SPRINGVILLE — Cascades Hair Salon's motto is 'Come in and let your hair down,' and owner Tara Ulrich said that she wants her customers to feel comfortable doing just that. She bought the former Hair We Are, located at 60 South Cascade Drive, in February, and has been working to create a cozy, family hair salon, ever since.
Ulrich had worked at Hair We Are five years ago, and said she had wanted to purchase the shop, even then. After she had her son, she came back and asked the owner again. This time, Ulrich got her way.
'I had a vision of what I thought this could be,' she said of Cascades. 'I had bigger dreams. Our price points are huge, compared to other places. I realized that we don't have to charge a lot. I'm not doing it to get rich. I don't look at my customers as a way to put money in my pocket. With this economy, I want people to know that I understand how things are. [My employees and I] all have families. We know how expensive things are. We could charge more, but I can't do that to my customers.'
Now, she has two part-time and one full-time employee, that makes up the group she calls not only her team, but her family.
As a former employee, Ulrich said that she 'tries really hard' to take care of the women who now work for her.
'All of us here have opinions, and they matter. Our customers' opinions matter.'
Cascades Hair Salon operates mostly on a walk-in basis, and Ulrich said that she tries to make sure that service keeps running smoothly, so customers don't have to wait too long for a cut or color. She said that she thinks of her customers as family, trying to create an atmosphere where anyone can come in and feel right at home.
'We try our best to keep things flowing. If customers keep coming in, we'll stay late. We know most of our customers, or we get to know them. When someone comes in, we like to be able to say, 'How's your job?' 'How was your vacation?' 'How's this activity or that activity?' We like to form relationships.'
When working to form those relationships, Ulrich said that communication is key.
'You've got to be vocal,' she explained. 'We always ask how was their last cut. It can be months before someone goes in for a cut again, and you've got to communicate, to know what they want. If they want a wash-and-wear, if they have to get up early for work, if they have kids, you've got to know that.'
Cascades Hair Salon has what Ulrich called 'a huge male clientele,' and also does cuts for kids.
'We get lots of guys coming in here. They feel comfortable,' she said.
The salon uses the L'Anza product line, which Ulrich called 'a fun line' that nourishes hair from the inside out. She said that the line includes a wide selection of color choices that have impressive longevity.
'I have a book and when customers come in, they tell me what they want and then we tweak it. L'Anza is very true to the color.'
Cascades Hair Salon will soon be running a color package, which Ulrich said she hopes encourages people to come in, get their hair done, and see how well the product works.
The salon is also offering chemical straightening, with the formaldehyde-free Peter Coppola system. The stylists can also do extensions, colored extensions and tape-in extensions, in addition to perms, which Ulrich said are her most popular service.
Cascade's stylists also do manicures and Ulrich said she plans to start offering pedicures in the spring, to get toes ready for sandal season. The owner of the building in which the salon is located has offered Ulrich the game room of the former Barnstead Pizza, next door, where she said she hopes to provide tanning services, in the future.
'We have big ideas, at low prices,' she said, of how she runs her business. 'I'm not a stuffy person. This isn't a stuffy place.'
The salon is open Monday and Tuesday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Wednesday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and can be reached at 592-2603.
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