Expand / Collapse search
☰

Hair salon owners frustrated, fearful after being ordered to shut down again due to rising COVID-19 cases

By
Updated  July 14, 2020 5:21am PDT
COVID-19 and the Economy
FOX 11

Businesses struggling with Newsom’s reclosure order

Many barbershops and hair salons are wondering if they'll have to close permanently because of Gov. Newsom's re-closure order.

LOS ANGELES - Hair salons are scrambling after they were abruptly shut down again for the second time in just a matter of weeks after Governor Newsom's announcement on Monday calling for the immediate re-closure of additional businesses in most of California.

Now, those business owners are fearful of what the future may bring and they don’t know if they’re going to make it.

Get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android.

Barbershop owner Jose Aguilera is the owner of the family-owned Big Boy's Barber Shop in El Monte for the past sixteen years.

The small business trying to survive now dealt another devastating blow by Governor Newsom.

"I was watching the news and I saw it the governor shutting it down, people just kept calling in to get their cuts for today to try to get their last haircut cause they don’t know when they’ll be back, Aguilera said.

He says, "We didn’t get a chance to get the loan, we applied but we didn’t get approved, it’s very hard, I don’t know, very hard to get through this ."

Beverly Hills salon owner Lee Jensen said the governor's announcement was a gutshot.

"Everything we’ve just been through, I didn't want to believe it, When we finally get to open, we spend thousands of dollars just to get this place up to COVID-19 protocol and we have our staff going off unemployment to start getting paid again, and it’s the flip flop, it’s the back and forth, and we just don’t know what to really commit to anymore, he said.

RELATED: Stay up to date on all coronavirus-related information 

Jensen says his salon, TotaLee on the Alley, also didn't get any government loans and he's already had to lay off two employees.

Jensen says his phones also blew up with clients wanting last-minute cuts and he's booked out for the next two months...

But, the governor's orders say those paying customers can't come in and Jensen will have to make a choice.

Jensen says," I wasn’t told when I have to close, so there’s hair that needs to be cut."

Aguilera says he will comply with orders, but he doesn't know how much longer he can keep it up.

"I'm not gonna quit, I’m gonna keep working every day and keep strong and fight to the end, that’s it, I’m not gonna give up, he said.