Hot Off The Stone is Hand & Stone’s monthly franchisee spotlight series. Each month we feature one of our franchisees, sharing the journey behind their ownership, their community and what drives them to show up every day for their teams and clients.
Our network is made up of some of the most diverse owners in franchising, from veterans and military operators to IT engineers, lawyers, architects, doctors and even massage therapists and estheticians who built a career in wellness and never looked back. What unites them is a commitment to bringing accessible luxury to the communities they serve. Behind every spa, there’s a story.
Franchisee Eric Danver on Building Hand & Stone’s Largest Franchise Organization
Meet Eric Danver, a Hand & Stone franchise owner and CEO of FGG Spa, LLC. With 63 spas across eight states, more than 1,800 employees and over $95 million in annual revenue, Eric is the largest franchisee in the Hand & Stone system, and he’s not done yet. He recently signed a new development agreement to open 13 more spas over the next 5-6 years, concentrated primarily in Florida, pushing his footprint past 75 locations on the way to a longtime goal of 100.
Eric’s path to Hand & Stone started decades before he signed his first franchise agreement, from an entry-level restaurant job through 25 years of building a Papa John’s business from one store to 53. Below, he talks about that journey, how he built the largest operation in the Hand & Stone system, and the faith and family that guide everything he does.
H&S: Take us back to the beginning. How did you end up a Hand & Stone franchisee?
Eric: My franchising path really started at Domino’s. I joined as a manager in training in 1989, and within a few years I was a regional manager running Staten Island stores. That’s where I learned the fundamentals, how to read a P&L, and understand the whole discipline of running a business. I carried that into franchising as a Papa John’s operator starting in 1996, and grew that business from one store to 53 over the next 25 years.
During that time, my wife and I became Hand & Stone clients and got to know the brand from the member side. The more I saw of the leadership, the more I wanted in, so when the chance to become a franchisee came along, it felt like a natural next step. We started small and very hands on. Two of my daughters opened our first spas in Virginia, and in the early days I was working the front desk myself. That’s the best way to learn a business, from the ground up, and I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. Looking back, being a member first is really what sold me. I already witnessed how the brand treated its clients and staff long before I ever signed an agreement, and that gave me the confidence to jump into the wellness industry with Hand & Stone.
H&S: You spent 25 years building Papa John’s locations. What did that teach you that you still use today?
Eric: QSR is a tough business. The margins are thin, so you learn cost discipline that translates to any industry. I brought that same discipline into Hand & Stone, which happens to be a higher volume, more profitable business, and it’s served us well. The bigger lesson was about people. Your team is everything. You have to hire well, pay well and offer real benefits, including healthcare, PTO and a 401k with a match. You must also lead with action – not just your words.
H&S: You just signed on to open 13 more spas, mostly in Florida. Why go so big in one state?
Eric: Florida has always been a great market for us. It’s the state with the most spas in our system, we’ve got strong brand recognition there already, the labor pool for massage therapists is sound, and the population growth speaks for itself.
However, the deal is bigger than any one state. It’s about my confidence in this brand. I’ve watched Hand & Stone grow from the inside for years, first as a client and now as a franchisee, and I keep investing because I believe in the leadership, the demand for what we offer and the runway of the brand. This agreement is a vote of confidence in where Hand & Stone is headed, and it keeps us firmly in place as the largest operator in the system.
H&S: You’ve talked about a goal of reaching 100 Hand & Stone spas. What’s the strategy behind getting there?
Eric: 100 spas has been the target for a while now, and we’re closer to it than ever. Some of that growth will come from new development, like the 13 units we just signed on for, and some of it will come through smart acquisitions where the fit is right. We’ve built the infrastructure to support that kind of scale, with a strong training department, an experienced CFO and accounting team, and an operations team that knows how to bring new locations up to speed quickly. When we acquire a spa, we try to make as few changes as possible early on, because it takes time to earn the trust of a team that didn’t necessarily choose us. Being the largest franchisee in the system gives us real advantages here too. We’ve got the relationships, the systems and the track record to grow responsibly instead of just growing fast, and that’s always mattered more to me than hitting a number.
H&S: From working the front desk yourself to leading a team of 1,800 people, what’s your approach to staffing and retention?
Eric: It really is just fundamentals. Real benefits, showing up for your people, and being present when times get hard. I’ve always said gratitude is an action word, you must show people they’re valued, not just tell them. One thing I learned a long time ago is that job titles matter to a lot of people. When we struggled to fill assistant manager roles, we started calling the position manager in training instead, and the response changed completely. People want to see a path to growth and success, not just a job. With more than 1,800 employees, we’re one of the largest employers in the entire Hand & Stone system, so getting this right matters even more. We also believe strongly in promoting from within. Our VP of Training and Education started as an assistant manager at 19 years old. My daughter started as a spa associate at 17 and is now our VP of Operations. At the same time, we bring in outside talent and fresh perspective too, because you need both to keep growing.
H&S: Your children work in the business alongside you. What’s that like for you?
Eric: It’s one of the things I’m most proud of. Three of my four kids, plus my daughter-in-law, all work in the business, and every one of them started in an entry-level role and earned their way up. They’re where they are today because of how hard they’ve worked, nobody was handed anything. Watching them grow in the business has been one of the highlights of my time with Hand & Stone, and I’m excited to keep watching their success.
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H&S: You also sit on Hand & Stone’s Franchise Advisory Council and Finance Committee. What draws you to that kind of involvement?
Eric: I want to see this brand continue to be successful, grow and bring our services to more markets across the country. I’m regularly talking to newer or prospective franchisees about the benefits of Hand & Stone and sharing best practices, and honestly, the mentoring goes both ways. I learn something from almost every conversation. Being that involved keeps me close to what’s happening across the system, not just in my own spas, and I think that’s part of the responsibility that comes with being the largest franchisee in this brand.
H&S: How does your company show up in the communities where you operate?
Eric: We try to be there for our communities, whether that’s supporting local requests and causes or showing up when things get hard. When Hurricane Helene hit Asheville, we supported our team and the community through that recovery. During the pandemic, we paid our managers through the closures and donated food to our team and our communities. These are our friends and neighbors, and it’s important to do everything we can to support them. We provide a great service to the communities we serve, but we must show up in ways beyond that.
H&S: What does FGG stand for, and why does that matter to you?
Eric: FGG is For God’s Glory. My faith is a big part of who I am and how I try to run this business, and that name is a daily reminder of that. It ties back to something I’ve always believed, treat people the way you’d want to be treated. I realized a long time ago that money alone was never going to make me happy. It’s the relationships, and watching someone grow into a leader, that make this worth it. When you run a business that way, the growth follows.
H&S: What would you tell someone considering becoming a Hand & Stone franchisee?
Eric: Do your due diligence and be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses. I’ve been very selective over my career and have only been involved with a couple of brands, and Hand & Stone is the one I’ve bet the most on. Part of that is the brand itself – featuring spa-industry leading average unit volumes, a growing footprint and real demand for what we offer. Part of it is also the support – a strong leadership team, training infrastructure and a corporate team that’s genuinely invested in helping franchisees grow. I wouldn’t have gone from one spa to where we are now if I didn’t believe in that. Franchising with Hand & Stone has been transformative for me and my family. It’s given us the chance to build something together and to give back in ways I never expected. It takes dedication and discipline, but it can do the same for so many people.
Ready to bring accessible luxury wellness to your community? Visit handandstone.com/franchise and begin your franchising journey today.
