TAMPA, Fla. — For the past two years, the stylists at Crown and Mane have been blowing out clients' hair in their Hyde Park Village salon. It was their dream location. Then the pandemic took place, and while they chose to close their doors, their business keeps ongoing, as they take the blow dryer on the road.
When co-owner Tanja Catoe enters the home of a client, she never knows where she will be setting up shop, and that's ok.
"We need a small space, near an outlet, small countertop, so it can be in any little corner that they choose," said Catoe.
On her latest visit, the kitchen has become the salon for a day. It's a long way off from the brick-and-mortar location that closed in September.
"You know it's your baby. You put blood, sweat and tears into any small business," said Catoe.
Catoe and her partners knew if they wanted to stay in business, they had listen to their clients, so they decided to focus entirely on house calls.
"Obviously, with everything Covid related, we had kind of thought about a shift, about what to do, and it kind of became a demand from a lot of our clients, and that became a huge motivator for us," said Catoe. "This is their safe space; this is where they feel really good and comfortable."
Client Natalie Bexley loves her stylists, but she also takes her family's health very seriously. She is relieved Crown and Mane has been able to adapt to her needs.
"There's many people like myself that might not feel comfortable going somewhere but feel more comfortable having one person come into their home," said Bexley.
Catoe said choosing people's homes over your own shop wasn't easy, but when you are trying to run a business during a pandemic sometimes your decisions, like your blowouts, have to be bold.
"You know we can have our food delivered, our groceries delivered, why not our luxury hair services," said Catoe.
For more information, go to crownandmanetampa.com.
