Downtown Mobile has a new option for haircuts, manicures and more after two longtime friends and former coworkers opened a full-service salon in a converted house near the heart of the business district.
House of Hair, located on Saint Francis Street, is co-owned by Mulan Ho and Crystal Sutton, who met years earlier while working together at a salon in west Mobile. When that shop closed, the two women decided to take a leap and start a business of their own rather than simply find new jobs elsewhere.
They set their sights on downtown, an area they noticed was underserved compared with the concentration of salons in west Mobile. After finding a bright yellow house available for rent, they renovated the space with modern furnishings and a more intimate, boutique feel than typical big-box salons offer.
Both Ho and Sutton were single mothers during the years they worked together, a shared experience that helped forge the trust needed to become business partners. Since opening, they say the transition to ownership has come with its share of challenges, from an air-conditioning breakdown to customers who tried to skip out on their bills. Even so, both describe the experience as rewarding, crediting loyal clients from their old salon for following them to the new location.
The salon currently offers haircuts, two nail stations for manicures, two pedicure stations, a waxing room and a spray-tan booth, along with a loyalty program that rewards repeat customers with discounts. House of Hair also recently partnered with a deal site to offer discounted introductory services for new clients, and the owners have joined the Downtown Mobile Alliance to take part in broader efforts to revitalize the area.
For Ho and Sutton, the venture is about more than just business. Both say building something of their own is ultimately for their children. “They’re why I do this,” Sutton said.
The owners say they plan to keep expanding services as the client base grows, with an eye toward becoming a fixture of downtown’s evolving small business scene.