A veteran of the hair-dressing and beauty business for almost twenty years, Sharon Ranney noticed that men are uncomfortable going to a salon—and a bell rang in her head: Why not have a place where men could come for a haircut without feeling out of place?
Thus was born “It’s A Guy Thing.” Located near the intersection of Williamson and Hershberger Roads in Roanoke, the salon opened its doors for business in the dead of winter last January 6. “January and February was really bad for us because of all the snow,” Ranney explains, “but it’s picking up pretty good now. The guys are starting to come in. They were scared at first. They didn’t know what we were. Who knows what they thought?”
In opening a barber and spa facility catering to men, Ranney thought she had come up with an original idea—only to discover that it wasn’t. Still, “There’s no other [place like it] that I know of in Roanoke,” she says.
In addition to offering barbering services, It’s A Guy Thing operates under a day spa license, also offering hair coloring, manicures, pedicures and massage therapy. The latter is done on an appointments basis by a therapist who comes in on Mondays. Kaydi Seaman, the spa’s esthetician, does body waxing, facials, and body scrubs and treatments.
As part of her services, Seaman does a mud mask that sets on the client’s body for an hour, and, in her words, “gets really, really cold, so it’s great . . . for hot days,” and “is really good for circulation.” Ranney’s daughter does hair-dressing and styling and probably is more of an old hand at the business than her mother, who explains that she “kind of put her” in the business. “She was coloring my hair from the time she was 14-years-old, and she’s just very artistic.” The spa will soon have another stylist coming aboard, bringing the total number of employees there — all of whom work part-time — to six.
As the spa’s “nail tech,” Ranney is responsible for manicures and pedicures. The latter, she says, are performed in a recliner, allowing the customer to remain seated. “You can just kick back, relax, and drink your beer.”
That’s right. It’s A Guy Thing provides complimentary beer or soda with its services. Naturally, the spa had to meet the requirements for an ABC license before it could offer beer to its customers. They are not the only ones to come up with that idea; “there are others that offer wine,” Ranney says.
Regarding the reaction of male customers to the spa, Ranney says that after some initial doubts, they like it. “[After they] they come in, they come back.” They also pass the word to their friends. Policemen constitute a large part of the spa’s clientele, and both they and firemen receive discounts.
As far as the women who come in, Ranney explains that they’re also a little skeptical at first, but “after they get in here, they actually like it. They come in here with their boyfriends and husbands.” The spa provides separate areas for the men and women.
When It’s A Guy Thing first opened, a few rumors got started. “At first, it was funny,” says Ranney, “and people would stop in to see if the rumors were true . . . They’d come in and they’re like, ‘[where are] the girls in bikinis?’” We’d just look at them laughing and say, “Do we look like we’re in bikinis?” The rumors have since died down.
Looking toward the future, Ranney says they’ve considered franchising. “We’ve thought if this one did really good on this side of town, maybe we’ll go on the other side of [Roanoke] or Lynchburg, or maybe Blacksburg.” That might happen after Sharon Ranney passes the torch: “It would be nice. I’m kind of getting on up there in age, so my daughter would probably have to do that.”
By Melvin E. Matthews, Jr.
This is an excellent salon. I went in for a haircut, and ended up with so much more. I love it, the staff there are great, and the service is the best I have ever received, I will keep going back for more!!