Garbo’s Salon and Spa Twenty-Five Years Strong
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arbo’s Salon and Spa has been an vibrant part of the Omaha business community for the past 25 years. Originally located at One Pacific Place, the first store moved to Regency Court Mall and now boasts four more locations around the Metro area. It’s safe to say Garbo’s is here to stay. Mary Lou Walker established Garbo’s in 1988 and from the very beginning, the young entrepreneur sought to set Garbo’s apart from the rest. Walker retired from Brandies Depar tment Stores, where she served as the Director of Beauty Salons. Upon her retirement, she began her second career by establishing the Garbo’s Salon and Spa business. As President of Garbo’s, she has established herself as a legend in the Omaha Salon Industry. She has been directly involved with salon management, education, and professional development for stylist for
over 45 years. The original goal was to open multiple salon locations under a controlled and well-managed niche markets. The Oak View Mall location opened shortly after the original salon in November of 1991. Eagle Run at 138th St. and West Maple opened in 1996, and the original One Pacific Place salon relocated to the newly remodeled and rebranded Regency Court in 1998. The opening of Village Pointe shopping center provided the ideal opportunity to continue the placement of salons in well-positioned and marketed shopping centers, similar to the latest Garbo’s Salon located in Midtown Crossing, which opened in 2013. Roxanne Kahn, Walker’s daughter, witnessed firsthand her mother’s determination and eventually joined the family business, along with brother David Walker and daughter Becky Kahn. “Garbo’s Salons wanted t o change the marketing of the salon industry and did not want a typical salon name,” Roxanne Kahn explains. “The name Garbo’s evokes a different meaning to almost everyone who hears the name. In French, it translated different-
ly than in Italian, or Spanish. However, in every language it means style, elegance, and grace. The Garbo’s name is a brand that definitely fits the style and ambiance of the salon industry.” Garbo’s goes above and beyond a simple haircut. The well-trained staff specializes in trims, coloring, nails, massages, waxing, facials, and cosmetic application. Garbo’s always offers the highest quality professional salon products, and the product knowledge the staff possesses makes recommendations simple, which is crucial due to the many individual hair and skin types of each salon patron. Some of the services include: •Haircuts Start at $25 •Hair color and Highlights Start at $90 - $175 •Pedicures, Manicures, French Manicures and Other Variations are $25$60 •Massages range from $50-$110 •Specialty massages range from $85$150 •Waxing starts at $17 •Classic Facials, Teen Cleans, Spray Tans, Chemical Peels, and Microderm run $50-$125 Additional services include cosmetic applications, cosmetic lessons, lash tints, brow tints, ear piercing, and earwax removal. Beyond the vast number of services Garbo’s offers, Kahn believes the customer service and the experience provided is icing on the cake. “The mission statement for our 25th anniversary is ‘Garbo’s: Celebrating 25
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Years of Beauty.’ We strive to provide our customers with the very best salon experience,” Kahn explains. “We listen to our customers to give them the look they want and the service they deserve. We constantly work with keeping up on the latest trends and education for our staff and artistic creativity for our staff to maintain the highest level of customer service so our customers leave the salon achieving the perfect salon experience.” In 2007, Garbo’s Salons added a development partner and licensed owner, Darcy Michalek. Michalek’s infinite experience in the Omaha Marketplace has proven to be a dynamic relationship, which enables Garbo’s Salon and Spa to continue the growth of Garbo’s brand. Garbo’s future growth may be looking for the right opportunity to grow in other cities. Garbo’s talented and creative staff coupled with the exceptional customer service makes the business. It’s a model that has been perfected over the years and keeps patrons coming back. Kahn loves representing Garbo’s and is clearly proud to stand behind it. “Our customers and how we make them feel is the best part for me,” she says. “From a wedding party, where we understand it is one of the biggest days for a bride and groom, to our work with cancer patients whom may be suffering from the side effects of Chemo therapy, we feel everyone can be made to feel better about themselves to gain the confidence in how the look.” ,
| THE READER |
NOV. 21 - 27, 2013
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