'Nobody Could Have Prepared For This': Hair Salon Worries About Financial Hit Of Coronavirus
HALETHORPE, Md. (WJZ) -- Tabatha Harmon, a barbershop owner, said at the close of business Saturday she had to shut her doors to customers.
"We have a lot of regular customers, but we have a lot of elderly customers too and I'm just trying to look out for them," she said. "You come in contact with so many people and you're touching them so I was worried."
Harmon owns 'Tabby's House of Styles' on Annapolis Road in Halethorpe. It has been in her family for 30 years.
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"My aunt owned the shop then eventually my cousin took it over, then I took it over and I've had it about three years now and it's been great, but we had some projects we might have to put off now because of all this," she said.
With a floor that needs to be replaced, walls that need painting and a washer and dryer that needs to be fixed and installed, Harmon had been saving every penny she could to renovate and spruce up her second home.
"That's definitely not going to happen anytime soon now, I need to keep my family fed," she said.
Harmon said her phone has continued to ring through the shutdown.
"People call and ask when we are going to open back up and it's sad because I miss my customers. I am a people-person, I like interacting with them and with this whole situation; nobody could have prepared for this," Harmon said.
If the business stays closed a full week, Harmon said she and her cousin will lose about $1,000 in business. If they stayed closed longer, it will be a big financial hit.
Her cousin Amanda is the only other employee at Tabby's House of Styles, and she has three children to feed too. Fortunately, both women have husbands who are working through the coronavirus pandemic but say small businesses are taking a hit.
"We try to support the local restaurant right next door, we know they're struggling like we are and we are all a family here and need to help each other out in times like this," said Harmon, who considers the other workers along their strip mall all part of her family.
"We know our customers will come back, and we'll be happy to have them -- we just don't know when," Harmon said.
The business was closed when WJZ showed up to interview the owner, but she was able to give her family members haircuts, blowouts and shampoos for our footage.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
