ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

Those looking for a new place for hair care services now have just that with Pink Angels Hair Salon at 619 S. Kansas Ave.

As owner Alma Rodriguez tells it, she has been working toward her own salon for a long time.

“I went to college here in town, Seward County Community College, and then worked for a little bit at the hair salon that used to be set up in Walmart here in town, and then I started working in this salon before I took it over,” Rodriguez said. “I worked in the salon for two years. Then, COVID hit, and I left after COVID and went to a different salon. I stayed there for almost six and a half years, and then this place became available for sale. And now, I'm back as owner. That process was rather quick, it was pretty fast and furious. The previous owner had contacted me in a message and said if I could give her a phone call, but I didn't have her phone number, so it took me a while to get in touch with her, and then she finally got in touch with me later on. Her message sat in my messages for about three or four weeks and then later she called me and said ‘Hey sorry, I got cold feet, but I had planned to sell the building, the salon,’ but I didn't know that’s what she’d wanted to talk about. I eventually got her messages and answered, and I said, ‘Sure, I can stop by there and check it out.’ So I came around and looked at it, and I said we would get in touch with the bank, and we did, and all of that process eventually all worked out and we got everything together there. It took a little while for everything to sink in though, and I was constantly asking myself ‘Am I going to be able to do this?’ and ‘How hard is this going to be?’ and ‘Is this going to work out for the community?’ I was also wondering if I was going to be a good owner, but everything slowly but surely came together.”

Rodriguez added her interest in cosmetology started at an early age.

“I always had it in mind growing up. I was a young mom, and I was always around the family,” Rodriguez said. “But I knew I also wanted to do something fun and for myself. Once my kids grew up and they were ready to be in school, I went to college and we did it. But I really think the idea was always there in my head.”

That desire to work, Rodriguez said, also contributed to her desire to ultimately purchase the salon.

“I'm very dedicated, and I'm always here, so I thought, ‘Well, since I'm always at work, why not do it?” Rodriguez said. “That's what a successful business takes, a person who wants to be there, and that's what it takes to be an owner, being ready to help your customers. I already know I can be here, and this is what I want to do. I loved the girls I worked with before this, and I loved the environment over there, so it took me a little bit to decide and everything, but it worked right.”

Rodriguez said the salon will provide many services for the clients who come in.

“We do color, we do men’s and women’s haircuts, we do waxing, we do perms, and we have all kinds of other services like highlights. We have six different chairs available for employees but right now, there's only three of us. We don't have nail services yet – hopefully in the future, somebody will show up and want to do nails, but for now, it's just hair,” Rodriguez said. “I want everybody in the community to stop by, check us out and give us a chance to help them out. A lot of people out there already know me, and my other employees are both really good at hair, so anyone who gives us a chance will like it. We all take great care of our customers, and we want everyone possible to come on in.”

Rodriguez said she is excited the salon is officially open for the community.

“We're excited just to be here for the community. It's nice to have a place to stop by and check it out,” Rodriguez said. “Everything is new and exciting here, and I can’t wait to see everyone in the chairs. And like I said, we welcome everybody. We'll work with children, adults and everyone in between. Everybody is welcome. We can work with anybody.”