Our Story

The idea for LACQUER started in 2012 when founder, and University of Texas alumna, Carla Hatler moved back to Austin from Los Angeles and couldn't find the perfect nail salon.

"I had trouble finding a great nail salon that I didn't have to book out weeks in advance, and I couldn't find a place that offered mani-pedis at the same time. I didn't have two hours to spare in a salon, I wanted efficiency. The walk in salons didn't feel clean to me, and usually only carried one brand of nail lacquer. I couldn't believe Austin didn't have many great nail options, and the wheels starting turning. I wanted a clean salon with great products and efficient service. I did tons of research, interviews with other business owners and location scouting - a process that took me three years. I set out to create the salon I wanted to visit myself. I opened LACQUER Downtown in March 2015, coincidentally during the first week of SXSW, and haven't looked back. We now have two locations in Austin." 

As part of her research, Carla also discovered many nail salon and other beauty service providers are often misclassified or paid poorly. She made it her mission to be an ethical salon, providing fair (and legal) pay to all of her staff. All staff members have been classified as employees since LACQUER opened its doors. Interestingly, the same year LACQUER opened, the New York Times published an expose on nail salons in America. Carla adds, "I've learned so much since we opened and have become obsessed with doing things the "right" way. I'm continuously looking for ways to make LACQUER a better workplace and aid our staff in building their careers and planning for their future. We offer benefits like paid time off, 401k with company. matching, and supplemental insurance. My no-compromise approach has made running a profitable business a challenge, but I believe it's the new standard all salons should follow."

Carla grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and is a graduate from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur in the beauty industry, she held various management positions in advertising and specialized in helping launch new brands.