By: Courtney Yeager
New York, NY — March 2026 — After successfully scaling The Tox into a national aesthetic wellness brand with 50 open studios and 150 franchise territories awarded, founders Courtney Yeager and Ryan Yeager are now introducing their newest venture and beginning to award early franchise territories for The Shade, a luxury dry nail care studio concept.
The Shade represents the founders’ next step in expanding their presence in the beauty and wellness industry, building on the operational systems and franchise infrastructure developed through The Tox’s rapid growth.
The Tox, known for its signature body contouring treatments, has experienced significant franchise expansion over the past several years, with more than 100 additional studios currently scheduled to open within the next 18 months.
With The Shade, the Yeagers are applying the same disciplined development approach to a new category within beauty services: nail care.
“After building The Tox and working closely with franchise partners across the country, we began looking at other areas of the beauty industry where we felt the client experience could be elevated,” said Courtney Yeager, Founder and CEO.
The Shade was created to reimagine the traditional nail salon through a luxury studio environment and a service philosophy centered around dry nail care and skin care-focused treatments for the hands and feet.
Unlike conventional nail salons that rely heavily on soaking bowls and water-based services, The Shade studios are designed around dry nail care techniques that prioritize precision, hygiene, and long-term nail health.
The concept embraces what the founders describe as a “skin care meets nail care” approach, treating the hands and feet with the same attention and care typically reserved for facial skin care treatments.
Photo Courtesy: Josh Ryan
Another defining feature of The Shade is its no-water, no-waste philosophy, eliminating traditional soaking bowls and excess water use in favor of a more controlled, hygienic service environment.
Ryan Yeager, who has overseen the development and buildout of dozens of Tox studios nationwide, has played a key role in designing the studio layout and operational framework for The Shade.
“Our experience building and launching Tox studios across the country gave us a clear understanding of what it takes to scale a brand,” said Ryan Yeager. “We’ve applied those lessons to create a concept that is both operationally efficient and highly scalable.”
The founders believe the nail services industry represents a major opportunity for brand-driven innovation. While nail care remains one of the most popular beauty services in the United States, the industry has historically been fragmented with limited national brands.
The Shade aims to introduce a more consistent, elevated nail care experience, supported by a strong brand identity and operational systems.
The company is now beginning to award early franchise territories for The Shade in select U.S. markets.
Entrepreneurs in the beauty and wellness industry have already expressed interest in the concept, particularly given the founders’ track record with The Tox franchise system.
“We’ve spent years building the infrastructure that allows us to support franchise partners at a high level,” said Courtney Yeager. “Launching The Shade is an exciting opportunity to apply that experience to a new concept.”
As the company prepares to introduce its first locations, franchise territories will be awarded selectively to qualified operators interested in bringing The Shade’s modern nail care experience to their markets.
Entrepreneurs interested in learning more about The Shade franchise opportunity can visit
www.theshadefranchisinggroup.com
About The Shade
The Shade is a luxury dry nail care studio concept founded by Courtney Yeager and Ryan Yeager, the founders of The Tox. Built around a philosophy of dry nail care and skin care meets nail care, The Shade offers elevated nail services in a modern studio environment designed to prioritize hygiene, precision, and nail health. The brand is being developed for national expansion through franchising.
Disclaimer: The Shade’s nail care services are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, and results may vary. The figures regarding the number of studios, franchise territories, and future expansion are based on internal estimates and projections. These projections do not guarantee actual performance and may vary due to market conditions and other factors.
