Naperville 'Just Felt Right' For Rowan Piercing Studio, Founder Says

NAPERVILLE, IL — Inspired by her mother and aunts, who were doctors and nurses, entrepreneur and mother Louisa Schneider will bring Rowan piercing studio to downtown Naperville. The studio, which hires licensed nurses for its ear-piercing, has exploded in popularity since Schneider opened her first brick-and-mortar store in 2020.

Set to open in about a month at 50 S. Main St., the Naperville location will be Rowan's 76th ear-piercing studio to open in just five years.

"Our goal has always been to provide the safest, most celebratory ear-piercing experience to all," Schneider told Patch.

She explained that she came up with the concept for Rowan because she sought a "piercing experience that was as safe as it was celebratory for [her] daughter."

"At Rowan, every piercing is a milestone, and every milestone can be celebrated with a piercing (or a new pair of hypoallergenic earrings!)," Schneider said.

The nurses at Rowan do not use piercing guns, but instead use a hand-pressured piercing device or a single-use sterilized needle. The earrings are made with hypoallergenic 14K gold or stainless steel and available in more than four dozen designs.

Customers can get a traditional earlobe piercing or opt for the following piercings:

• Upper lobe
• Conch
• Flat
• Helix
• Mid helix
• Forward helix
• Tragus

Schneider's mother and her aunts also spurred her to name the piercing studio Rowan. She told Patch these women, her mentors and inspirations, grew up in Rowan County, North Carolina.

The first brick-and-mortar Rowan studio opened miles from Rowan County in Manhattan. Schneider's concept took off, with 76 stores throughout the U.S. The Naperville store is their fifth location in Illinois. There are Rowan piercing studios in downtown Chicago, Lincoln Park, the West Loop and Oakbrook Center.

"We’re on track to have 100 studios open by the end of 2025," Schneider said.

"We're beyond thrilled by the incredible feedback we've received across all our studios," she added. "It means the world to us when customers share their experiences, and we're so grateful to celebrate this milestone with them."

Schneider told Patch the "lifestyle-center feeling" of downtown Naperville "just felt right" for their newest Rowan store.

"When we went to visit the area, we knew it was a perfect fit."