New Salon & Spa Opened by Former O’Neys Salon Stylists Dayton
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Former O’Neys stylists opening salon and spa
Dayton Business Journal
When O’Neys Salon & Spa shut its doors in May, Mashawn Rigmaiden knew she had to make a change.
A stylist at the Dayton area’s second largest salon for about a year and a half, Rigmaiden had previously worked at another salon that closed.
“I’m tired of salons closing on me,” she said. “I decided to take matters into my own hands.”
Rigmaiden and another former O’Neys stylist, Jessica Workman, will open their own salon, Bangs Salon and Spa, on South Main Street in Centerville.
Bangs Salon is currently being renovated, with a scheduled opening date of Sept. 1.
The duo said they are putting about $60,000 into opening the salon. Most of the renovation work is being done by friends and family, but Miamisburg-based Lemco Plumbing is hooking up shampoo bowls and doing the plumbing.
“We’re adding rooms, a massage room, a facial room, a spray tan room,” Rigmaiden said.
They also are adding three pedicure chairs, with room to add an additional eight stylists’ stations in the future.
Workman said they want Bangs to remind clients of O’Neys, but with an updated feel.
“The décor will be black and white, with a modern, contemporary feel,” she said.
There were about 100 employees at O’Neys before the salon closed, each with an average of 250 clients.
O’Neys’ closing scattered the stylists to a number of different salons in the area. Both Workman and Rigmaiden said the closing was expected, but happened much faster than they thought it would. More than half a million dollars worth of gift certificates for services at O’Neys had not been used when it closed, according to media reports.
Former O’Neys owners, sisters Judy O’Ney Roberts and Shirley O’Ney Barnhart, could not be reached for comment.
Bangs stylists will be accepting O’Neys gift certificates, but at a discounted rate.
“We don’t have the ability to read how much the card they bring in is worth,” Rigmaiden said. “A lot of us (ex O’Neys workers) are more than happy to accept them at a discounted rate.”
Bangs will be a booth-rental salon, for the time being. All of the stylists will pay a booth rental fee to the co-owners. They would not disclose the amount of the fee.
All of the stylists set their own prices, but Rigmaiden said hair cuts will start at about $35, $55 for hair color, $75 for highlights and $75 for an hour massage.
Workman said she and Rigmaiden are thinking about moving to a commission-based salon once the business has become established.
Michael Schuh, owner of Michael’s Salon and Day Spa in Centerville, said it is not unusual for former salon employees to open their own salon. Schuh said stylists are prone to moving when they think they can find a better place to work, which can make things difficult for owners.
“It’s like managing a herd of leaves,” he said. “They’re blowing everywhere.”
With 40 years of experience in the business, Schuh has seen a lot of salons come and go, but he doesn’t think Bangs will saturate the market.
“There’s always room for salons,” he said.
Schuh said he did not hire any former O’Neys stylists because he has an apprentice program to teach new stylists.
With this salon, more than anything, Workman and Rigmaiden said they are trying to find a way to keep former O’Neys employees together.
“We’re not doing it to start chains, we want a good place to work,” Rigmaiden said. “We’re focusing on getting our regular clients back.”
