Centre County hair salons can reopen in the ‘green phase.’ But expect to wait for an appointment
Unkempt hair styles are so spring 2020.
Centre County beauty salons and barber shops that were closed for about two months to mitigate the potential spread of the new coronavirus are among businesses permitted to reopen Friday.
Personal care services can be joined by bars, malls, health and wellness facilities and entertainment facilities that all may reopen to 50% capacity in the “green phase” of Gov. Tom Wolf’s reopening plan.
Fetterolf’s Barber Shop owner Donna Weaver used the intermission as a vacation for the first time in nearly a decade, while others like Salon Beautiful owner Amy Hockenberry and Adam Cole Salon owner Shannon Bernatovich focused on building improvements or strengthening their retail efforts.
“In some ways it was a very positive experience,” Bernatovich said. “I’m not going to try and say it’s an easy experience, but in some ways it was positive. It gave me time to focus on my business and what I wanted to do and how to improve things in the salon.”
The financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic that has plagued many small businesses owners was not as detrimental as some salon or barber shop owners in Happy Valley expected.
For Men Only owner Tracy Ferrell and The Gentleman’s Salon owner Emily Johnson each separately said a rainy day fund, lower operating costs and lower overhead expenses helped cushion the blow.
The newest challenge has been how to efficiently reschedule hundreds of appointments. Salons and barbershops must operate by appointment only in the green phase.
Salon Beautiful and Adam Cole Salon are each booked through at least July, and that’s just for people who had an appointment that was canceled. Those trying to book appointments Friday may have to wait until well into the summer.
Some others that more heavily rely on Penn State students, like For Men Only, are expecting to receive inquires from first-time visitors that are looking for the first available salon or barber shop.
“I’m going to assume that people are gonna be going down the list, making calls and then whichever salon is able to take them, they’re probably just going to end up going there,” Ferrell said. “We’re just hopeful that we’ll be able to service everybody who needs their hair cut.”
Those who haven’t taken it upon themselves to cut their own hair should expect some slight changes during their visit.
Masks are required, waiting rooms have essentially been eliminated and a few services, like beard trimmings or facial waxes, are not being offered.
Many salons are requiring customers to wait in their vehicles until employees have had ample time to disinfect surfaces between hair cuts and colorings.
“It’s a learning experience for all of us and it’s something we haven’t done before. You hate to say, ‘Be patient with us,’ but it’s just something that we’re trying to figure out,” Johnson said. “There might be some hoops to jump through in the beginning, but we’re just asking for patience as we try and figure it all out.”
This story was originally published May 28, 2020 at 4:29 PM.