New SLO County hair salon aims to ‘bring back customer service.’ This is how
Hairstylist Sarah Strugis wants her new downtown Atascadero salon and boutique, The Wandering Blonde, to be a place where clients feel at ease.
“I don’t want to fill chairs with bodies. I want to build a culture,” said Sturgis, who lives in Paso Robles. “I want to build this one-of-a-kind place that people want to go.”
The Wandering Blonde Salon and Boutique, which opened at the La Plaza mixed-use development in December, is a five-chair salon that offers a full spectrum of services to help clients tend to their hair, skin and nails, Strugis said.
“The goal of this salon is to bring back customer service,” Sturgis said. “To make these customers feel seen, and they don’t feel like just a number or a cancellation policy.”
Atascadero salon offers hair, skincare and nail services
Some of the services offered at The Wandering Blonde include hair cut and color as well as skincare, eyelash extensions, pedicures and face and body waxing.
Sturgis specializes in gray transformation and blonding, helping her customers embrace their natural color without abandoning color enhancements entirely.
“We’re doing transformations where you’re not going all the way gray, but you’re like embracing your gray,” she said.
Sturgis has blow-out services for customers who don’t need a full cut and color.
The salon has two estheticians on staff who can provide a full spectrum of skincare services, from face and body waxing to dermaplaning and skincare peels.
In the New Year, the salon will begin offering deluxe pedicures, which Sturgis describes as one-of-a-kind treatments that include a salt bath, a massage and gel or traditional color.
The salon includes a retail section where clients can peruse products while their color sets in or before or after their appointment.
Babies and children are welcome, she said, and clients can feel comfortable coming in straight from the gym or mucking the horse stalls.
One of Sturgis’ clients will be selling non-alcoholic drinks such as water, coffee and iced tea as well as pastries and desserts so clients can enjoy a sweet treat.
People can also pop in to the salon to get something to drink and eat during business hours without having an appointment scheduled.
“We’re gonna have heaters (and) outdoor seating,” Sturgis said. “So this really makes it a place you want to go hang out.”
The drink and dessert component of the salon will open in January 2023.
New business was a leap of faith for owner
Sturgis previously ran a three-chair hair salon in Creston. After the building came under new ownership and her lease was up, however, she knew it was time for a change.
After attending the grand opening of La Plaza and speaking with Max Zappas with Z Villages Management and Development, Sturgis said she realized a new salon in downtown Atascadero would be the perfect fit
“I would have probably would never have taken this leap of faith,” Sturgis said. “I‘m just gonna close (the Creston salon) down. I would have loved to keep both but definitely ready for just one big salon.”
While her Atascadero salon has regular business hours, Sturgis said she’s always willing to work with her clients to find a time suits their schedule.
“We’re here to serve SLO County,” Sturgis said. “If you need that Saturday at 7 a.m. appointment, I will make that work.”
Wandering Blonde Salon and Boutique is open at 6300 El Camino Real, Suite B, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. To schedule an appointment, call or text 949-293-4780 or go to thewanderingblondesalonandboutique.glossgenius.com.
