Business Intimate and Customers Happy at ‘Jungle’ Salon on 18th Street

Customer Malia Joiner studies the job on her hair in the mirror as Jungle Red stylist Stacy Aiko Nahas combs and blow dries it. Jungle Red salon is located at 4233 18th St.

By Kyla Calvert

Three stylists chatter away with their customers while the receptionist greets incoming clients and offers them a beverage while showing them to the changing room. It is noon on Saturday, and the Jungle Red salon on 18th Street is alive with unrushed activity.

The nail color of choice for the characters in 1939’s “The Women,” jungle red was made synonymous with the kind of ladies that had all afternoon to spend at the beauty parlor passing their time gossiping, backstabbing and trying to hold on to their cheating husbands.

There is none of that melodrama present in this single-room salon. A concrete floor, low-backed, square, gray chairs and sleek glass and metal tables gives the space a sense of cleanliness and efficiency. Plenty of light from the all-glass store front, a modest flower arrangement on the waiting area coffee table and the immediate friendliness of the staff take any of the edge out of what others could turn into severe surroundings.

Opened eight years ago by Andrea Cwynar and Scott Mishina for their previous employer, the two purchased the business two years later. Between them they had more than 15 years of styling experience but neither had ever run their own salon.

“It was a good opportunity,” said Cwynar. “Buying the salon turned into a crash course in owning a business. We figured most things out through trial and error. But, we were able to take what was a shell six years ago and turn it into what is now a nice, established business. ”

Over the years they were able to develop what is a fairly unique structure for a salon. All three of their stylists are employees of the company receiving benefits, including paid time off.

“I would say 15-to-20 percent of the salons in the city employ their stylists. In the rest stylists either rent their stations or have an independent contractor relationship with the business,” Cwynar explained.

“Scott and I both think of being a stylist as a long-term career, not just a job and it requires a lot of financial investment in training and keeping up to date with trends in the industry,” Cwynar continued.

“We wanted to give the people that work for us the stability of being our employees, this way they know that there is a future for them with us. Scott and I also have clients of our own, so we’re on the floor next to our employees, which helps build a sense of morale. They see that we’re here working just as hard as them.”

This stability allows Jungle Red stylists to travel all over the country, and world, to constantly update their skills and keep abreast of the latest styles. The salon also has an apprenticeship program for training recent cosmetology school graduates. Their current apprentice moved to the City from Las Vegas to take advantage of the opportunity.

“We have to be good at what we do to charge the prices we charge,” Cwynar explained. “We want out customers to get great haircuts, but we never want them to feel intimidated. Every new client is given a tour of the salon so that they know exactly where to go to change and are never left standing somewhere wondering where to hang their shirt, or where to sit.

“We are really lucky to have a loyal customer base that is very diverse, families, older people, younger people. We don’t have the luxury of a downtown location where you can count on lots of walk-in business.”

The model seems to be working for Jungle Red, with neighborhood clients mixing with customers who come from all over the city. A quick search for Jungle Red on the Internet pulls up a wealth of glowing reviews from first and long-time customers alike.

“Jungle Red is fantastic,” gushes one review on the yelp.com Web site. “I have been a client of Scott’s for 12 years and have never once been disappointed. My entire family goes to Jungle Red!”

Jungle Red is located at 4233 18th St. (between Collingwood and Diamond streets). The salon is open Tuesday through Sunday, Haircut with consultation starts at $55. (415) 934-9755,
jungleredsf.com.

Copyright 2007-2008 Castro Courier