Meet Darnika Platt | Owner of ManCave Atlanta

We had the good fortune of connecting with Darnika Platt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Darnika, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I’m an entrepreneur. I’ve been one my entire life so when it came to starting this business the first thing that I needed to do was research. I already knew the legal side, the financial side, and the initial setup process. What I didn’t know was the actual business. I’m someone who has experience in finances and taxes, and I was starting a wellness business, which eventually included other elements. So, my primary objective was to research and talk to as many qualified people on what it would take to own and run an upscale spa.

What should our readers know about your business?
I own ManCave Atlanta, an upscale men’s spa, which is very much an understatement. Though we do offer manicure, pedicure, massage, esthetician, and barbering services, we also offer a sport and business lounge for our members to relax, work, eat, drink, and watch TV. We have a cigar lounge as well. Both spaces are available for events. I started this business because I noticed that a lot more men were into self-care and wellness than I realized. I’m a girl who likes to pamper herself. I always frequented spas and salons. I love massages, manicures, pedicures, and facials. So I was taken aback when I started seeing more men visiting the places that I was going to get my services. And it wasn’t long before I started talking to them and asking them why are there. What I found is that men liked the same things I liked, the only difference was that the places that I go cater mostly to women. There isn’t a nail salon that caters specifically to men or a massage facility that specializes in just treating men. I decided that I wanted to create that space. I also realized that I wanted to do more than that. I started to think about the show “Cheers,” where everybody knows your name. I wanted that atmosphere. Also, I realized that men really wanted more of a one-stop-shop. I had to decide what services made the most sense and was the most essential to men so that I wasn’t cramming a bunch of things into one. I would say the biggest challenge was the building process. It became way more than I expected. A lot of unexpected things can come up in the process of building, besides the actual facility there are things that the city inspectors can throw at you that you either didn’t know, which your general contract should.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’m only going to say that as a girl who raised near water and fresh seafood, the best thing that I can recommend is the red snapper at Le Colonial Atlanta. It’s the best I’ve ever had which is shocking since Atlanta is not known for its seafood.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would say that my family, particularly my parents and grandparents, are the biggest factor in my success. Most kids grow up seeing their parents go to 9-to-5 jobs and work for other people. They see their parents receiving paychecks and deciding what to do with them. Both my parents and grandparents were entrepreneurs, Black business owners. I grew up watching people run businesses and make business-related decisions. And when you’re apart of a legacy of business owners, it makes no sense for you to go work for someone else. You either continue working for the family business or go off on your own. So if it wasn’t for my family normalizing entrepreneurship, I don’t know if I would be as successful as I am today.

Website: https://www.mancaveatlanta.com/

Instagram: @themancaveatlanta