Hair salons welcome back eager clientele
Plenty of eager customers streamed into barbershops and hair salons Monday, as well as plenty of enthusiastic hairstylists looking to make up for lost revenue after more than two months out of business due to the coronavirus shutdown.
At a number of hair salons across the region, customers were waiting at the doorsteps at 7 or 8 a.m. for a trim, thanks to the partial reopening of businesses allowed by the state. Customers were making appointments from New York and New Jersey, where salons are still closed due to public health concerns.
The snip-snip sound of scissors was joyful to the ears of Gabriella DeStefano, the owner of Gavali Salon on the Post Road in Fairfield. Having put her entire life savings into an expanded operation at a new location, DeStefano said it was intensely stressful to close it down when the coronavirus regulations were imposed in mid-March.
“I put a lot of money into it, and I was preparing to pay back what I spent in the next few months (after) opening,” she said. “All of a
Casinos reopen with crowds despite warnings. A6 sudden we were shut down — and it was very scary.”
DeStefano said all of her employees applied for unemployment right away. She said she was lucky in that she received a loan from the Small Business Admin
istration. “We’ve been living off that for the past few weeks,” DeStefano said. “Now that we’re open, it will be a lot easier to survive.”
The work was rewarding, but the pace has been relentless, she said. “It’s been really crazy.”
Neno Lopez of Neno Clips, Cuts and Shaves in Norwalk was booked for three days straight as of Monday with two types of customers: those who had let their hair grow long and those who had tried to cut their own hair and did more harm than good.
“We’re trying to undo the damage,” Lopez joked.
The staff members are concerned about their health, even though the salon is following all state safety regulations. Staff are wearing masks and face shields. “Some of my barbers, they’re afraid to come back to work, but I’ve made procedures to do everything how the governor wants,” Lopez said. “We always keep the business tight and clean.”
At Classic Barber in Greenwich, customers
At Classic Barber in Greenwich, customers were at the door as soon as it opened at 8 a.m. One customer said he drove in Monday morning from Long Island, N.Y., to get his hair cut.
were at the door as soon as it opened at 8 a.m. One customer said he drove in Monday morning from Long Island, N.Y., to get his hair cut.
Jeff Ramer, a retired lawyer from Greenwich, was dying for a trim at the Greenwich Avenue shop — he joked that he was starting look like George Washington on the $1 bill, thanks to the bushy outgrowth. “I’ve been looking forward to this for quite some time,” Ramer said, “I want to get the hair out of my eyes.”
Co-owner John Merolla said, “It’s been great to be back in business. Everyone is very eager.” The shop is booked all week, and the barbers were working quickly and efficiently to keep the process moving.
In New Haven, Carl McManus said it felt “wonderful” to be cutting hair again Monday, the first day the state authorized barber shops and hair salons to get back to business. He’s been in the trade for 55 years — and the pandemic had made the job particularly difficult.
“This coronavirus, I’ve got to say it’s getting under my skin,” he said. “All these changes, these new rules and regulations. We’ve never had appointments before.”
McManus doesn’t expect to be back home until Sunday, after he works six days in a row. His wife is so concerned about him getting infected with the coronavirus — and then infecting her — that she told him he must sleep in the shop overnight.
“I’ve got a sleeping bag in my car,” McManus said. “I’ve got the blankets, I’ve got a pillow. I’ll be just fine.”
When Robert Orr settled into the chair, he pointed to his long locks and said, “I’ve got the COVID hair here. I’ve just been letting it go. I needed a haircut when this all started.”
At Christopher’s Salon and Spa in Guilford, owner Christopher Rollins said Monday morning was very busy. “Our clients were a little leery, and rightly so, being around other people,” Rollins said. “But they received the protocols by email when they made their appointments. They read their credit card information to us, so nobody has to touch pen or paper. It’s OK once you get the swing of it.”
Rollins is glad to be back, too. “It’s like riding a bike, I must say. I’ve been doing this for 52 years now. It is my life. We were all chomping at the bit — not just financially, but to be productive.”
There have already been serious financial repercussions from the shutdown of personal-services businesses across the region.
In Ansonia, at Copper City Classic, the chairs were full — but the hiatus had taken a toll.
“It was a terrible time for my employees,” said Frank John, who owns the shop, as well as Company Z Property Maintenance. “I was able to exist. I stayed positive, but I lost three of my employees to other jobs. I told them go ahead. You got to do what you can to put food on the table.”
At the Hopscotch salon in Old Greenwich, the safety procedures exceeded the state standards. A body-temperature reader was used before customers could enter the salon, and every gown was wrapped in cellophane, to be handed directly to the customer to unfold. The hairdressers were wearing face shields and masks. The staff went through a “dress rehearsal” on Friday to go over safety procedures. Instilling consumer confidence is crucial, said co-owner Hisao Oe.
“We’re trying to do everything right, and because of that, I think a lot of customers trust us,” said Oe, who grew out his own ponytail over the past two months. The salon was getting numerous reservations from people in New York and New Jersey who were eager for hair-care, he said.
At the Love Cuts shop on Atlantic Avenue in
Stamford, owner Mike Valentine said he was never happier to come into work. Valentine has been connecting with customers over social media to keep his brand going, and he often stopped by the store during the closure order, just to do some extra cleaning and re-connect with business he loves.
“We’re excited to be back,” Valentine said, “It’s good to get the revenue going and see the clients.”
Under the directives from Gov. Ned Lamont, haircuts and styling are by appointment only. No lines or waiting room are allowed. Every customer has to be given have a clean smock to wear, which must be cleaned after use. Work stations are required to be six feet apart, or have barriers between them. Workers must wear facial coverings.
Lamont had originally ruled that salons and barbers could reopen with other businesses on May 20, but delayed the openings until June 1 due to public safety concerns.