January 21, 2025

Great Clips Franchisee Chooses Northwest Shopping Center For Ninth Location In Greater Chicago Market

BALTIMORE, MD (January 21, 2025) – Great Clips franchise owner Pat Jairath has selected Northwest Shopping Center in Palatine, Illinois as the site of the group’s ninth location in the greater Chicago metropolitan region, and expects to be operational in first quarter 2025. Jairath signed a lease with Continental Realty Corporation (CRC) for 1216 square feet of space at the 100,000 square foot shopping center located at 425-569 E. Dundee Road. CRC Leasing Manager Kristin Perry represented the landlord and Jose Gonzalez and Courtney Rouleau of JLL, as well as Jacob Strom of SVN Chicago Commercial represented the tenant in this transaction.

Continental Realty Corporation, a Baltimore-based real estate investment and management company with a portfolio value exceeding $4 billion, acquired Northwest Shopping Center in 2022 as part of a five-shopping center portfolio comprising more than 900,000 square feet of space. Positioned at the intersection of E. Dundee Road and N. Hicks Road, the shopping venue is anchored by regional supermarket chain Jewel-Osco.

With more than 4,400 locations throughout the United States and Canada, Great Clips is considered the world’s largest salon brand. The concept, which provides haircuts and hair styling services to men, women, and children, is 100 percent franchise owned.

Following a career in data processing, Pat Jairath was looking for a pivot after incurring some back problems while seated at work all day. She opened her first Great Clips franchise location in 2000 after discovering the brand at a franchise exposition and subsequently grew her network of locations throughout the northern and western suburbs of Chicago. The new Northwest Shopping Center site represents a relocation from a spot located across the street.

“We have found that people, especially businesspeople, are too busy to make an appointment with a hair salon, so our walk-in concept provides a convenient and high-quality alternative,” Jairath explained. “The most important aspect of a shopping center is its anchor tenant, and we jumped at the opportunity to join Jewel-Osco as a co-tenant at Northwest Shopping Center which generates a tremendous amount of consumer traffic. At the same time, as a national brand with a strong presence, Great Clips will attract unique consumers to the center to the benefit of the entire tenant mix. It was important to move close to our former store because we have a large and loyal following that has visited us for more than 15 years.

“Pat Jairath is a proven entrepreneur with a strong track record of success and incredible understanding of the greater Chicago retail market,” Kristina O’Keefe, CRC’s VP of Commercial Division. “Great Clips is a highly-recognized national brand which brings diversity to our tenant mix, while providing a needed service to the local community. We are confident that the concept will meet with immediate and long-term success at Northwest Shopping Center.”

Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland and founded in 1960, Continental Realty Corporation is a full-service commercial real estate and investment company focused on acquiring and operating retail and multifamily properties. The privately held firm owns and manages a diversified portfolio of retail centers consisting of over eight million square feet of commercial space and more than 10,000 apartment homes across 13 states, with a portfolio value exceeding $4 billion. For additional information, visit www.crcrealty.com.