When Peabody Salon Reopens, It Won't Be Business As Usual
PEABODY, MA —Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker had barely finished announcing on Monday that salons and barbers could reopen on May 25 when Susan Ciani's cell phone and business phone began ringing off the hook.
"People have gone for so long without a haircut or color that I think they’ll risk anything —especially most guys," said Ciani, who owns Lifestyles Hair Studio and Day Spa at 145A Summit Street in Peabody. "It’s getting warm out there and long hair makes everybody feel hotter."
The salon and all other nonessential businesses in Massachusetts have been closed since March 24 as part of an emergency order aimed at slowing the spread of the new coronavirus. When Lifestyles reopens after its two-month closure, Ciani and her staff will only be able to see customers by appointment and will have to follow a long list of safety guidelines from the state.
That means staggered appointments, protective gear and reconfiguring the salon to make sure work stations are six feet apart. Ciani is trying to balance the sudden demand with the fact that not all of her workers will be coming back.
"Some of the employees can’t come back because they are in a different phase," Ciani said. "The girls have expressed they feel like they’re doing something wrong by coming to work."
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And Ciani won't necessarily have work for all of her employees. The spa cannot offer facials or spa treatments. At the other extreme, there will be new tasks for the salon's workers, including frequent cleaning and disinfecting, as well monitoring customers to make sure they are following social distancing guidelines.
"Unfortunately there’s going to be a lot that’s different. The relaxing atmosphere of a day spa is a place where you could come in and have a few hours with no worries, have a coffee and a snack, sit in the lobby with music, play on your phone or read a magazine and then get an amazing facial or your hair cut," she said. "We can’t have coffee we can’t have people in the lobby. We can’t really spend the time with clients, because we'll be busy making sure we’re keeping them safe by constant cleaning sterilizing of equipment and keeping an eye making sure people aren’t gathering together chatting."
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Dave Copeland writes for Patch and can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).
This article originally appeared on the Peabody Patch
