MENU
SEARCHA menu of lower-priced services gives beginning stylists hard-to-acquire experience within a short time frame.
You can be staring at a brilliant idea and not realize it. But when that lightbulb finally goes on, you really feel the glow.
In 2018, Citrus Salon in Martinez, California, implemented a Style Bar option for clients to come in for a quick blowout, regrowth touchup, gloss, or conditioning treatment. This was the lowest price point, available only a couple of days a week and mentioned casually—just enough to make guests aware. When the pandemic threw everything up for grabs, Style Bar was one of the concepts that owner Candice Gliatto took another look at. She started to see how it could dovetail with the salon’s new training schedule.
“With California’s cost of living continuing to climb, we knew that an 18-month apprenticeship program was no longer a sustainable option for our New Talent,” Gliatto says. “We redesigned our apprenticeship program into an eight-week, intensive boot camp providing students 24 hours a week of classroom and hands-on education.”
When they weren’t in the classroom, what would training look like? It could look like Style Bar.
A menu item more than an actual “bar” or area, the now daily, highly promoted Style Bar offers affordable services but no choice of technician. Designated chairs are equipped with house tools, and the New Talent stylists rotate, with one or two taking the full day’s Style Bar clients. Now that it’s more prominent at the salon, Style Bar gives new hires, who otherwise would be assisting senior stylists, valuable working experience in a condensed time frame.
“The New Talent stylist gets additional time behind the chair to gain that confidence in styling, conversing with clients, staying on time—the whole thing is such an impactful experience,” Gliatto says, adding that it’s also a jumpstart in building their clientele.
“The client having a frequent blowout might decide to stay with the new stylist for cuts and color,” Gliatto explains. “We have a culture of guest-sharing and, as an employee benefit, we don’t hire until our existing stylists are fully booked.” By remaining with the New Talent artist, the client may have more flexibility in scheduling appointments, at least at first.
Senior stylists like the arrangement, too, because it frees them up to fill their book with higher-ticket services like balyage. This builds income for the salon as well, plus Style Bar is taking in revenue simultaneously. According to Gliatto, Style Bar accounts for an additional $3,000/week. The salon doesn’t miss out on income from a root touchup when guests can easily book that “in-between” service—and pay less for it—through Style Bar.
Says Gliatto, “It’s like having another experienced stylist on the floor.”
After moving to Colorado and teaching at a cosmetology school, Allison Stock joined Zandi K as a stylist, eventually becoming part of the Leadership Team, Education Team and Master Bridal Team. Today, as Director of Operation, Stock is Owner Nicki Wenz's right hand, managing human resources and operations, education and career development, and coaching and culture.
The company's Concealed Bead Method is raising the bar for what professional extension education can deliver.
Scott maximized her micro-salon by transitioning from stylist to strategic owner, focusing on recruiting and station-sharing. By prioritizing her ownership role over behind-the-chair work, she grew her team to six stylists within the two-chair, 150-square-foot space before eventually moving to a larger facility.
The former CFO of Perdue Farms and owner of Hardy Seafood, Terry Owens delivers a wealth of wisdom and strategies for entrepreneurs in his new book, "Business is Simple."
After scaling her single-location salon business, SALON TODAY 200 Honoree Amy Pal recently sold her six-location Whip Salon for seven figures. Using the six Ps for maximizing a business's value, she's ready to help her peers do the same.
Buried inside the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are federal solar tax credit changes that deserve your attention now. Two of the credits that matter most to commercial property owners, the Investment Tax Credit and the Production Tax Credit, are still available, but only if you move fast. A third, the Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Deduction, has a hard termination date that is closer than most people realize.
Up to 40% of hair stylists ghost the salon interview stage, leaving owners trapped playing endless phone tag with uncommitted applicants. This data-driven report breaks down why traditional job boards create recruitment friction and reveals the modern messaging strategies high-growth salons use to get pre-qualified talent to actually show up. Learn how to transition from cold calling to high-conversion conversations that protect your time and fill your chairs.
Sponsored by Beautista
Spit fests, hostile threats, and even an overachieving matchmaker--SALON TODAY readers share their craziest client tales and how their team handled these tough situations with professionalism and grace.
Keeping your appointment book full when clients are in vacation mode takes more than a good Instagram post. It takes a plan. The 2026 Summer Marketing Calendar from Meevo gives salon, spa & med spa owners a month-by-month roadmap with sharp themes, key opportunity dates, and campaign ideas specifically designed for the beauty & wellness industry. Here’s to your summer season working as hard as you do!
Sponsored by Millennium Systems International
AI is transforming the beauty and wellness industry, and the future is about empowering people, not replacing them. Discover how Phorest AI helps salons, spas, and med spas across North America respond faster, personalize every visit, and keep human connection at the heart of the client experience.
Sponsored by Phorest
Owner Michaella Blissett-Williams credits her General Manager Gloria Hortua with [salon] 718's year-over-year, double-digit growth and says she's been able to scale the company to eight locations because she can rely on Hortua to manage daily operations.
Shine Time: Aluram’s High Shine Line Delivers Moisture and Shine with Clean Ingredients
Sponsored by Aluram
Elyse Rogers is an uplifting presence at The Headroom who makes the team feel heard even in stressful situations. Owner Danielle Cherewyk sings her praises in this installment of Meet the Manager.
Despite a slight and predictable decline in client traffic for Q1, resilient pricing power is driving year-over-year revenue growth in salons. The KIM Report's Alain Audet reviews the data and what it's telling us about the state of professional beauty.
Same-store revenue grew just 2% for the second straight year—and new guest visits declined across every segment of the industry. The 2026 Benchmark Report reveals where growth is actually happening, which verticals are pulling ahead, and what the data says about where your business stands right now.
Sponsored by Zenoti
Hair restoration is entering a new era driven by regenerative science. This paper explores how Exosome technology is transforming treatment outcomes by targeting hair loss at a cellular level. Discover why EXOGROW is leading this shift.
Sponsored by Dermapenworld
A salon brand is much more than a logo. In this thought-provoking blog, Leon Alexander, Ph.D., walks you through the difference. SALON TODAY suggests sharing this article with your team and leading a discussion at your next huddle, asking the team to define your business's brand.
