TEMPE, AZ — The City of Tempe recently approved a year-long pilot program allowing licensed professionals to operate a barbershop or salon inside their home.
Nando Garcia, co-owner of Lox Salon, pushed for changes to the city’s zoning code after he and his business partners closed Coiffeur’s Salon in downtown Phoenix earlier this year due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
“This is not a salon where it’s just at a kitchen table and I’m going to start cutting hair,” Garcia told ABC15 during a recent visit to his home. “These are salon chairs, salon shampoo bowl, it’s a salon setting — it’s a professional environment,” he said.
If certain conditions are met, home salons and barbershops in Tempe can service up to two clients at any given time and the change restricts public street parking for customers to a single-vehicle. The businesses can only operate between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.
“I also want to open up the door for other businesses that are also struggling just like me right now,” Garcia said, “just to live… just to sustain…. just to pay your bills.”
City officials will evaluate the effectiveness of the program and other concerns before voting on whether to make the change to the city's zoning code permanent.