A national men's grooming franchise has opened its first Montgomery County location at 7712 Woodmont Ave. in downtown Bethesda, adding to a summer wave of new retail tenants along the corridor.

Hammer & Nails Grooming Shop for Guys opened Aug. 11, according to The MoCo Show. The roughly 2,000-square-foot shop offers haircuts, beard and mustache grooming, skincare treatments, waxing, manicures and pedicures in a lounge-style setting with leather chairs, big-screen TVs and complimentary alcoholic beverages.

Brad and Melissa Blanken, a Kensington-based husband-and-wife team, own and operate the franchise, the Washington Business Journal reported in July. Brad Blanken is a Marine veteran. The couple plans to open two additional locations.

The shop is split into two rooms: a Cut & Shave room for barbering and a separate Hand & Foot room with oversized leather chairs, noise-cancelling headphones and individual TVs for manicures and pedicures. Services like beer-infused hand treatments round out the menu.

What memberships cost

The Bethesda location is offering Founding Memberships to its first 150 customers, according to the shop's website. Three tiers are available:

• Classic: $110 per month for two Classic services (vs. $160 non-member price)
• Signature: $238 per month for three Signature services (vs. $345 non-member price)
• Luxe: $442 per month for four Luxe services (vs. $632 non-member price)

All memberships are cancel-anytime with no long-term contract. Unused Classic and Signature services roll over, and members can share visits with family or friends. Every visit includes a complimentary beverage.

In a 2025 Franchise Times profile, Hammer & Nails CEO Aaron Meyers explained the no-contract philosophy: "We've always believed that people should stay with your membership because they're happy and they love your concept and use it, not because you've trapped them."

The brand

Hammer & Nails launched in West Hollywood, California, in 2013 and now reports more than 170 franchise licenses sold nationally. The brand appeared on ABC's "Shark Tank" in 2017 without landing a deal, then expanded into barbering in 2018. The Bethesda shop is the chain's first location in Montgomery County.

The opening adds to a cluster of new retail tenants downtown. ALO, Johnnie-O and Collars & Co. all opened along Woodmont Avenue or Bethesda Row this spring and summer as operators bet on growing foot traffic between the Metro station, new residential towers and the Bethesda Row retail spine.

Residents can book appointments at (301) 301-6585 or [email protected].