Drybar Blows Into Westchester

Just a few years ago, entrepreneur Alli Webb was driving around Los Angeles in her 2001 Nissan Xterra traveling to friends’ houses to blow dry their hair as part of her small side business, Straight at Home.

The demand for Webb’s expertise quickly became more than one woman could handle. That’s when she decided to open her own company specializing in blowouts, called Drybar. Her brother, Michael Landau, and husband, Cameron Webb (who both happen to be bald), helped her open the first storefront location in Brentwood, CA.

Now, just six years later, Drybar has become a national sensation. The company employs 3,000 people nationally, and in 2015, reaped $70 million in revenue. Webb’s seemingly simple concept “struck a chord with women,” she surmises, explaining how its success has spread like California wildfire. There are now 64 Drybar locations across the country. White Plains’ will be the first one in Westchester, and is set to open this November at 1 North Broadway.

Webb says that White Plains is the “perfect new home for Drybar,” as the Central Business District is a “fantastic area that has tons to offer in the dining and retail space.” The location will look and feel like other Drybar shops, featuring a yellow and white color scheme, custom Italian chairs, marble bars with built-in phone docking stations, fabric walls, and flat-screen televisions.

While the city is home to many established salons, Webb believes Drybar’s competitive edge is its focus, exemplified by its motto: “No cuts. No color. Just blowouts!” She adds that their over-the-top customer service has women returning to the shops multiple times a week.

Drybar’s professional blowouts cost $45, regardless of hair texture, thickness, or length. Consistent with the bar theme, each signature hairstyle is named after a cocktail: the Cosmo (lots of loose curls), the Straight Up (straight with a little body), the Southern Comfort (big hair, lots of volume), the Mai Tai (messy and beachy), the Manhattan (sleek and smooth), the Dirty Martini (tousled and textured), and the Shirley Temple (for young girls).

Naturally curly haired Webb, who has been a hairstylist for nearly 20 years, understands first-hand what a good blowout can do for a woman’s self-esteem. She says that Drybar isn’t selling blowouts; they’re selling happiness.

“There’s this magical moment that happens for our clients when they realize how much confidence they get from having great hair,” she elaborates. “When you combine that with the way women feel after a great blowout, it’s not surprising how addictive blowouts can become.”

Not stopping at the salon experience, Drybar also sells its own line of products, including hair dryers (including its official “mascot,” Buttercup), curling irons, dry shampoo and conditioner, hair spray, and even silk pillow cases—all designed to extend the perfect blowout. And for anxious customers who can’t wait till fall, take note that once the White Plains outpost is open, you’ll be able to book online, on the Drybar iPhone app, or by phone at (877) 379- 2279.