Harrogate after Pranzo became inundated with hungry customers.
Images: The Manc
Fast forward to now, they have another site in York and now luckily for us, here in Manchester.
Inspired by founder Marco’s Italian heritage and his Nonna’s traditional Calabrese cooking, every single thing you’re served here is homemade.
From the fresh pasta and the rich sauces to the fluffy focaccia used to mop up said sauces, and not to forget the cherry gin used in the standout Sour Cherry Negroni.
Dishes here are as traditional and authentic as they get, using 70-year-old recipes that Marco learnt from his Nonna (who you’ll spot in old pictures proudly hung up around the restaurant).
Images: The Manc
On our visit, after indulging in couple of cocktails at the bar we kicked things off with a couple antipasti, because it really would be rude not to.
The arancino picante was a real standout, stuffed with spicy fennel sausage, smoked provola cheese and served on a bed of nduja cream.
This had everything you wanted in an arancini, crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside and served piping hot.
We recommend ordering the focaccia el aglio alongside it to dunk into the smoky nduja cream, a genius move if you ask us.
Images: The Manc
Now, onto the mains.
We ordered three of Pranzo’s specialist pastas and every single one was cooked to perfection. If you’re a fan of proper al dente pasta then trust us, you’re going to love this place.
The ragù di manzo features fresh mafalde pasta in a deeply savoury 4-hour beef shin sauce, and they definitely don’t skimp on the meat.
Showered in parmesan at the table, it’s a favourite on the menu for a reason. The reason? It’s nothing short of delicious.
Images: The Manc
We don’t know about you, but if burrata is on the menu then we’re ordering it with zero hestitation.
A lot of the pastas on the menu give you the choice of plonking a burrata on top, and we went for the nduja è salsiccia piccante.
The sauce is decadent and fiery, combining nduja with spicy fennel sausage, spinach and cream. The addition of the creamy burrata was another genius move, balancing out the spice perfectly.
Last but not least, and a personal favourite, was the scoglio seafood pasta.
This wasn’t just some pasta topped with a couple of prawns, this was absolutely packed full of juicy tiger prawns, mussels and squid – all perfectly cooked and tossed with garlic and cherry tomatoes in a silky sauce.
The recipe used for this one hasn’t changed in 70 years, and we’re glad that it hasn’t.
Images: The Manc
Elsewhere on the menu you’ll find seasonal specials such as your classic caesar salad and pan fried fish, as well as a selection of pizzas.
Of course it wouldn’t be an Italian feast without a tiramisu and this one hits all the right spots.
Indulgent with a punchy coffee flavour and almost cloud-like in texture, that’s a winning dessert if we’ve ever seen one.
The space, set across two floors, is light and airy whilst the service is top notch. But don’t just take our word for it, find out more about Pranzo and book your table here.
The independent Manchester gym that’s spent eight years getting the city’s office workers stronger
Daisy Jackson
In a city centre that has changed almost beyond recognition over the past eight years, one Manchester gym has stuck to a simple idea – getting people stronger shouldn’t have to take over their lives.
Tucked away on Kennedy Street, opposite Manchester Town Hall and just a short walk from St Peter’s Square tram stop, P1 Fitness Studio is celebrating its eighth year in business.
This local success story has been built by husband-and-wife team Peter and Abby, who wanted to build the kind of gym they actually wanted to train in themselves, after becoming increasingly frustrated with what they saw as the ‘normal gym scene’.
Their answer was to create something different: a smaller, calmer space where people could be coached properly, recognised when they walked through the door and actually enjoy coming to train.
Eight years later, Peter and Abby are still hands-on in the independently owned business, working alongside a coaching team of five.
Welcome to P1 Fitness, in Manchester city centre / Credit: The Manc Group
There is no franchise model or corporate head office. Just the same basic philosophy they started with in 2018, which seems to have resonated with a particular part of Manchester.
P1’s members are predominantly busy professionals – lawyers, architects, creatives, teachers, business owners and office workers – many of them in their 30s, 40s and beyond.
For people spending much of their working lives behind a desk, the proposition is deliberately straightforward – you don’t need to live in the gym to become stronger and healthier.
P1 believes two properly coached strength sessions a week can make a meaningful difference.
Sessions last 50 minutes and run throughout the working day, meaning members can train before work, at lunchtime or after work. There are showers, changing facilities, towels and toiletries too, making it possible to fit training around a working day rather than the other way round.
More recently, the studio has added an infrared sauna, giving members somewhere to recover and switch off before heading back to the office or home.
The independent Manchester gym that’s spent eight years getting the city’s office workers stronger / Credit: The Manc Group
P1 specialises in small group personal training, with a maximum of six people per coach.
Everyone follows a structured strength programme, but the coaching is adapted to the individual. Exercises, weights, and progressions can all be changed depending on someone’s ability, goals, injuries or simply how they’re feeling that day.
So someone picking up a barbell for the first time can train alongside somebody who has been lifting for years, without either being pushed through the same generic circuit.
It’s also not the kind of gym where you’ll see your own reflection staring back at you at every turn, because the focus is on becoming stronger and moving better, rather than how you look.
The idea is longevity – looking after your joints, maintaining muscle, building strength, and staying capable of doing the things you want to do outside the gym as you get older.
Or, in P1’s own words: “Built stronger to last longer.”
And there’s some impressive evidence that the approach has encouraged people to stay the course.
Based on its current schedule of roughly 75 coached sessions a week, P1 estimates it has delivered more than 31,000 coached sessions across its eight years.
Some of the people attending those sessions have been there since the doors first opened.
Rather than celebrating short-term transformations, P1 marks the less glamorous (but arguably more meaningful) milestones: members receive T-shirts when they reach 100, 250, and 500 training sessions.
That means there are members whose relationship with the studio is measured in hundreds of coached sessions and several years, rather than a six-week challenge.
And over time, the gym has become something more than somewhere to lift weights.
P1 increasingly describes itself as a ‘third space’ for Manchester professionals – somewhere between home and work where people can train, switch off, see familiar faces and feel part of a community.
People train alongside many of the same faces each week, and coaches get to know the people they’re working with.
There are socials, themed workouts, challenges, member celebrations and charity events to really build that P1 community – for example, members raised more than £1000 for Parkinson’s UK through a bake sale last year.
The business has also increasingly taken its philosophy beyond its own four walls, working with Manchester companies and corporate teams on strength training and health education, including sessions around women’s health, men’s health, nutrition and sustainable strength training.
P1 has won Best Strength Training Gym of the North West at the National Fitness Awards in 2023, 2024 and 2025, while also being shortlisted three times for the National Fitness Awards’ Functional Training Gym of the Year UK award.
But perhaps the more remarkable achievement is simply making it through the last eight years as an independent city-centre business.
Since P1 opened, Manchester has had to navigate Covid and lockdowns, the huge shift towards home and hybrid working, and the major redevelopment around Town Hall and St Peter’s Square.
The city centre around the studio has changed dramatically, but the basic idea inside P1 hasn’t. It’s not just a gym, but a third space with a barbell in the middle of it.
Find out more and book your first sessions with P1 in Manchester HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
30th March 2022 
