Local hairdresser defies state order
The door was locked and no light radiated from the “open” sign. A notice taped to the glass told customers the hair salon would remain shut down until further notice.
But on the inside, the sound of snipping and buzzing revealed signs of life at Haircuts Unlimited on Thursday afternoon. In the waiting area — a large place usually bustling with activity — there were only two people, a young boy who played with toys while the man next to him killed time with his phone.
The shop itself, capable of accommodating a dozen or more stylists, had but one today, a hairdresser at work clipping and styling. Owner Lisa Waltrip said she was fed up with government interference while she was trying to make a living.
“We’re not officially open, but if my customers call and they want to come in, it’s their right,” Waltrip said.
Deemed a non-essential business by the state, the salon off West U.S. Highway 90 in the Village Square shopping center shut down when a stay-at-home order went into effect for all of Florida on April 3.
Over the past week, she’s been allowing customers to come in anyway, so long as they make an appointment. Otherwise, the doors stay locked.
Asked whether she wanted to be pictured violating the state order on the front page of the Lake City Reporter, Waltrip said it was time to take a stand and she welcomed the opportunity.
“We all have the right to either go to work, get our hair done or go home. Why should the stay-at-homers have more rights than me?” the 61-year-old said. “I’ll just take the repercussions.”
It is possible Waltrip could face up to a $1,000 fine for violating quarantine rules, and she could also be jeopardizing her business license.
“I don’t want to be fined, but I’ve got lots of customers that’ll help me out,” she said.
Arrest could also be possible, but she said the principle is worth standing up for.
“What’s happening isn’t right,” she said.
Waltrip bought the salon in 2008 but rents space in the shopping center. She has six hairdressers, all classified as independent contractors, and one employee working reception.
They all depend on the business to earn a living, Waltrip said. The statewide shutdown has cost her about $20,000 in revenue over the past month.
“They want to call us non-essential, but my employees feel like it’s essential to their livelihoods,” Waltrip said. “Hairdressers are artists, they work just as hard as anyone else.”
No more than three hairdressers are at work at a time these days in the expansive, 1,500 square foot shop, and all three wear masks while on the job.
Waltrip said her cleaning regimen is rigorous, though not that must stricter than before.
“I was already a bleachaholic,” she said.
The entire place is wiped down and disinfected after every customer.
The salon was approved for funds from the paycheck protection program through the Small Business Administration. Waltrip said it’ll still be an uphill battle catching up.
“I’m not getting rich here, but I’m employing people who make a living,” she said.