Two College Sweethearts Put in $500 Each for a Spray-Tan Studio — It's Now on Track for $50 Million a Year
3 min read · RealCase summary
Courtney Claghorn and her husband Sam Offit put in $500 each -- $1,000 total -- to start Sugared + Bronzed as a side hustle out of their Santa Monica apartment's dining room in 2008, officially founding the company in 2010 and opening their first brick-and-mortar location in Santa Monica.
By 2019 the company had grown to 10 locations and took its first outside investment, from private equity firm Main Post Partners. A year-long pandemic closure forced a full rehire and retrain when the business reopened. Since then it has grown to more than 35 locations and 400 employees across nine markets -- Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Houston, Dallas, Austin, Miami, Philadelphia, and New York City, with Washington, D.C. added in spring 2025 -- posting 20% year-over-year growth in 2024 and on track for more than $50 million in revenue in 2025.
The business sees a seasonal 30-40% revenue jump from April to June through Labor Day, and uses the slower winter months for hiring and staff training. In late 2024 it launched its own product line -- exfoliants, moisturizers, and at-home tanning products -- with a second rollout phase planned. Claghorn's advice: "Find a way to make that first dollar, get your first sale. Be comfortable in the uncomfortable."
Key takeaways
- ›Started SUGARED + BRONZED in 2008 with $1,000 total — $500 each from Claghorn and her then-boyfriend
- ›Grew to more than 35 locations and 400 employees across nine US markets
- ›On track for over $50 million in revenue in 2025, with 20% year-over-year growth in 2024
Original source
Read the original (Entrepreneur)
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