June 14, 2021
‘The Man Cave’ Men-only Nail Salon Opened in Spartanburg to Promote Male Self-care
Men in Spartanburg, S.C., now have their own space to luxuriate and indulge at a nail salon called, The Man Cave, exclusively meant to cater to their self-care needs.
“I came up with the idea after doing my fiancé’s feet. He enjoyed getting pedicures and massages and he suggested that I go to nail school. I enrolled and realized that I really liked doing feet,” owner Shana Soberanis told WSPA.
Once the idea initially percolated in her mind, Soberanis’ said her journey began. She started in a private setting, but it it was only the beginning of something bigger.
Soberanis’ said the clientele who have come for her pampering services at her 2099 S Pine St. location, ranged from lawyers and blue-collar workers to men who have diabetes.
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“I saw a need for nail care for men. They’re an underserved population when it comes to nail care. For some reason, men sometimes believe that it’s kind of emasculating and I wanted to dispel that myth. I wanted them to know that it’s OK; it’s a part of hygiene and wellness care,” Soberanis also told the outlet.
The Man Cave’s website mentions that services include foot baths, pedicures, hand soaks, nail trimming and filing, cuticle removal, hot towel compression, hand, leg and arm massages for men age 13 and over.
In an essay for Newsweek, Soberanis wrote that she previously was laid off while working in software support. After turning 40, and being unable to secure a new job, she nearly lost her home. She landed a contract job, then opted to go to nail school.
“But in March 2020, my sister died out of the blue. She was 42 and had a heart attack. Myself, my two kids and her kids found her,” Soberanis added. “My intentions to attend nail school had also been halted because of the COVID-19 pandemic and then in August myself and my whole family contracted COVID-19. On September 8, my mom died in hospital from COVID, without any of us around her.”
She helped to distract herself from difficult life events by attending nail school full time from October 2020 to January 2021. Then, Soberanis got busy writing a business plan for The Man Cave Nailcare for Gentlemen. Today, the business owner who found her niche serves men who are in need of a bit of pampering in a way most have never experienced.