Individual salon suites showcase stylists' specialties
Sue Putignano worked for a larger salon for many years.
She enjoyed styling her customers, but was tired of all the noise, and how hard it was to make it a personal experience for her customers inside of the big salon.
So recently, she opened her own salon — Salon 105, along the Randall Road corridor in Algonquin.
Her salon is part of the InStyle Salon and Spa Suites, in the Esplanade along the west side of Randall in Algonquin. It is at 2316 Esplanade Drive, just south of Algonquin Commons.
Inside of InStyle Salon and Spa Suites there are about 25 different individual salon owners, who have tailored their businesses so they can focus on what they specialize in or what they feel is important to their customers.
Some focus on waxing, while other focus on nails. For some, it is more of a spa experience, while others strictly stick to the cut and color.
“It's all about you and the customer being comfortable in a relaxing environment,” Putignano said. “The focus with this for me is on the person sitting in my chair, and not on everything else going on like in a big salon where you can't really relax. I just wanted to make a nice warm environment and a comfortable place.”
Each of the individual salons is decorated differently, showcasing the owners' style, and the owners have different specialties.
But being a part of a business like In Style Salon and Spa Suites, the owners are not putting out as much money to begin with to run their own stand-alone store. Instead, they are leasing space at In Style Salon and Spa Suites.
Putignano, who opened her business on Sept. 10, said she felt this was where the future of salons was headed, and so she opened Salon 105, in Suite 105 of the building.
Inside, she offers cuts, colors and waxing. She also offers personal touches such as warm neck wraps and scalp massages.
“I've been watching and this seems to be the new up-and-coming trend,” she said. “A lot of people are tired of being at the big salons. I was and I wanted to personalize it and make it more my own business.
“I love it so far, and I'm really excited,” she said. “It seems to be the way a lot of people are going right now. I'm still trying to get the word out, but I love it.”
InStyle Salon and Spa Suites has a chain of locations, including one in St. Charles at 457 Dunham Road. For details, visit www.instylesuites.com.
Trick-or-Treat: Geneva Commons mall along Randall Road in Geneva is hosting a trick-or-treat event from 3 to 4:40 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27.
Kids can wear costumes, and trick-or-treat at stores throughout the mall. They'll know which ones are offering candy when they see a trick-or-treat sign in the window. They can also probably tell by the line of kids with open bags who will be standing in the doorway.
Ÿ Amy Williams' column covers all the news of business along the Randall Road corridor from Batavia to Crystal Lake. Contact her at randallbiz@comcast.net or (847) 894-5036.