Grooming Suites in Clearwater, FL
Photos show a current Snout Studios suite and shared bathing area in Los Angeles. Clearwater photos will be added closer to opening.
Why Clearwater groomers are going independent.
Clearwater's grooming market is dominated by two models: chain store counters, several along US 19 and Gulf-to-Bay, and small commission salons where the groomer hands over 40 to 50 percent of every ticket. Mobile grooming fills the gap for pet parents who can afford it, but a van in Pinellas summer heat is a hard way to make a living.
What Clearwater has not had is a private, plumbed grooming room a groomer can work from on a weekly membership, with a grooming table and a high-velocity dryer inside and professional tubs down the hall. That is what a suite is. You bring your clients and your tools. The room, the equipment, the utilities and the cleaning of common areas are covered by one weekly membership fee, and every dollar a client pays you is yours.
Three things make the Tampa Bay math better than most markets. Florida has no state income tax, so the difference between commission and independent shows up in your bank account, not just on paper. Florida requires no state license to groom, so the paperwork to go independent is a business tax receipt and an insurance policy, not a credential. And Pinellas is a year-round grooming market, with snowbird season adding residents from roughly November to April.
Roosevelt Blvd and US 19.
Roosevelt Crossings is a neighborhood retail center at the southeast corner of Roosevelt Blvd and US 19, between a Wawa and a Walmart Supercenter. The center's leasing listing puts passing traffic at about 50,000 vehicles a day. The corner is the center of gravity for mid-Pinellas: Clearwater to the north and west, Largo to the west, Pinellas Park and Feather Sound to the south, St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport to the east, and I-275 a short drive away for St. Petersburg and Tampa clients.
For a groomer, the location matters for two reasons. Your clients can reach you from anywhere in central Pinellas without crossing a bridge or sitting on Gulf-to-Bay. And a retail center next to a Walmart Supercenter and a Wawa means parking, lighting and everyday traffic that a back-street salon never gets.
Snout Studios Clearwater
Roosevelt Crossings, 2659 Roosevelt Blvd, Unit 104, Largo, FL 33760
Expected opening: early 2027. Not open for visits or grooming appointments yet.
How far is it from your part of Clearwater?
Drive times are estimates for weekday mid-morning. Beach traffic and the Gulf-to-Bay corridor add about 10 minutes on winter weekends. Pet parents from north Pinellas should plan on about 20 minutes.
| Starting point | Route | Distance | Typical drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Clearwater (Cleveland St) | Court St or Gulf-to-Bay east, US 19 south | 6 mi | 12 to 18 min |
| Clearwater Beach | Memorial Causeway, Gulf-to-Bay, US 19 south | 9 mi | 20 to 30 min |
| Countryside (Countryside Mall) | US 19 south | 8 mi | 12 to 18 min |
| Belleair and Belleair Bluffs | West Bay Dr east, US 19 north | 6 mi | 12 to 16 min |
| Safety Harbor | McMullen Booth south, Roosevelt west | 7 mi | 14 to 18 min |
| Dunedin | Alt 19 south, Sunset Point east, US 19 south | 10 mi | 20 to 25 min |
| Palm Harbor | US 19 south | 14 mi | 22 to 30 min |
| Largo (West Bay Dr and Missouri) | East Bay Dr east, US 19 north | 4 mi | 8 to 12 min |
| Pinellas Park | US 19 north | 5 mi | 8 to 12 min |
| Feather Sound and Carillon | Ulmerton west, US 19 north | 3 mi | 6 to 10 min |
| Seminole | Park Blvd east, US 19 north | 7 mi | 14 to 18 min |
| Oldsmar | Tampa Rd west, McMullen Booth south | 9 mi | 18 to 24 min |
| Downtown St. Petersburg | I-275 north, Roosevelt west | 14 mi | 18 to 25 min |
Commission salon vs a suite in Clearwater.
Working estimates for Clearwater full grooms run about $75 to $110 for small and medium dogs and $110 to $180 for large and doodle coats, a little below Los Angeles and in line with the rest of Tampa Bay. The table assumes 25 dogs a week over five days at a $90 average ticket.
Clearwater membership starts at $450 a week, and the suite column uses that starting rate. Final pricing will be confirmed before opening.
$29,000 to $33,000Illustrative yearly difference at a $90 average ticket. Not a guarantee of earnings.
| Line item | Commission salon (50%) | Private suite |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly gross billed | $2,250 | $2,250 |
| Paid to the salon or suite | $1,125 | $450 (starting rate) |
| Supplies, laundry, software (your cost) | $0 to $40 | $60 to $90 |
| Insurance (your cost) | $0 | $30 to $80 a month |
| Weekly take-home before tax | $1,085 to $1,125 | $1,692 to $1,733 |
| Annual difference | — | about $29,000 to $33,000 |
| Who owns the client | The salon | You |
The gap grows with the ticket. At a $120 average and the same volume, the same math shows about $48,000 to $53,000 a year more in a suite than on commission. A one-time member initiation fee is not included. Run your own numbers in the profit calculator before deciding. Illustrative estimates for comparison only. Not a guarantee of earnings. Results depend on your pricing, schedule, bookings, and local market.
What you need to go independent in Clearwater and Pinellas.
Florida has no state grooming license, so the list is short.
