3 Degrees studio expands into franchising, exclusive products

Brandon native Penny Paclik has long opened restaurant franchises in the area. From tacos, to pizzas to pretzels, Paclik has seen her fair share of new openings.

After her daughter, Tiffany, graduated from Creighton University in Omaha with a degree in business with a focus on marketing, the family business of opening new stores and franchising was in the cards.

But this time, it was a different card.

“When she graduated, she wanted to do something different, and we went looking for it,” Penny said. “We were looking for something in health and wellness, and we found everything we wanted.”

Nine years ago, the mother and daughter duo opened 3 Degrees infrared sauna studio. The sauna features 40-minute sessions that provide many benefits such as pain relief, lowering blood pressure, improved circulation and relaxation.

Penny said when they found what 3 Degrees could offer, they jumped at opening their first. She said it was a perfect fit for Tiffany, who lives in Brandon.

“She was really the founder in this,” Penny said. “She wanted something different, and when I came back and presented it to her, she said she loved it and would love to do it.”

Penny said it was originally presented to them on a much larger scale. But they tweaked it, pared it down to a smaller studio, and found that it hit all of the things they wanted in a business.

“It was easy to train, you didn’t need very many employees, it had great hours, and it didn’t cost much to get into,” Penny said. “Plus, we feel like we’re giving back because of the stories we’ve heard of how this has helped people. That was a surprise to us – what it did for clients. We thought it would be good, but we never dreamed what we would see happening to people.”

Now, they’ve begun franchising the business, and it’s clearly been a hit. 

Tiffany is credited with putting the franchise plan and procedures into place. They’ve now franchised in Atlanta, Ga., Tucson, Ariz., Casper, Wyo., and 10 new locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Although there’s clearly leg work to be done in the franchising world, the 3 Degrees concept has caught the attention of many health and fitness entrepreneurs around the country.

“They’ve found us so far,” Tiffany said. “People are looking for something to add to their portfolio. The one in Atlanta, they have a concept that’s very health and wellness focused and this is just a perfect compliment to what they’re doing.”

It’s a far cry from the restaurant business, and Penny said she’s happy that Tiffany can have some flexibility while raising her young family. She said it’s that way for other new 3 Degrees owners as well.

“People can afford to get into it, women can have their own business and still have time for their own families,” Penny said. “You don’t have to be working 24/7 in the restaurant business and you could actually enjoy your job.”

Tiffany said they’d like to take the model “as far as we can.” She said there are health benefits to 3 Degrees that people don’t even realize.

“It can literally help everybody,” she said.

For Penny, franchising 3 Degrees has been an eye-opener after many years in the restaurant business.

“If there’s any business that you’d ever want to go into and have your own business, this is it,” she said. “We’ve done all of them. We know how hard they are. We know how much work they are. And this is just a pleasure to do. It’s just an incredible model. We feel so blessed.”

Tiffany has also branded her own sauna cream called, HEAT. The product is exclusive to 3 Degrees and is scheduled to be on the market in the coming weeks.