Coronavirus Haircut: How A Wisconsin Salon Owner Endures Pandemic

RACINE, WI — Salon owner B.J. Leitzke says the ongoing coronavirus shutdown in Wisconsin has put her, her business, and her employees at a breaking point. Yet, because of the way state and local officials have handled "Safer At Home" orders, her salon could be open if it was located three blocks away in a neighboring community.

Leitzke owns Curlz Salon at 2809 Taylor Ave. on Racine's south side, just a few blocks from Mount Pleasant. She's worked nearly 40 years as a hairstylist, standing long hours at a chair as hair styles — and generations of clients — come and go. Leitzke opened Curlz in October 2016.

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It's a tiny salon — three chairs only — and is limited to hair services and facial waxing among other services. "This has been beyond crazy, being so small and not having been open very long. I love my job and I love what I do and there's never a day I don't want to be here," she said. "I've worked hard my entire life to establish a very fine clientele. If my salon were in Mount Pleasant, I'd be open today."

A Carved-Up State

When the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned the "Safer at Home" order on May 13, it opened the doors for businesses to once again operate. Citing ongoing concerns that the coronavirus pandemic would spread out-of-control, some cities, including Racine, enacted their own emergency orders. Other municipalities, like Mount Pleasant, reinforced state and federal social distancing guidelines while allowing businesses to reopen at their discretion.

The effect of the state supreme court's ruling resulted in confusion for residents and business owners alike. Instead of a statewide order that everyone recognized and understood, parts of Wisconsin carved themselves into a jigsaw puzzle of haves and have-nots.

Racine's Safer At Home order runs through May 26, but if Curlz Salon was located in Caledonia or Mount Pleasant, it could already be open.

Gray Hairs Are Showing

Leitzke said she's under a lot of pressure. Her landlord isn't forgiving the monthly rent on her salon space, the power company isn't forgiving energy costs, and her clients are begging her to do something about their unraveling hairstyles.

"We have clients texting us every day showing us their gray hairs, and they're pleading for any kind of service," she said. "I tell them no, we can't, it's against the law.'"

To make money during the shutdown, Leitzke said she's been selling hair products and gift certificates from out front of her salon along a ruddy patch of Taylor Ave. where cars speed by at 30 miles per hour as they head south to filter onto Highway 11. The products are badly-needed by her clients, she said.

Getting Ready

Leitzke said she's preparing for the day when her salon can officially reopen, including reading local and state business reopening guidelines.

"We went to beauty school, where we learned sanitization, so this is nothing new. This is the stuff we do every single day," she said.

One of the salon's stylists is getting antimicrobial smocks, so the staff is protected in one more way against the virus.

Leitzke said she's spent the 40 years of her career building a clientele. They're like an extended family, she said.

"When all of this happened, my people were taken away from me. When I don't have all the people I love to do things for, my brain goes 'what can I do?'"

After two months, Leitzke says she is looking forward to the day when her business can start reopening.

"I'm a firm believer that we need to open our society little by little," she said. "We need sunshine, we need air. We need all of the things that help us grow and be happy."

Related Reading

• Wisconsin Coronavirus Tracker
• Wearing Masks During Coronavirus: What The Wisconsin DHS Says
• Full List Of Free Coronavirus Testing Sites In Wisconsin

• What's going on in Wisconsin? Find Out Here
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