Haute Salon is starting a new chapter this week - moving from its downtown Jefferson City location to West Truman Boulevard.
The salon closed its location at 112 E. High St. last week and will reopen at 3237 W. Truman Blvd. Suite 200.
"I'm really excited for the next chapter, another 10 years of what we do," co-owner Brandon Scott said.
After nine years in the downtown area, Scott said, it was time to find a new spot that fit the salon's business model and clients' needs.
The new location will have free parking for customers, something the salon's clients have struggled to find in the downtown area for years.
Many clients spend two to four hours at the salon and oftentimes receive parking tickets, Scott said. For some elderly or handicapped clients, he added, parking in the Madison Street parking garage is not ideal.
"If you're getting a hair color service, you're pretty much guaranteed a parking ticket at the same time, and that has affected us over the years," Scott said. "There are people who have stopped coming to us because if they're trying to support a downtown business, and they're getting a parking ticket, it just turns them off."
After learning Haute Salon was relocating, Scott added, some former clients have contacted him about returning to the salon.
The business also will not have to work around events or street closures. When large events occurred in the downtown area, Scott said, clients avoided booking appointments those days.
"I want downtown to continue to flourish, and I want people to continue to invest in downtown," he said, "but for what our business model is - we are an appointment-based business where you are spending two to four hours - it just isn't working for us anymore."
The new space is almost 900 square feet bigger than the East High Street location, he said. The salon is also expanding its team and adding new services, including full massage services.
While the East High Street location had a "New York loft, runway, fashion vibe," Scott said, the new salon will have a more Southern California warehouse atmosphere.
Scott and co-owner Gregory Medlin may have tweaked the ambiance of the salon, but they are still emphasizing their eco-friendly mission.
Haute Salon is the only green circle salon in Jefferson City, according to Green Circles Salon. It recycles, repurposes or reuses up to 95 percent of its waste - hair clippings, leftover color, foils, paper and plastic. The salon also uses eco-friendly and organic beauty products.
Looking back on his time on East High Street, Scott said encouraging other downtown businesses to be more eco-friendly is one of his biggest accomplishments. He hopes to continue that education at Haute Salon's new location.
"It is just awesome that you don't have to be a big corporation to make small changes that make big impacts on the environment," he said.
Know of any business happenings around Jefferson City? Let us know at [email protected].