“There are rules in the best policies manual that we have provided that of these [businesses] should consult,” Gov. Abbott said.
Coronavirus-related rules in place for salons and barbers include limiting each stylist to one customer unless the individual is waiting for service, using an appointment-only system, maintaining 6 feet of separation between stations and having both the stylist and customer wear face masks.
“We are in strange times now,” said Lisa Stence, owner of Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio in Keller. “We’ve been doing porch deliveries for mail orders, but a lot of ladies are not wearing makeup right now because they’re staying home.”
Stence said she hopes the loosening of restrictions will allow more people to leave the house once again. She said she expects the studio to allow at most five people in at a time.
Makeup and facial services help drive business, Stence said, "because customers can use the products and see themselves in them."
“It’s a completely different time right now,” she said. “It has been hard to bring in brand-new customers.”
The store is open Mon.-Sat. from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and is still offering mail order and curbside pickup. Merle Norman locations are also now offering hand sanitizer for purchase, Stence said.
KTS Hair Studio in Roanoke announced May 6 that it would begin reaching out to clients.
Beginning May 8, the studio plans to contact individuals who missed their March appointment as well as to confirm upcoming appointments that have already been scheduled.
“We know how much everyone needs to get scheduled,” the announcement said. “Please bear with us as we navigate missed time and appointments to the best of our ability.”
Co-owner Randy Routon said he is facing a similar challenge with Davanti Salon, located in Alliance Town Center.
The salon was anticipating a May 18 opening and will likely use the unexpected loosening of restrictions to get the proper staff and safety protocols in place, he said.
The biggest concerns for the salon are meeting the one-to-one stylist-customer ratio and ensuring customers are stationed 6 feet apart, he said. Along with maintaining social distancing and proper sanitation, the salon is also requiring all stylists to wear masks and gloves.
“Things have to be done sanitation-wise with how we distance clients, and we still have to work out some of those details,” he said. “We’re all in the same boat trying to recover from this thing.”
To accommodate customers as much as possible, the salon will backdate appointments to mid-March, Routon said. This will be done to ensure the salon can service as many appointments as possible that were already booked, he said.
As a result, the salon will likely not be able to immediately serve walk-ins, Routon said, as it would be a challenge to accommodate walk-ins while ensuring social distancing if stylists are fully booked.
“What we’ve seen is that people are ready to go and clamoring over each other to [book] an appointment,” Routon said.
