Escanaba Daily Press
ESCANABA Local salons and barbers are hanging on during the coronavirus pandemic and hoping for better days ahead.
Owner of Salon West Ashley Westlund said her salon’s biggest challenge is not lack of customers. In fact, business has been so busy since reopening June 15, 2020, the salon only resumed online bookings two weeks ago.
The things hurting business, Westlund said, are the restrictions on gatherings, and being short-staffed.
Salon West is short-staffed because the pandemic is making daycare hard for employees to find. Stylists without daycare can’t come to work.
The restriction on gathering in groups is at the heart of the salon’s other challenges. Based on the salon’s square footage, Salon West’s limit is 10 people at a time including stylists. To comply, Westlund was forced to pare down her staff to five stylists and no receptionist.
ccarlson@dailypress.net
Caroline Carlson | Daily Press
Payton Caswell sweeps up between customers in the familyâs Escanaba barber shop. Her grandfather John Caswell built the shop over 20 years ago for her father, Jesse.
ESCANABA Local salons and barbers are hanging on during the coronavirus pandemic and hoping for better days ahead.
Owner of Salon West Ashley Westlund said her salon’s biggest challenge is not lack of customers. In fact, business has been so busy since reopening June 15, 2020, the salon only resumed online bookings two weeks ago.
The things hurting business, Westlund said, are the restrictions on gatherings, and being short-staffed.