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“The tenant had moved out, and we said, ‘It’s time. We’re bursting at the seams upstairs,'” Lupinacci said.
The second floor of the salon in downtown Stamford had gotten so busy with customers that stylists had to stagger their hours to accommodate everyone, she said.
Since then, the pair has transformed the first floor of a historical 1880s-era building into an expansion of their modern salon, La Jolie Salon & Spa.
The salon now has 3,600 square feet of space, spanning the building’s first and second floors. “We’ve literally doubled our square footage,” Lupinacci said.
She and Van Voorhies said the expanded business has been well received. The new first-floor storefront has also created new business opportunities.
“The exposure has been incredible,” Van Voorhies said. “This [downstairs] has opened up a whole new avenue for us.”
Those walking by the building on Summer Street have come into the salon and become clients because of the increased exposure, Van Voorhies said.
The business was started in Greenwich by their father, “Mr. Anthony,” who had his original location in the shopping plaza along the Post Road that now houses Whole Foods.
He made the move to Stamford about 30 years ago to the current building on Summer Street, which is near UConn-Stamford and the Courtyard by Marriott hotel.
As adults, Lupinacci and Van Voorhies became staff and eventually co-owners. Lupinacci is a master stylist and colorist. Lupinacci is a licensed massage therapist and esthetician.
The business’s certified stylists and estheticians offer a diverse range of hair, beauty and skin services, including cutting, coloring, perms and smoothing.
Even though the pair has just expanded the salon, they may add even more space. The basement, which currently houses an office, could provide space for future services. “And you never know — maybe another location,” Lupinacci said.
For more information on the salon and spa, visit La Jolie’s website here.
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