Business SpotlightsThe Examiner

Business of the Week: Beautiful Hair Company Salon & Spa, Chappaqua

We are part of The Trust Project

Finding a good hairstylist is, let’s say, a challenging endeavor for many women. The process is often complicated by the fact that some women find it difficult to locate who understands their hair and what they want done.

Fret no more. Franco Marino, an internationally acclaimed hair designer and owner of Beautiful Hair Company Salon & Spa, which recently relocated from Pleasantville to Chappaqua, can help any woman find a style she’ll be happy with.

Beautiful Hair Company Salon & Spa owner Franco Marino, right, with some of his staff.

The Italian-born stylist, who runs the business with his wife, Anna, the salon’s receptionist/manager and esthetician, has spent years perfecting his craft. More recently, he has compiled a number of accolades, turning him into a highly sought-after expert in hair coloring.

Marino developed his own technique and style after training in a New York City salon early in his career and later owning and operating salons in White Plains and Scarsdale.

Before a strand of hair is cut or colored, Marino conducts an extensive 45-minute consultation that begins with a detailed questionnaire. Clients are asked to include their age and then answer a series of questions pertaining to their hair and how they care for it–how often they shampoo, how much time is spent styling the hair, chemical treatments that were done, whether makeup is worn every day, and medications they might be taking.

Marino then creates a profile that includes information on hair color and texture, eye color, skin tone, and facial shape. An accredited member of the American Board of Certified Haircolorists, a national group that consists of about 1,700 colorists nationwide, Marino created the system so that his clients would be happy with the end result.

“Most people in the business don’t put any value into the consultation,” Marino said. “But you can’t work on someone’s hair if you’ve only talked to them for five minutes. You’re just guessing if you do.”

Customers happily return to Marino, a Pleasantville resident, and his staff of 11 stylists who are also trained in the consultation process, and two receptionists. Soon, he plans on hiring a manicurist.

“All of my clients have become much more comfortable with me and with getting their hair done at the salon,” he said.

The fact that he takes the time to get to know each client has helped the spacious salon and spa make quite a name for itself.

But Marino is also well known among his peers for providing hair education that is a step above the rest. When he established the Westchester Hair Academy, it was based on the premise that local hair stylists were not adequately trained. Open to individuals who are “open minded, creative and driven,” Marino and his staff schedule weekly seminars at the salon and focus on the latest cutting and coloring techniques.

Marino, who spent the first 10 years of his career cutting hair,  said what sets him apart is his belief that color and cut should always go together.

“The color has to be visualized as if a cut was being done,” said Marino, who teaches cutting and coloring techniques to his staff. Salons often hire experts in one or the other, but seldom is someone expert in both.

Marino also takes pride in helping to mold the careers of his staff, taking them from junior stylists to masters of their craft through a program he initiated called the Rising Stars Program. The program is an extensive two-year training that Marino said produces a “well-trained, experienced and talented star stylist, who is then ready to build a client base.”

Above all, Marino wants his clients to be happy with his services.

“When a client comes to us, we want to make sure we do exactly what is said instead of saying one thing and doing something completely different,” Marino said. “If we don’t do it right the first time, then we’re just repairing mistakes.”

Beautiful Hair Co. Salon & Spa is located at 101 Bedford Road in Chappaqua. For more information or to book a consultation, call 914-238-5050 or e-mail franco@BHCsalon.com. Also, visit www.bhcsalon.com for more details about hours, prices and services.

We'd love for you to support our work by joining as a free, partial access subscriber, or by registering as a full access member. Members get full access to all of our content, and receive a variety of bonus perks like free show tickets. Learn more here.