ALLENTOWN, Pa. – A premium kids hair salon, which “turns every haircut into an unforgettable adventure,” will feature car-themed chairs and opportunities to watch sports, play video games or enjoy a favorite TV show while getting a fresh cut in Lehigh County.
The first Lehigh Valley location of Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids, a premier provider of children’s haircuts, is set to open Nov. 22 at 355 S. Cedar Crest Blvd. in Allentown.
The new salon will operate next to Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt in The Shops at Cedar Point.
The first Lehigh Valley location of Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids, a premier provider of children’s haircuts, is set to open Nov. 22 at 355 S. Cedar Crest Blvd. in Allentown.
Ryan Kneller
To celebrate its grand opening, the salon is offering a promotion where anyone who books an appointment at Sharkey’s in Allentown on Nov. 22 and 23 will get $7 off their child’s haircut.
Also, individuals booking haircuts on these days will have a chance to win free haircuts for a year.
To book your appointment and enter the giveaway contest, visit https://bit.ly/sharkeyscutsallentowngrandopening.
Sharkey’s, a hair salon franchise with more than 200 locations worldwide, has a mission “to create an entertaining experience for kids ages 0-14 by providing a superior haircut with warm, experienced stylists in a meticulously clean place filled with fun.”
Fed up with taking their kids to “uninviting, unexciting salons,” founders Linda and Scott Sharkey set out to create a unique salon that caters to children of all ages – “a place that is prompt for those on-the-go parents, fun and entertaining for their children, and reasonably priced for their wallets,” according to a business description.
The Sharkeys established Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids with a single salon in October 2002, and its success led to two more locations in 2004.
Requests for franchises amped up within months, and in 2005, the first Sharkey’s franchise was sold in the United States.
Today, there are more than 200 Sharkey’s locations nationwide, with another regional location operating in Limerick Township, Montgomery County.
The Allentown location will be operated by husband and wife Sam and Ramona Kamhia, and the couple plans to open two additional Sharkey’s locations in the Lehigh Valley over the next couple of years.
The Kamhias, who reside in Upper Macungie Township, set up a Sharkey’s stand on Oct. 17 at the 3rd Annual Trunk or Treat event at Grange Park in Upper Macungie, and several families expressed excitement about the forthcoming salon.
“A lot of the parents mentioned that they have been taking their kids to the Sharkey’s in Limerick and are very excited to have a more convenient location,” Sam said.
“They said things like, ‘Finally, we’ll have a Sharkey’s close to home!’ So, we can’t wait to introduce the Sharkey’s concept to the Lehigh Valley.”
The Allentown location of Sharkey’s will feature four-themed seats, including a firetruck, police car, “Frozen” jeep and Spider-Man car, for younger children (up to around age 6), along with other hair-cutting stations for older kids, Sam said.
All of the stations feature large-screen TV monitors, where kids can choose to play Xbox video games or watch entertainment programs such as cartoons, music videos and sporting events while getting their hair cut.
“Sharkey’s is all about offering a fun atmosphere for children to get their haircuts,” Sam said.
“I look at it like Disneyland for haircuts as every station has its own TV, and kids can choose how they want to be entertained. We also do first haircuts for children, where they get a little certificate, before and after pictures and a little lock of their hair. We like to think of our visits as experiences rather than just regular haircuts.”
Sharkey’s services include haircuts, with washes, cuts, blow drying and styling, along with complimentary entertainment, balloons and lollipops.
“Our highly-trained stylists are experts at turning frowns into smiles and tears into laughter,” a message on the salon’s Facebook page reads. “Your little ones will leave with fabulous haircuts and unforgettable memories!”
There’s also a Glamour Lounge, with a large mirror lined with glamour light bulbs, where tweens can get pampered with services such as mini manicures.
“That section is usually for birthday parties,” Sam said. “Kids get the glamour treatment, and we also have princess dresses if they want to dress up.”
The Allentown location will serve children of all ages and abilities, Sam said.
“Down the line, we’re also going to add times for sensory-friendly appointments,” Sam said.
“We know that the salons can be a little bit noisy for kids with autism or ADHD. So, we’re going to offer sensory-friendly appointments where we could dim the lights, turn off the TVs and play special music.”
The Sharkey’s location in Allentown also will give back to the Lehigh Valley community through donations to local nonprofit organizations benefiting children.
“We’d pick three local foundations or charities for children, and with every haircut, we’d give the kids little chips that they can drop into one of the three charity boxes. So, we’d donate to the organizations on their behalf.”
For the latest Sharkey’s Allentown updates, follow the business’ pages on Facebook and Instagram. Info: bit.ly/sharkeyscutsallentown.