They’ve been getting ready with new precautions to keep customers safe
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
OCEAN CITY — In an old knee-slapper, a person asks a friend if he or she “got a haircut,” to which the cheeky subject replies “no, I got them all cut.”
That old quip may be out of style, but so are the hairdos of thousands who have not been able to go to a salon or barbershop since mid-March, when state-imposed restrictions aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19 forced all such businesses, including many others, to close their doors to customers.
But that restriction is about to be lifted, much to the joy of both the shop owners and their bushy-headed customers.
As the number of cases and deaths has dropped around the state and country, Gov. Phil Murphy has slowly allowed businesses to reopen with restrictions, such as requirements for sanitization, social distancing and the wearing of masks by both employees and customers.
New Jersey’s second stage of reopening began June 15, with restaurants and bars permitted to offer outdoor dining and nonessential retail stores allowed to have patrons inside.
Murphy announced in early June that hair salons and barbershops would be allowed to reopen June 22, and shop owners and employees have been getting ready for their big day.
Julie Frasca, owner of Julie’s Headquarters, shut her doors March 19, expecting to be closed for two weeks as originally forecast. Following months of uncertainty, she has spent the past couple of weeks preparing her shop at 801 Asbury Ave. to comply with Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines.
“I’m looking forward to it. I think I’ve done the most I can to get ready,” she said. “I’m excited to get the season on the road collectively. I’m excited for the locals and the visitors to just kind of get out and get on with it.”
Vicky Tridente, who has operated Salon Del Mare at 616 Asbury Ave. for the past 17 years and has a strong year-round customer base, said this season “is definitely a shock.” She also has been closed since March 19 and is “ready to get back to work.”
Tridente said she misses working but also misses her customers.
“It’s a social thing and you get to know them really well but then all of a sudden you don’t see them,” she said.
Frasca said with the easing of restrictions comes the responsibility of wearing masks, social distancing and “being aware of the different world.” She has taken steps such as getting rid of magazines and porous items such as cushions, buying hand sanitizer and a UV light to kill germs.
“I bought a bunch a masks to give to clients while they are getting their hair cut so they can put the one they wore here on when they leave,” Frasca said.
She also created a comfortable outside seating space where customers can sit in the shade until it’s their turn and plans to take a 15-minute break every hour to sanitize.
“I’ll be using clean capes on every person,” she said. “There’s a lot of stuff you can do that gives peace of mind.”
Tridente said she has been working a lot to get her shop ready to comply with COVID-19 restrictions, but said salons are regulated by the state and take steps to be sanitary on a regular basis. She said she has hospital-grade sanitizer and that “it’s been a little more to the extreme.”
Tridente said she has a small shop with only three chairs, so it was not hard to spread them out. She also has separated stations with a plastic barrier and has limited the number of clients to one at a time with 15 minutes in between to sanitize. Customers have to make an appointment and call when they arrive, and she is using a new cape for every customers.
“I haven’t seen any guidelines, but I am taking it upon myself to be really careful,” she said.
Sally Onesty, owner of A Bella Salon & Spa at 601 Ninth St., said she anticipated getting guidelines Monday, June 8, but as of Thursday had not gotten anything from the state.
“What I’ve been doing is following other states and I took a list of all their stipulations and guidelines and merged them. I made a list until our governor has released guidelines for salons,” she said, adding that part of getting certified for a cosmetology license involves “disinfections, sanitizations and sterilizations.”
So, while Tridente is able to open Monday, she expects to do about 75 percent of her normal business because she will not be “overlapping customers” such as doing a cut while another customer waits for her color to set.
“It’s the new norm, we just have to get used to it,” Tridente said.
And while Frasca is looking forward to seeing her repeat customers again, as well as some new faces, she also has been paying rent and other bills without an income.
“Economically, I’m looking to get back and earn a living, provide a service and have my business thrive again,” she said. “Start paying bills, start rehiring people and getting back to it.”
Frasca said she is optimistic but pensive about reopening. Until she sees customers walk in the door, she can only cross her fingers and wait.
“Just being busy will be great and I won’t have to worry about being busy,” she said, noting that she is nearly booked for the first week. “I’m not worried about whether I will have clients, I just want to make sure I have done the very best I can to secure a safe environment for them.”
Likewise, Tridente has many regular customers and is booking through the beginning of July.
“Everyone who couldn’t come now is booking and we’re trying to get everybody in,” she said.
Julie’s Headquarters will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, June 22, to Friday, June 26, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 27, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 28. The shop then will return to normal business hours.
Salon Del Mare will be open by appointment generally from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. but Tridente said they would be staying later to accommodate customers.
“We will be more flexible with hours and will be there more than usual,” she said.
Onesty said her staff fluctuates between seven and 14, depending on season, and that many employees are eager to return.
“They are a vital part to our business,” she said, adding that the salon will be hiring multiple people to accommodate its expansion in hours.
Onesty said salons normally are open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and closed Sunday and Monday, but that A Bella is open seven days a week and now will be adding two to five hours a day to its schedule.
“We’re looking forward to it. Since we have been closed, we have done so many things to improve the business to serve the community better,” Onesty said. “The community has been good to me so I want to be good to them.”