'Man-icurist' Hopes to Nail New Midtown Spots

Greg Sarway, a born-and-bred Brooklynite and father of four who’s apparently quite confident in his manhood, opened Spiff for Men, a men’s-only salon in midtown, just 11 months ago. Now, Spiff is rolling out up to six new locations in the next 18 months.

The expansion comes during an exceedingly favorable market for retail tenants, as the dismal economy empties storefronts and drives landlords to gentler negotiations.

“In this kind of environment, everybody needs to look good,” Mr. Sarway said, as he sat near the entrance of his black-leather-and-steel-toned salon at the foot of SL Green’s 750 Third Avenue.

Mr. Sarway, 42, is pretty much the embodiment of well-manicured masculinity. His short nails shine. His heavy eyebrows form two almost perfect commas above his thick-lashed, dark chocolate eyes. His feet are swaddled in soft black leather, and a Rolex encircles his left wrist.

“Men are into pampering themselves today,” he said. His aim is to make them feel comfortable doing so.

Step one: no women allowed. Should they accidentally wander in, perhaps lured by stories of free Scotch and coffee, “we send them down the block,” Mr. Sarway said. After all, “a woman wouldn’t want to dye her hair in front of a man.”

Then there’s the décor, minimalist and discreet, with all sorts of contrivances to distract the manly man—flat-screen TVs embedded into mirrors that broadcast CNN/Money and ESPN. If the customer wants something a tad more escapist, there are Bond films on hand.

Mr. Sarway started Spiff after a 20-year career in the clothing business. “I would go to women’s places for manicures and pedicures and feel pretty uncomfortable,” he recalled. Hence, Spiff. Business, he said cautiously, is “growing.”

Men from Condé Nast offices upstairs, and from Rodale across the street, stop by to get spiffed up before dinner. The so-called “Spiff classic,” a package with haircut, manicure and shoeshine, is popular. So, too, are pedicures and waxing—eyebrows, back, ears and even the occasional bikini line.

Mr. Sarway plans to roll out his new spaces—between 1,200 and 2,000 square feet in size—in midtown east and west. Not downtown.

“We’ll see what happens on Wall Street,” he said.

Cory Zelnik, president of Zelnik & Company, is handling the expansion. “People tend to look at a man’s tie, at a man’s shoes to see if they shine, and they look at a man’s watch, and when they do that, they look at their hands,” said Mr. Zelnik, himself a frequent manicuree.

“I think Spiff is an excellent amenity for a building,” Mr. Zelnik said. “If we put more Spiff locations out there, it may afford more men the opportunity for a quick midday manicure. And while they may not admit to it, per se, they can get in and out and take care of it quickly.”

[e-mail]