The sudden closure of a popular full-service salon in Scottsdale has left customers out in the cold and employees stranded without a paycheck right before Christmas.
Hannah McCormick a hairstylist at the Dolce Salon & Spa located at Scottsdale Quarter said she wondered if she would get paid for the last two weeks of work. She said everyone was stunned when they got the news of the salon closing while at work on Saturday.
"There wasn't any explanation. It was just; we're closing. Girls were crying it was very emotional. This has been their salon home for a few years now," McCormick said.
Customers who showed up expecting a day of pampering showed to find the doors locked on Sunday.
"Our other friend even called yesterday to confirm, and they even confirmed it, saying yes we could bring our own champagne and have a good time here," said Kelley Dunn who had planned a birthday blow-out and brunch with several girlfriends from the far West Valley.
McCormick said many of her former colleagues were now scrambling to get ready for interviews and find new salons to call home.
"There are a lot of people that, they're not going to be able to buy their kids Christmas presents. It's really sad," McCormick said.
She explained that none of them had seen the owner, Brandi Nuttal, for two weeks.
Faith VanDyne, a spa director at Dolce Salon & Spa who was also good friends with Nuttal, said there was a good reason for that.
"I mean of course she is devastated. This isn't something she wanted. This isn't something she hoped to pull one over on everybody. That is not what she was meaning to do," VanDyne said.
"She is also going through a lot of grief right now. This is not easy on her," she added.
On Monday, ABC15 was made aware of a text message to employees at Dolce.
"Unfortunately we lost too many people over the past few months and because of the loss of revenue we couldn’t afford to pay rent - I had to close Dolce last night and we are no longer in business," it read in part. "I’m sorry this had to happen and I wish you all nothing but success.”
The text message also read that paychecks will be sent “this week” along with client lists.
ABC15 covered the closure of another Dolce Salon in Chandler last September.
In that closure, about a hundred people were out of a job. Employees forwarded us a text sent to them by the owner that stated the costs of keeping the salon open became too great, and closing up shop was the only way to ensure she could pay her employees there.
VanDyne said it was a similar situation in Scottsdale.
"It's a small business. People forget that. The rent did go up considerably in September. We changed our prices; we changed a lot of things to try to cover that cost difference. It just wasn't enough," VanDyne said.
She also pointed toward their business model of being an education salon, that hired employees straight out of school to work as being a factor. VanDyne said newer employees did not have a regular client base and were paid an hourly rate which cut into operating costs.
McCormick said many employees were worried about not having time to pull the history of all of their clients from the database before leaving. For a stylist that was important information as it had their color history, the formulas they had used and other useful information included.
She also worried about customers who had purchased gift packages from the salon.
"They do like $200 packages for blow-outs. There is no way they'll be able to pay the clients back," McCormick said.
As salon employees struggle to find new jobs and get back on their feet, VanDyne said they had created a Facebook group for both employees and customers to stay up to date on information.
The site was a place for clients to re-connect with stylists if they wanted to follow them to their new places of work once they landed a job.
It was also a place where other Valley salons could connect with stylists, nail techs, makeup artists, and massage therapists from Dolce Salon & Spa who were now in need of a job. Salon owners could post job openings on that page as well.
You can also email VanDyne at Faith.Michelle.lmt@gmail.com.
