By Ilona Horvath
Shannel Hair Design at 434 Rideau Street is one of the few remaining and steady small businesses in this neighbourhood. The salon is well known to Lowertown and Sandy Hill residents, but it also caters to a large and diverse clientele from around town.
The shop offers a variety of hair care and styling to women, men and kids. Their services include cutting and styling, colour and highlights, special hair treatments, and updos for special events such as weddings. They have extended their services to also offer waxing.
I have been a customer for over 20 years; in fact, three generations of my family are clients of Shannel — and for good reason. The service is excellent and so are the prices. They provide quality and friendly service to young and old – with a smile.
I took my grandchildren there for their first haircuts ever and we all will attest that they had a wonderful first experience. It reminds me of my daughter’s first haircut back in the day, screaming her head off, saying cutting her hair hurts. Has anyone else had the same kind of experience with a little one?
The owner, Linda Nguyen started her business in 1990 and her salon has been there ever since. She arrived in Ottawa in the late 70’s with the second wave of Vietnamese refugees. Over the years her husband, Tran, and her mother-in-law have been there to help whenever a delicate balancing act between running a small business and raising four children was required.
She has many of the essential qualities of a successful businessperson including a strong work ethic and firm commitment to provide quality service at a good price. These have helped her overcome some of the typical challenges that often comes with running a small business (lack of sufficient funds; finding good employees; difficulties balancing growth and quality).
But owning a business, especially during COVID, is not an easy task. She considers herself lucky to have a sympathetic landlord whose fair business approach to her small business over the years has been vital. This has allowed her to grow gradually by adding new services and to make improvements to the interior of the shop.
It has all paid off and she has succeeded in building a stable and loyal clientele.
COVID and the lockdowns have had an impact on the salon but business is gradually coming back, with regular customers happy to return. Linda is fully confident that by putting in longer work-hours she will be able to overcome the challenges.
Coming to Shannel always reminds me of the good times, and good memories of Vietnam – the country where I spent some unforgettable years. One of my memorable memories has to do with the hair care business. In Hanoi, where we lived for three years, one could easily find conventional hair salons and barber shops.
However, the city had a distinct feature: at almost every street corner in the old town you could find ‘outdoor barber shops’. It was amazing for the crowd of passersby to witness the skill of these barbers, whether it was a simple shave or a haircut (see attached photo).
While I would have a hard time visualizing such a lively streetscape along Rideau Street, I can only hope that the new developments being built around Linda’s salon will animate the street and it will spruce up, bringing newcomers to the neighbourhood so they will use the services offered by small businesses along Rideau Street and beyond.
In the meantime, I encourage readers, especially newcomers to the neighbourhood, to make an appointment with Linda for a haircut. You will not be disappointed! You can book an appointment by calling 613-789-4147. but walk-ins are also welcome.
Check out Shannel on Facebook