Street. “Daughter's Cafe is the location that I originally wanted in this neighborhood when I considered moving downtown,” recalls Dunlap. “I remember sitting on this bench here and crying because we lost out on that location to somebody else. It turned out to be a blessing since the rebuild on that would have done us in,” she reflects. “Where we are now just seemed to pop up like magic.” That location is an old Victorian with a dramatic staircase and bay windows that wash the downstairs service area in natural light. The décor at Dunlap's South Creek Center salon location is vibrant, hip and chic, and oozes comfort. The black chandeliers on the ceiling (the brainchild of Aaryn Walker of Red Chair), complement the silver-gray duct work. Pink walls, flower arrangements and stylish accents imbue the environment with a feminine feng shui and a hint of whimsy. An anchor tenant of the popular shopping center, whose neighbors include Bibo Coffee, Big Horn Olive Oil Co and Whispering Vine, Dunlap's South Creek Soak plays host to private parties and is a fully realized lounge setting, where both cocktails and laughter flow freely. It's success is a product of Dunlap's continuous adjustments and adaptation to the changes in her industry, in the city and in the customers she loves to serve. Vinnie Gravallese is one of the most ambitious, highly credentialed, methodical people I know in Reno. I met him while he was teaching at the Paul Mitchell School, after I moved back to Reno from the Big Island of Hawai'i. He worked at Ethan Douglas Salon and he sold pizzas at Blue Moon Pizza on California Avenue. All the while planning to open his own shop. By the time he started at Slice Salon on Vassar in Midtown, his ambition to open a concept-driven shop for male grooming was an open secret. That it would be a success was never in doubt. I recall the excitement in Gravallese's voice when he'd located the perfect spot for his shop, a subterranean space in the historic Ross Manor in downtown's Riverwalk District. He would open the shop quietly, without fanfare, dial in the oldtimey décor and serve the customer's he'd carefully earned over years of training; years of being an artist and historian of his craft.
When asked whether being a trained cosmetologist was a key factor in establishing his brand, Gravallese declares, “I think being educated is number one. What really makes Derby stand out from a lot of other businesses starts with the education, the consultation, the attention to detail. The precision in every single tool. Always growing, learning...I believe that to truly be a master, you have to master always being a student,” he notes. “I take my staff to trainings in San Francisco; we always go,” he emphasizes. “I do a monthly staff meeting and training. We're always learning; always innovating. The thing is, to open a barber shop to do short haircuts; to do what's expected by the status quo, is not what we're about. I wanna be recession proof. I wanna cut long hair, short hair... Once the pompadour goes away – because it's hot right now—we have to be able to prove to the general public that we're skilled enough to cut any style. People identify with a certain type of brand. What I wanna do is catch the public's attention and say, 'Hey, we're capable of doing all of it.” Below, I speak with the service professionals about how they got their start and what makes them unique, in part one of our two part mega feature on Soak Nail Spa + Lounge and Derby Supply Co. Oliver X: Talk a little about your personal background(s). Where you were raised and what were some of your early jobs. Shannon Dunlap: I was born and raised here in Reno, Nevada. After high school I attended UC Davis as an English major. In post graduate work, I earned an elementary and high school English teaching degree. I taught in Reno for two years then moved to Chicago, where I taught 5/6th grade in the South Side near the Robert Taylor Project Homes. We (husband Darin and I) then relocated to San Francisco. I was an elementary school teacher for 12 years prior to moving back to Reno and opening SOAK. Vincent Gravallese: I was born and raised here in Reno, Nevada. I started at the Paul Mitchell School in Reno in 2008 as a cosmetologist. I always new that I wanted to be a barber-hairstylist growing up. Being around hair as a kid was a huge influence on what I wanted to be. I come from a Reno Tahoe Tonight 37