OMAHA, Neb. – After 13 years of building a premium hair extension concept, husband-and-wife entrepreneurs Scott and Katy Cotten are partnering with Franchise FastLane to accelerate nationwide growth. Their brand, Dakota London, launched its franchise program in 2025, becoming the first hair extension-only salon brand to offer franchising opportunities.
Dakota London’s Founding Story
- After training at the Long Island Beauty School in Manhattan, Katy Cotten opened and sold multiple salons before identifying a clear gap in the market for high-quality hair extensions paired with consistent service, transparent pricing, and a supportive salon culture.
- What began as AZ Strands, the first hair extension-only salon in Arizona, quickly evolved into Dakota London, a proprietary brand built around exclusive hair sourcing, specialized training, and a refined client experience.
- As of January 2026, Dakota London operates three corporate locations in Chandler, Phoenix, and Scottsdale, with a goal of expanding its luxury salon experience to new markets across the country through franchising.
- The brand emphasizes a people-first culture, high employee retention, and proprietary products available exclusively to franchise locations, while also offering a specialized focus on hair extensions, same-day service, and built-in recurring revenue.
“When I started in this industry, I saw firsthand how many salons lacked a supportive environment,” said Katy Cotten, co-founder and co-owner of Dakota London. “Building Dakota London has always been about creating a space where customers feel confident and stylists feel valued. Franchising gives us the chance to share the same culture, training, and experience with new markets, and to create opportunities for people who are passionate about this work as we are.”
Scott Cotten, who brings a background in business administration, marketing, and supply chain management, has been instrumental in building the operational backbone that now makes franchising possible.
“Franchising wasn’t something we wanted to rush into,” said Scott Cotten, co-founder and co-owner of Dakota London. “We took the time to lock in sourcing, pricing, training, and systems so franchisees could step into a business that’s truly plug-and-play. Partnering with Franchise FastLane allows us to stay focused on our operations while leveraging their expertise for scaling at a healthy pace.”
Franchise FastLane is intentional about the brands it adds to its portfolio. Before partnering with any franchise, its executives evaluate several criteria, such as its value proposition, key differentiators from its competitors, unit economics and marketplace conditions. With Dakota London, the alignment was clear due to the brand’s niche focus, exclusive product offering, and operational readiness.
“From our initial conversations, it was clear how much intention and care Scott and Katy have poured into Dakota London,” said Tim Koch, President & COO of Franchise FastLane. “This is a concept that truly doesn’t look like anything else in franchising, strengthened by the passion, expertise, and operational discipline behind the brand. We’re excited to support Dakota London’s expansion and introduce this unique model to the rest of the country.”
As a leading franchise development company, Franchise FastLane provides comprehensive franchise development support, empowering partners through every stage of growth. Their services include territory checks, lead registration, marketing, compliance oversight, operational support through their proprietary tech stack, and collaboration with franchise consultants. This full-service approach ensures that franchisors are equipped with the tools, systems, and strategies needed to accelerate expansion effectively and efficiently.
All partners also have access to Franchise Fastlane’s exclusive MasterMind program, where brands can meet with other FastLane Founders and connect regularly to share insights, explore innovative ideas, and strengthen their systems. These sessions foster open discussion to help leaders refine franchisee support, address challenges, and identify growth opportunities. The collaborative environment encourages both professional and personal development.
