Rachel Apfel Glass worked in finance for a decade and a manicurist was a regular run in her world. From her experience – both as a consumer and as a business school graduate with an entrepreneurial streak – she has seen a lot of what they call “white space” in the industry.

Most salons were loaded with cash in an era when money was no longer the primary bidding, no compromise between high-end spa and mom-and-pop, with poorly paid workers and, especially for her, poor hygiene practices.

“I always tell people, even if you’re not going to Glosslab, don’t put your feet in the bowl, ”she said. (All of Glosslab’s services are waterless, as it is the water that produces the germs.)

The business also operates on a subscription basis: for $ 125 per month you get unlimited manicures and pedicures. (There is an automatic 20% tip for each service.) And everything is cashless.

She started her first two Glosslabs – the first opened in the Flatiron in 2018 and the second in the West Village. And she has seven more in the works, with two leases already in place on the Upper West Side. It has just completed its first round of external funding with the support of the founders of Rumble Boxing and Tinder.

As a Tribeca resident and mother of two little daughters (ages 8 and 6), having that last open spot here was a plus in the balancing department – she loves seeing her own kids around the neighborhood and having a link between his house. and his business. In addition, she samples the product. A lot. “And now it’s around the corner,” she notes.

Glosslab
180 West Broadway at Leonard
Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily