WORTHINGTON -- After 12 years in the cosmetology industry, a local woman has now reached one of her long-time goals -- to own a salon.
Tina Schlichte is a familiar face in Worthington, having worked for Trends Salon and Hair & Beyond over the course of the past five and a half years. Prior to that, she worked in the industry for five years in Sioux Falls, S.D., after completing schooling at Stewart School there.
Schlichte opened Primp Salon on June 1 in downtown Worthington. The shop is open Tuesdays through Saturdays by appointment.
The salon offers full hair care services for the family -- men, women and children.
“I also do manicures, pedicures, gel nails, waxing,” Schlichte said. “All of my clients receive a warm towel on their neck when they get their hair shampooed.”
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It’s all about being primped and pampered -- hence the name of Schlichte’s salon.
“I wanted something classy, modern and chic,” she said, adding that the idea for the name came from a chic boutique in Minneapolis. “I loved (the name) from the minute I saw it. I wanted something short, modern, simple.”
Schlichte spent a portion of her maternity leave getting Primp Salon ready for business. She and her husband, Matt, have two children, Tate, 3, and Elle, five months.
“I’ve always wanted to own my own salon. The timing seemed to work out perfectly,” she said. “If I was working, I would have been working all day and then coming here afterwards.”
Prior to opening, Schlichte repainted the interior of the business (previously occupied by Tranquility Massage), had plumbing and electrical work completed, ordered equipment and planned the decor.
For now, hers is the only chair in the salon, but Schlichte envisions growing the business eventually.
“I’m not in a hurry,” she said. “I’m wanting to get my business up and running. I just needed to get in here working and back to my clients.
“I would for sure love to have one more chair down the road,” she added. “Plans are drawn up to have an expansion some day with up to five styling chairs with a spa room.”
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For now, Schlichte said she’s enjoying the smaller space -- and doing what she loves.
“I’ve always enjoyed doing hair, but I didn’t know until just before I graduated high school that this was what I wanted to do,” she said, adding that she loves her job more every day.
“It is so much more than doing hair -- it’s the relationships you build with your clients,” she said. “It isn’t just about making people feel beautiful, it’s also a lot like being a therapist. People really open up to me, and that’s a huge reason why I love it as well.”
Primp Salon is located at 922 Fifth Ave. Its phone number is 372-2101.
