The County Press

Local barber, hairstylist prepare to reopen




LAPEER — In a county that relies heavily on small businesses, Lapeer’s 30% unemployment rate bears witness to the large economic toll COVID-19 has taken on the community. Many Lapeer County business owners have been hit hard during the pandemic; none have been hit harder than barbers and hairstylists. The past three months have been challenging for these business owners, and the weeks to come will bring different challenges, but they still have hope for the future.

Even with the major setback to business, a Lapeer barber and a Lapeer hairstylist look ahead to getting back to work safely on Monday.

“I’m keeping track of what the state says,” said Gayle Lewis, owner of Hometown Barber Shop on W. Nepessing Street in downtown Lapeer. The last day Lewis worked was Friday, March 20. Unable to earn money, Lewis has not been able to pay the rent for her barbershop. “The landlord hasn’t called, so I don’t know if I owe,” she said.

While Lewis was unsure about her rent, she remained optimistic that she will come back soon with a lot of business. To stay ready for reopening, Lewis has been keeping track of what barbers are doing in states that have already opened up and will keep their safety methods in mind when she begins cutting hair again. “I’ll go to appointments only. I have three chairs, so I’ll only let three people in at a time and keep six feet of distance.”

Lewis’s phone has been busy with two or three calls each day from people awaiting their long-overdue haircuts. “I figured the first week back I’d work two days,” said Lewis. But after getting calls from customers, she decided she would have to do a normal workweek as soon as she opens back up. “I do have that nag to start again.”

While Lewis remains optimistic, Lisa Gonzales, a hairstylist and the owner of Layers Family Salon on West Street in Lapeer, is still a little nervous about opening again. “It’s going to be very hard coming back,” she said. “How do you keep people safe?”

Gonzales’s small business has been one of the hardest hit by the shutdown. Because of the size of her business, she did not qualify for any of the federal help that went to small businesses.

At the beginning of the shutdown, Gonzales was frustrated that barbers and hairstylists had to close, but she understood the reason for it. “Better to be safe than sorry,” she said. Because of the physical nature of cutting hair, Gonzales understands why other businesses have been able to open up while she must remain closed. “In stores, you have the option to distance yourself,” explained Gonzales. “I have to touch you.”

The hardest part of the shutdown for Gonzales has been the fact that she cannot help her customers for now. She explained that being a hairstylist is more than just cutting hair. “Stylists act as a therapist,” she said. “It’s not just you come in and get a haircut. As a hairstylist, she also gets to build relationships with her customers. “I get to watch kids grow up,” she said, “I make them smile and feel good.”

For now, barbers and hairstylists wait for Monday to reopen. But when these small businesses open up, Gayle Lewis and Lisa Gonzales will be ready to start cutting hair and making conversation once more.