Off of Grand Street, just behind Speedway, sits a building still covered with a 1970’s hue. This former home of the Flashes newspaper now sits with a completely renovated interior, fit with hair dryer chairs, nail styling stations, and tanning beds.
Linda Maurer’s lifelong dream of owning her own hair salon is now a reality, and one that took only a couple of months to establish.
It was seven weeks from closing on the building in October to the opening of the salon in December. Maurer and her team of friends and family did mostly cosmetic work (no pun intended) to the building’s interior, knocking out a couple of walls, ripping out old carpet, and adding some new paint, among other things. While the exterior still models the 70’s look, the inside has a tastefully modern design, one that customers have complimented as “welcoming” and “homey.”
More than the open floor and updated design, customers appreciate the uplifting and drama free atmosphere of Linda’s Salon. She doesn’t like the stereotype of gossiping hair stylists. Maurer wants her customers to come in knowing that they can talk to her in a judgment free zone. She believes that is why seniors especially feel comfortable coming to the salon.
“I wouldn’t go anywhere else. People know me, and I know them. I love my little town,” said Maurer in regard to her location in Eaton Rapids.
Maurer grew up in the Eaton Rapids area. Her customers come mostly from Eaton Rapids, but from Charlotte, Dimondale, Mason, and as far away as Albion. Maurer has worked as a stylist for over 20 years, and many of her clients followed her to Eaton Rapids when she opened her own salon. Her client list has doubled in 2017, which is such an exponential growth that Maurer lost count of how many new clients she has. Word of mouth was the biggest driving factor behind the growth of Maurer’s clientele.
Maurer tries to keep her prices competitive and customers’ needs met. Linda’s Salon hours of operation are Monday 1 to 7 p.m. for tanning only, Tuesday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with tanning open until 7 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Maurer is currently looking for another stylist/nail tech. To learn more about Linda’s Salon and services offered, Linda’s is located at 115 Grand Street in Eaton Rapids. The salon can be reached at (517) 386-0737, or found on Facebook.