Hawaii trip inspires business venture
By Dave Dreeszen, Journal business editor | Posted: Sunday, November 20, 2005
A Hawaiian vacation gave Dan Loofe inspiration for a new tanning business.
In June 2004, Loofe left his job of 13 years at Gateway Inc. in North Sioux City, where he served as a sales manager in the computer maker's business division.
"I always wanted to open my own business. I had been thinking about doing it for years,'' Loofe, owner of Waikiki Tan, 4018 Morningside Ave. "I've done a lot of research in tanning over the years.
He finalized his plans after returning from his 2003 trip to Hawaii, where he surfed on the famed Waikiki Beach. He also settled on a Hawaiian theme for his new tanning salon.
"It's a nice, relaxing laid back atmosphere,'' he said.
Loofe invested $100,000 in his new venture, extensively remodeling a vacant Morningside Avenue storefront that formerly housed a hot dog shop. Since opening in December 2004, the business has attracted 100 to 150 tanners per month, and now has more than 1,500 regular customers. Last February, after three months in business, readers of the Weekender voted Waikiki as one of the Siouxland's best tanning salons.
The business also has forged a relationship on the nearby campus of Morningside College, where Waikiki Tan is recognized as the official tanning salon of the school's football and basketball cheerleaders.
Waikiki Tan recently expanded its business, adding three more tanning room and a Level 3 bed, which is scheduled to open on Nov. 21. The so-called "Super Bed'' is a 13-minute ProSun model bed with 56 bulbs, including eight high pressure facial bulbs. It's about double the size of a standard bed and offer twice the tanning power.
Loofe said he plans to add six more beds at the Morningside location next year. In 2006, he also intends to open a second salon on the city's northside next year. In addition, he hopes to get into the Sioux Falls market in the next couple years, and has started to promote franchise sales on his Web site: www.waikiki-tan.com. He is talking with an investor interested in opening the first franchise in the Minneapolis area.
Sioux City native
In local music circles, Loofe is well known as the lead singer for the rock band, GhostShip. He has an eight-year-old son, Daniel, who stars in his Waikiki Tan TV commercials.
A graduate of Sioux City East High School, Loofe studied business finance at Western Iowa Tech Community College and Wayne State College. At Gateway, his marketing duties include working on the company's Web site and national TV commercials.
""I had a lot of marketing experience and sales, which helped me know what to do to start my own business,'' he said.
Loofe's own experiences led him to the tanning field. A few years back, he bought an expensive tanning package from a local salon. When he showed up to tan one day, he was told his minutes had expired and he would need to buy a new package.
"After talking with many of my friends who also tan, they had the same experience and felt frustrated that they couldn't use minutes they had paid for,'' he said.
Waikiki Tan, which now has 11 tanning rooms, sells minute packages that never expire. The salon offers 100-minute packages that begin at $24.99, and 30-day unlimited tanning for $39.99.
"I don't think anybody around has better pricing, he said.
One popular selling point is Waikiki Tan allows tanners to use their minutes on any of the three levels of tanning beds, he said.
A full line of lotions and accessories, from major brands that include California Tan and Austrialian Gold, also are sold Waikiki Tan. Loofe said he instructs his staff not to oversell the lotions.
"We're here to help them get the best tan, not to pressure sell, which fits right in with the laid back Hawaiian approach to life.''
Dave Dreeszen can be reached at (712) 293-4211 or davedreeszen@siouxcityjournal.com
In June 2004, Loofe left his job of 13 years at Gateway Inc. in North Sioux City, where he served as a sales manager in the computer maker's business division.
"I always wanted to open my own business. I had been thinking about doing it for years,'' Loofe, owner of Waikiki Tan, 4018 Morningside Ave. "I've done a lot of research in tanning over the years.
He finalized his plans after returning from his 2003 trip to Hawaii, where he surfed on the famed Waikiki Beach. He also settled on a Hawaiian theme for his new tanning salon.
"It's a nice, relaxing laid back atmosphere,'' he said.
Loofe invested $100,000 in his new venture, extensively remodeling a vacant Morningside Avenue storefront that formerly housed a hot dog shop. Since opening in December 2004, the business has attracted 100 to 150 tanners per month, and now has more than 1,500 regular customers. Last February, after three months in business, readers of the Weekender voted Waikiki as one of the Siouxland's best tanning salons.
The business also has forged a relationship on the nearby campus of Morningside College, where Waikiki Tan is recognized as the official tanning salon of the school's football and basketball cheerleaders.
Waikiki Tan recently expanded its business, adding three more tanning room and a Level 3 bed, which is scheduled to open on Nov. 21. The so-called "Super Bed'' is a 13-minute ProSun model bed with 56 bulbs, including eight high pressure facial bulbs. It's about double the size of a standard bed and offer twice the tanning power.
Loofe said he plans to add six more beds at the Morningside location next year. In 2006, he also intends to open a second salon on the city's northside next year. In addition, he hopes to get into the Sioux Falls market in the next couple years, and has started to promote franchise sales on his Web site: www.waikiki-tan.com. He is talking with an investor interested in opening the first franchise in the Minneapolis area.
Sioux City native
In local music circles, Loofe is well known as the lead singer for the rock band, GhostShip. He has an eight-year-old son, Daniel, who stars in his Waikiki Tan TV commercials.
A graduate of Sioux City East High School, Loofe studied business finance at Western Iowa Tech Community College and Wayne State College. At Gateway, his marketing duties include working on the company's Web site and national TV commercials.
""I had a lot of marketing experience and sales, which helped me know what to do to start my own business,'' he said.
Loofe's own experiences led him to the tanning field. A few years back, he bought an expensive tanning package from a local salon. When he showed up to tan one day, he was told his minutes had expired and he would need to buy a new package.
"After talking with many of my friends who also tan, they had the same experience and felt frustrated that they couldn't use minutes they had paid for,'' he said.
Waikiki Tan, which now has 11 tanning rooms, sells minute packages that never expire. The salon offers 100-minute packages that begin at $24.99, and 30-day unlimited tanning for $39.99.
"I don't think anybody around has better pricing, he said.
One popular selling point is Waikiki Tan allows tanners to use their minutes on any of the three levels of tanning beds, he said.
A full line of lotions and accessories, from major brands that include California Tan and Austrialian Gold, also are sold Waikiki Tan. Loofe said he instructs his staff not to oversell the lotions.
"We're here to help them get the best tan, not to pressure sell, which fits right in with the laid back Hawaiian approach to life.''
Dave Dreeszen can be reached at (712) 293-4211 or davedreeszen@siouxcityjournal.com
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