HONOLULU (KHON20 — Beauty professionals from across the state held a forum last week to create a set of guidelines for beauty salons, barbershops and even nail salons in preparation to reopen.
The new guidelines agreed upon include, employees and customers wearing masks and work stations being separated by at least six feet. Employees also have to wash their hands before starting work and every time they step away from a client. Customers will also have to wash or sanitize their hands when entering.
Employees and customers will not be allowed to enter the salon or barbershop if they are sick. If they’re coughing or sneezing, they’ll be asked to go home or reschedule their appointment.
“They’re high-line guidelines, where we’re not going to tell you exactly how to implement it. Like social distancing for example, keeping everyone apart, how you do that is up to your particular business,” said Gary Casupang, J Salon and Phil’s Barbershop co-owner.
However, salon and barbershop owners acknowledge business won’t be the same.
“We’re working at about 50 percent capacity, so you know that’s half the revenue. It’s going to be tough on everyone, and there’s definitely going to be some learning curves,” said Joe Randazzo, J Salon and Phil’s Barbershop co-owner.
Gary Casupang and Joe Randazzo, co-owners of J’s Salon and Phil’s Barbershop are part of the forum that agreed to these guidelines. At their salon, waiting areas will be eliminated and only those with an appointment can enter.
“Some of the things you will definitely see when we’re eventually given a reopening date is sneeze guards for one, checking in and out of front desks [one at a time], [and] limiting the amount of people that can come into the salon,” said Casupang.
Another thing that many shops will have out on display is cleaning supplies.
“You’re going to see it out everywhere… so that it’s in a seconds reach that you can just clean something up instantly, and you will see it, I think, throughout the salons everywhere,” said Casupang.
However, with these guidelines, some services will be unavailable.
“For example, maybe shaves because we do straight razor shaves, we probably won’t be able to do that. Beard trims… because it’s around the mouth and [customers are] going to have a mask on,” said Joe Randazzo.
On Monday, Randazzo hand delivered a letter to Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s office asking the City and County of Honolulu to reopen salons and barbershops. The letter also contained the guidelines the forum came up with.
Randazzo and Casupang say they are anxiously awaiting a date for reopening.
“The main thing is, we need to know when. We need a date,” said Randazzo. “We need time to coordinate not only the guests’ appointment, we need time to coordinate the staffs’ schedule. We’re a twelve chair salon, and there [are] salons that are way bigger than us that need to coordinate schedules.
The governor, with his latest proclamation, has given a June timeline for reopening what is considered medium-risk businesses, which salons and barbershops are a part of. However, he said each county mayor will decide the reopening date for their county.
The City and County of Honolulu tells KHON it is currently working on a plan for the safe reopening of salons and barbershops but did not yet give a date on when that could happen.
