Seal Beach’s Sunset Blvd. Salon will close Sept. 1, according to Sherry Jankovic, who called the Sun this week.
Jankovic gave an April rent increase and uncertainty about when the state would allow the salon to reopen as reasons for the long-time Old Town business to permanently close.
“We are all very heartbroken and sad at having to leave Main Street,” Jankovic said.
She said she and her staff have been shedding a lot of tears.
“We were a family salon and we enjoyed 3rd and 4th generations as clients & friends over the years,” she said.
Jankovic said the business first shut down in March.
“We survived the first closure,” she said.
“We went beyond safe,” but were shut down again by the state.
“In June when we were allowed to reopen,” Jankovic said.
“We were following the stateguide lines. Only half of my staff could work at one time, one client per stylist,” Jankovic said.
“We were opened about 6 weeks,” she said. “The Governor with no warning shut us down again due to the Pandemic.”
“It was especially frustrating since I am beyond confident that we had been providing the safest and cleanest environment to prevent the spread of the virus,” Jankovic said.
A rent increase was apparently another contributing factor in the end of the business.
“ I asked them to reconsider the rent increase due to the pandemic and not being allowed to open. I reminded them we have been in business and payed our rent on time since 1969. I was told NO and that’s why my rent was not as high as most because I have been there so long,” Janovick said.
Janovick said it is hard to pay rent or utilities with nothing in the future, referring to the uncertainty about when the business would be allowed to reopen.
Janovick said the business couldn’t afford to continue.
“Our salon is very well established,” Janovick said.
“I can’t tell you how many people know that [phone] number by memory,” Janovick said.
“People have been very nice,” Janovick said.
She said even phone company personnel were nice when she called them to have the phone service to the salon discontinued.
(The business number was still ringing Monday, Aug. 24, but no one answered after at least 20 rings.)
She indicated the salon might have continued if there had been any kind of encouragement from Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Janovick said they were told that if they worked when they were not supposed to work, the state could take their cosmetology license away.
According to Janovick, with the second closure of businesses in California, a lot of hair salons have still been doing business in violation of the rules.
“We chose not to; we chose to follow the rules,” Janovick said.
She said the salon had been in business since 1969, when it was owned by Donald Blount under the name Daisy Palace.
Janovick said she joined the business in 1976. She said in 1980, the business name was changed to Sunset Blvd. Salon.
When Blount died in 2010, Janovick took over. “I guess the most important thing I’m trying to get across is, ‘Thank you, Seal Beach,” she said.
