38-year-old salon Elite Hair Design closes its doors

What happened over the course of almost 40 years was more than what Bill could have imagined, as the salon turned into not just a place for hair styling but also a community of chosen family, one that celebrated milestones together while also supporting one another through difficult times. 

“I just love it. I love the clientele. We treat them like family. It’s fun to see them during special occasions, hear about their vacations and just sharing our lives together with them,” Santos said. “It’s not just cutting hair. It’s a service, and it’s being there for them.” 

But the pandemic marked the beginning of a list of unprecedented challenges, although not just for the obvious reasons. Despite the unideal adjustments, Bill, Susie and the other stylists made do by cutting hair outside in the parking lot or under tents, adhering to protocol needed to stay afloat and serve clients. The biggest impact from COVID-19 came instead when costs began to increase, including rent, making them unable to maintain the salon.

“It’s been a little bittersweet, because we were hoping to make it to 40 years,” he said. 

The salon served an array of clientele over the years with all sorts of needs. Santos said some of the best memories he has are seeing clients prepare for some of the most important days of their lives, such as weddings and anniversaries. In 2003, the salon started specializing in curly hair, specifically the Deva method, a unique approach to cutting hair that tapped into a long-awaited demand for better curly and wavy hair styling tactics. 

“We became one of the only curly hair salons in this area, so that’s going to be tough, because keeping our curly hair clients here together was really cool. They would see each other on the street and ask, ‘where did you get your hair cut?’ and usually it was here,” he said. 

Santos said the prospect of starting a new establishment in another location is too cumbersome as he nears retirement, but he and Susie will continue cutting hair at another downtown San Mateo studio, with the remaining stylists continuing their services elsewhere. The studio will close its doors Dec. 31. 

alyse@smdailyjournal.com

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