Salon Staff, Owner Concerned About Coronavirus (COVID-19) Impact

While many businesses are closed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak some like hair salons, barber shops, and nail salons are still open.

Staff at the Great Clips near 41st Street and Harvard said they're used to seeing around 70 customers a day,  but right now they're lucky if they get 15 or 20 through the door.

Salons haven't been mandated to close by Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum or Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt. 

Owner Daniel Walker said he has closed two of his four locations so far, but is only staying open so his stylists can get a paycheck. 

He said most of his stylists are single moms who rely on this job to make ends meet. Walker said it's difficult as a business to make payroll right now, but it's even more difficult to make rent payments. 

Walker said "It's not just our business. It's every business. Every restaurant that closed down. How do they pay their rent?"

Stylist Courtney Hagler shared concern about not knowing how long business will be impacted. 

"We don't know how long this is going to last; so, I've just been saving my money up and getting the essentials that I really need for my kids and just not doing everything that I was doing before" said Hagler. 

Walker said he can apply for SBA loans and other federal funds, but it's hard to know how long that will take. 

He said he hopes the government can step in to give landlords some relief so they can, in-turn, help businesses during this difficult time.