- A business tax receipt. If your business address is inside Clearwater city limits, the City of Clearwater issues it through its online ePermitting portal (confirm zoning first; receipts renew every October 1). If the address is in Largo city limits, Largo issues it. If it is in unincorporated Pinellas County, no county business tax receipt is required. Confirm which applies to the studio address before you apply, and register the suite address as your business location, not your home. Our St. Petersburg and Clearwater license guide and Florida license guide cover the details.
- A Florida LLC or a DBA. Register a fictitious name or form an LLC through Sunbiz. An LLC costs about $125 to form and $138.75 a year to renew. Most groomers form the LLC first so the business tax receipt, insurance and bank account all carry the same name.
- Insurance. General liability plus care, custody and control coverage, the part that pays a vet bill if a dog is hurt in your care, with the suite operator named as additional insured. Expect about $30 to $80 a month from a pet-business specialty program. Our dog groomer insurance guide covers what to ask for.
- Sales tax, if you sell product. Grooming services are generally not subject to Florida sales tax, but retail sales such as shampoo, bandanas and treats are. If you sell product, register with the Florida Department of Revenue and collect 7 percent in Pinellas. Confirm with your accountant.
- Booking and payments under your own name. Set up a Google Business Profile, a booking link and a card reader before you announce, so clients can find and book you the day you tell them you are moving.
Leaving a Clearwater salon: Florida's non-compete reality.
This is where Florida differs from most of the country, and it matters more than the weekly fee. Florida enforces non-compete agreements. Under statute 542.335, a court will enforce a reasonable restriction that protects a legitimate business interest, and the statute treats client goodwill as one of those interests. For an ordinary employee non-compete, six months or less is presumed reasonable and anything over two years is presumed unreasonable. The 2025 CHOICE Act made non-competes even stronger for employees earning more than twice their county's average wage, which excludes almost every groomer, so 542.335 is the law that usually applies.
In practice, check your own agreement before you plan the move. A non-solicit (do not contact the salon's clients) is enforceable and is the clause many salons use. A non-compete with a radius, such as no grooming within 10 miles for a year, may also be enforceable if it is reasonable, and 10 miles from a Clearwater salon covers Roosevelt and US 19. Announcing your new location on your own Instagram and Google profile is different from pulling the salon's client list and texting it, and the second one is what gets groomers sued. Never export the salon's database. If you signed nothing, you are free to go and free to tell people where.
None of this is legal advice. A one-hour consult with a Pinellas employment attorney costs less than a week of commission and settles it. Our guide on taking clients with you when leaving a salon includes a 30-day playbook.
Key takeaways.
Clearwater groomers have had two choices, chain counters and commission salons. A third arrives in early 2027 at Roosevelt Blvd and US 19: a private suite on a weekly membership with no commission. At a $90 average ticket and 25 dogs a week, the illustrative math above shows roughly $29,000 or more a year in your pocket compared with a 50 percent commission, before Florida's zero state income tax.
Going independent in Pinellas takes a business tax receipt, an LLC and an insurance policy, not a license. The one thing to handle carefully is the paperwork you signed at your current salon, because Florida enforces reasonable non-competes and non-solicits. Join the Clearwater waitlist, run your own numbers in the profit calculator, and read your contract before you announce.
Illustrative estimates for comparison only. Not a guarantee of earnings. Results depend on your pricing, schedule, bookings, and local market.
Looking for a dog groomer in Clearwater?
Independent groomers at Snout Studios book their own clients and set their own prices. The studio is not open yet. Dog parents can join a separate list for Clearwater opening and grooming updates. This is not a booking request, and appointments and availability are not guaranteed.
Get Clearwater opening updatesClearwater grooming suites: FAQ
Is Snout Studios Clearwater in Clearwater or Largo?
Snout Studios Clearwater is at Roosevelt Crossings, 2659 Roosevelt Blvd, Unit 104, Largo, FL 33760, at the southeast corner of Roosevelt Blvd and US 19. That corner sits on the Clearwater and Largo line near St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, typically 8 to 12 minutes from downtown Largo and 12 to 18 minutes from downtown Clearwater.
How much does a grooming suite membership cost in Clearwater?
Clearwater membership starts at $450/week, all-inclusive, covering the private suite, grooming table, high-velocity dryer, shared tubs, utilities and cleaning of common areas, with no commission and no percentage of sales. Final Clearwater pricing and the one-time member initiation fee will be confirmed before opening.
When does Snout Studios Clearwater open?
The expected opening is early 2027. The studio is not open yet. Join the Clearwater waitlist for confirmed opening dates, tours and membership details. Joining the waitlist does not reserve a suite or guarantee membership.
Do I need a license to groom independently in Florida?
Florida has no state grooming license. You need a business tax receipt from the city your business address is in (none if the address is in unincorporated Pinellas County), a Florida LLC or fictitious name registration, and grooming liability insurance with care, custody and control coverage. Confirm current local requirements before you open.
Can I take my clients from my current Clearwater salon?
It depends on what you signed, so check your own agreement. Florida enforces reasonable non-compete and non-solicit agreements under statute 542.335, so read your contract and talk to a Pinellas employment attorney before you announce. You can always build your own Google profile and booking link. Never take the salon's client list. This is not legal advice.
Build your grooming business in Clearwater.
Snout Studios Clearwater is expected to open in early 2027 at 2659 Roosevelt Blvd, Unit 104, Largo, FL 33760. Joining the waitlist does not reserve a suite or guarantee membership.