This series is aimed to provided a Business Spotlight on local people and businesses in the East Contra Costa County community that are being impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) and their response to the virus. ECT will be interviewing 30-businesses in 30-days during April to provide both information and to promote local business.
In today’s business spotlight, Stephanie Nielsen, owner of Revive Salon and Spa in Brentwood highlights how her business was shutdown after being deemed a non-essential business by the Governors Stay-at-Home directive which was also issued by Contra Costa County. This series aims to highlight how local businesses have been impacted and navigating through the virus.
Name of Business: Revive Salon and Spa
Location: 8900 Brentwood Blvd suite A, Brentwood, California 94513
Website/Social media: Facebook and Instagram
Phone number: (925) 420-6477
What is Revive Salon and Spa?
We are a full service Salon specializing in Hair, Skin and Nails which employees around 25 people at any given time. In the shop, there are around 15 hairstylist, 2 nail tech, 3 estheticians for skin care.
Why did you open your business?
To be able to do what I love, and work with people that I love. We love our clientele and it has been a pleasure being in business in this community.
What do you love most about your business?
I love the relationships we have built over the years with our clients and community. I love the creativity that comes along with our industry and most importantly being a part of making feel great about the way the look.
There are 8 of us who have been together for 17-years and have traveled from salon to salon and were there when Revive opened. In 2017, the original owner needed to sell the business and I bought it so we could all stay together. This really is a family and a tight group so its been pretty amazing. Our clients have also been following us for years and have been very loyal.
How has the coronavirus impacted your business?
It has shut us down because we are a nonessential business. With proms and graduations coming up, this couldn’t have happened at a worse time for not only our salon, but for the industry as a whole. This time of year is like our holiday season because the weather is warming up, people begin to socialize after the winter with the sun coming out. Its also the kickoff to wedding season. Its a lot of lost business that we will never get back.
Being shut down, it really hits home because we are not bringing in an income. This is just so painful to watch. I have friends who have salons in the industry and to see their posts on social media, its sad because we are all in the same spot and there is nothing we can do except wait it out. Our clients are also waiting it out and even for the men, I see them wearing hats.
I’ve been doing this for 30 years and to think something like this could happen to not only our industry, but our entire state and country to be shut down like this. I would never have imaged it. Just locally, I can think of 100 businesses like mine who are suffering right now and its sad.
We have to stay strong as a community and support one another for when everyone opens again. Right now
How have you responded to coronavirus – how has your business changed?
It has changed 100%. If we don’t work, we don’t get paid. It’s been a extremely hard hit, and throughout this time, it has brought us a great appreciation for our careers, our clients and our salon family at work.
The best way to describe it is one day you are driving 100-mph and the next day you are at zero. There is nothing we can do right now. We can’t even go to peoples houses to do our job because of all the risks and liability.
One thing we are doing is some of our stylists have put together color kits for their clients.
Any special deals right now that the community can take advantage of?
Unfortunately our hands are really tied because we can not take clients. It’s really awful. We are looking at some special product promotions to help people get their hair and ski back into shape when we reopen. We are also looking into launching beauty tips while the shelter-in-place is still ongoing. Be sure to check our social media because that is where this information will be posted.
Business Spotlight Series
# 1: Josh Young at Newfront Insurance Navigates Through Coronavirus Pandemic
Disclosure: this series is being done at no cost to local business or individuals as an attempt to provide value to our community. If interested in potentially being included in this series, email [email protected]
