In more than 60 years of business, the Regis Hair Salon on Court Street has seen everything from bobs and mohawks to updos and purple spikes while styling the hair of Athens residents and Ohio University students.
But on Jan. 23, the stylists at the uptown salon will put down their scissors and close their doors after the corporate office decided to close one of the chain’s two Athens locations.
Salon manager Kenn Moore said he received a call from corporate Jan. 3 informing him and his two employees that the salon would be closing by the end of the month, giving them only 20 days to find new employment.
“It’s been obvious that our supervisors didn’t like Athens,” said Moore, who has worked and managed the salon for 12 years. “We knew that sooner or later, they were going to find a way (to close our salon).”
The salon’s lease expiring at the end of the month and the usual slow business during winter break were the causes of corporate’s decision to close, Moore said.
“Regis Salons will be closing their Court Street location at the end of January; clients can find the services and products they enjoy at the Regis Salon in The Market on State,” said the corporate office in a statement.
The spokeswoman for the corporation, Susan Evans, declined to comment further.
Although the salon experienced slow business during the break, Moore said the closing is unjust because of the salon’s high performance. The salon maintains a large clientele, which includes about 20 to 30 customers a day — which Moore estimates is 90 percent students.
“A lot of our clients are really upset,” Moore said. “They want to know where we are going, what’s happening, where they can find us. But we don’t know — we just found out.”
Moore said his salon brings in much better business than the other Regis location on East State Street. Once the other location’s lease is up, Moore said, he wouldn’t be surprised if corporate closed that salon as well.
The manager of the East State Street Regis Salon declined to comment about that branch of the salon or its future.
Moore works with two other stylists, both of whom have enjoyed their time at the salon and are hurt by its sudden closing.
Stylist Shirley Congrove, who has been a Regis employee for almost 20 years, said she loved the two years she has worked at the Court Street salon.
“Working here has been the best job I have ever had,” Congrove said. “Not only do I love my coworkers, but our clientele, which is mostly students, is such a fun and easygoing group to work with.”
Stylist Debbie Cain, who has worked at the Court Street salon for 15 years, said she agrees with Congrove about loving the students she works with. On top of losing her job, Cain is also coping with her husband’s recent death on Thanksgiving Day.
“I’m going to miss all the students because they keep me young,” Cain said. “Where else can you play with purple and green hair? Working at this Regis is a hairstylist’s dream because you can do anything.”
Moore, Congrove and Cain all said they’ve heard frustrations and questions from their clients who are upset and will miss the salon and its stylists.
Jeremy Browning, an Ohio University senior studying criminology, has been getting his hair done at this Regis Salon since he was a freshman. He said he is unhappy to hear this news about his salon.
“It just sucks, and honestly, I’m not looking forward to having to find a new stylist,” Browning said. “Everyone who works here is very nice (and) welcoming, and they know what they’re doing. I’m going to miss it here.”
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