WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA — Getting your ears pierced at the mall is set to become a surprisingly clinical experience, at least in the Creek. The “Nut?” We’re not sure what to call it anymore!
Anyway, Rowan, an ear-piercing and jewelry company where every piercing is performed by a licensed nurse, is preparing to open at Broadway Plaza in downtown Walnut Creek.
The studio is expected to occupy the former Aveda location at 146 Broadway Lane, Space 1120. Broadway Plaza now lists Rowan as “Coming Soon,” although neither the shopping center nor the company has announced an exact opening date.
A Different Take on the Mall Piercing Studio
Rowan is not a traditional tattoo and piercing shop, nor is it a pediatrician’s office.
Instead, the company has built a retail business around combining licensed nurses, ear piercing jewelry shopping. Rowan says its piercing procedures are guided by a medical advisory board and its own clinical standards.
All piercings are performed by licensed nurses, including both traditional lobe piercings and placements such as the helix, forward helix, flat, conch and tragus.
Customers can choose between two piercing methods, depending on their age and where they want the piercing.
Needle piercings use a single-use, sterilized hollow needle and are available for customers ages 5 and older. Rowan also offers a hand-pressurized piercing device, which the company emphasizes is different from a spring-loaded piercing gun.
The device option is available for customers as young as 2 months old, provided they have a valid DTaP vaccination.
That may make the Broadway Plaza studio especially appealing to parents who want the reassuring presence of a nurse for a child’s first ear piercing, but would still prefer something more celebratory than a medical appointment.
The Concept Was Inspired by a Mom’s Search
Rowan was founded by Louisa Schneider after she began researching where to have her daughter’s ears pierced.
According to Schneider, conventional piercing shops did not feel sufficiently safe to her, while pediatricians’ offices did not make the milestone feel particularly special.
Her answer was a business designed to occupy the space between those two experiences: medically informed piercing delivered inside a bright, welcoming retail studio.
Despite the clinical emphasis, Rowan is fundamentally a piercing and jewelry store. Nurses perform the procedures, explain aftercare and can provide follow-up evaluations, while the company’s retail side offers earrings made from materials including titanium, sterling silver and 14-karat gold.
What Does It Cost?
Rowan’s currently advertised pricing starts at $35 for a single device piercing or $50 for two, before the cost of the jewelry.
Needle-piercing fees are generally listed at $35 to $45 per piercing, again with jewelry sold separately. Piercing jewelry currently starts at around $60 for the device method and $68 for needle piercings.
That means a visit will generally cost substantially more than the service fee alone, particularly if a customer selects one of the company’s more elaborate gold earrings.
The company also offers jewelry changes and complimentary appointments to evaluate how a new piercing is healing. Pricing and services at the Walnut Creek studio could vary once it opens.
When Will Rowan Open in Walnut Creek?
Broadway Plaza has confirmed that Rowan is coming and the company is actively hiring for its Broadway Plaza studio. For now, however, the opening timeline remains a bit of a mystery.
The new shop will join more than 100 Rowan studios around the country and add another specialized retailer to Broadway Plaza’s increasingly eclectic lineup.
We will share an update when an official opening date is announced.
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