Salon rises from the liquefaction
Kaye Briden has been in business for 24 years. Yazu Hair Lounge was originally based in Woolston and was a one-woman business when Briden bought it. It now employs 11 people.
When the September 4 quake hit in 2010, Yazu was not too badly damaged and took in another salon that was more affected, True Grit Hair Spa from Tuam St. But the February quake left the building red-stickered and Yazu had to relocate.
They were taken in by Scissortrix in Beckenham, where they stayed for seven months. True Grit re- established themselves in Tuam St.
Yazu ran its business from a laptop and remained separate within Scissortrix’s salon. To keep all her staff employed, Briden reduced their hours and worked around Scissortrix staff – physically and in terms of rosters.
It was crucial to be up and running as fast as possible, and while those seven months weren’t profitable, it was a time of maintaining the business.
Briden found new premises in Settlers Crescent in Ferrymead in June last year. When she and her staff went to look at the premises, the surrounding area was covered in liquefaction after that day’s earthquake – it was June 13, 2011. Staff took some convincing that it could be turned into ‘‘something out of Paris’’. However, although the liquefaction caused a twomonth delay, Briden has transformed it into a salon, complete with courtyard, fountain and outdoor seating.
Yazu retained existing customers and even picked up some new ones – foreign construction workers involved in the repairs of the Ferrymead bridge nearby.