'We Just Broke Down:' Lacey Salon Hangs On Amid Coronavirus

LACEY, NJ — Lisa Colalillo-Gee remembers the date of March 19. It's the day Governor Phil Murphy ordered the closure of salons, barber shops and other personal-care businesses because of the new coronavirus.

Colalillo-Gee owns Salon Bellissimo in Forked River. The decision essentially left their 10 employees without jobs.

"I felt like my freedom was stripped," she told Patch.

Colalillo-Gee and her employees frequently talk on the phone. They consider themselves like a family, she says. Colalillo-Gee tries keeping their spirits up, but it's difficult for all. Many have families and children, and they just got their first unemployment checks this week — nearly a month after closing.

"We’re all ready to come back to work," Colalillo-Gee said. "Our clients miss us. We’re trying to do the best we can because some small businesses are not going to make it. It’s sad."

Closing Time

She recalls Murphy announcing in the morning that the closure would become effective at 8 p.m. that night. Salon Bellissimo hustled and tried contacting all their clients to see if they could get in before closure.

But Colalillo-Gee and her employees went home that night without knowing when they could return to work, because no one knew. And still no one knows.

"It was very sad," Colalillo-Gee said. "We just broke down. Closing the lights was tough, and locking the door was very hard. I get emotional just thinking about it because I worked hard, and a lot of people had."

Closures and restrictions around New Jersey have hit salons especially hard. It's essentially impossible for employees to perform their work while social distancing. Unlike restaurants, which can pick up some business through delivery or takeout, there isn't an obvious way for personal-care establishments to adapt.

One month without a steady income is difficult under any circumstances. So Colalillo-Gee considered how she could take care of her employees when the salon closed.

"I used to be a worker," she said. "This is my second salon. I’m from up north. I don’t want them to be treated the way I was. I’d give them my last dollar. They’re just amazing."

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A New Direction

Colalillo-Gee considered her customers too. She knows many of them lost their jobs or faced reduced hours. So she gave them color kits to do their roots at home.

But she also finds a way to sustain the business. Colalillo-Gee sells color kits, gift cards and other products, which people can pick up curbside for about 90 minutes each week. See the Facebook page for times.

Through those sales, she could pay her employees' last checks. She plans to split profits from sales with employees during the closure, and they'll each receive bonuses when business returns to normalcy.

Not every business will make it through the pandemic. But Colalillo-Gee feels amazed by how the community has been helping Salon Bellissimo.

"It’s been overwhelming. I’m so grateful. I can’t believe this community," she said. "We treat everyone like family. They come in as strangers, they leave as family."

How has the pandemic affected your business? Share with your customers in Patch's Lacey business directory.

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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