Les Steele Poco Pelo Chic Are Going Strong 10 Years On
By Terry Smhmida
Ask Poco Pelo Chic salon’s Les Steele how long he’s been styling hair, and the West Virginia native become uncharacteristically coy.
“You don’t ask a woman her age,” he says with a smile.
The truth be told, Steele has been honing his craft for 24 years now, including a decade-long stint at his Poco Pelo Chic salon, at 1018 Truman Ave.
“I’ve worked at other salons in town,” said Steele, who arrived in Key West in 1998. “But I opened my own business to be able to better provide what my clients need. Poco Pelo is a very service-oriented place, from the moment you walk in the door, to the time you leave. We give out parking stickers for the lot across the street, get you a drink, and we don’t keep our clients waiting for their appointments.”
Steele likes to call Poco Pelo a “day experience,” where clients can get their hair cut and styled, avail themselves of a manicure/pedicure, waxing or a facial, or treat themselves to a massage, at the hands of Steele’s partner Greg Harrison. Cartified Skin Care Professional Kimberly LeBoutilier, and an assistant, rounds out the salon’s marquee-name staff.
“If you can give a cut and a color, and give them shine and lift, then you have a happy client,” Steele said. “We don’t damage hair, but we do repair it. We’re strong advocates for healthy hair.”
The salon endorses and uses L’Oreal Professional products, which Steele calls “one of the best on the market.”
Poco Pelo’s reputation for attention to clients of both sexes has been recognized in the March 2013 issue of American Salon magazine. Steele’s business has managed to embrace its success while remaining a “boutique salon,” with his current small staff, and a loyal and discerning client base.
“I’m the only stylist here at the moment,” Steele said. “Though we are looking for another person who wants to learn our craft, and become part of a great team. I truly believe that the camaraderie between staff and clients is what makes a salon great. I never wanted this place to be big. I wanted it to be an experiene.”
Steele also believes that Poco Pelo’s emplyees are able to walk that fine line between being professional, and enjoying themselves.
“If you can’t have fun at what you do, whatever that is, you shouldn’t be doing it, period,” he said. “We know when to cut up, but also when business is business. I love what my colleagues do, as much as I love what I do. And I love that even more than when I started here 10 years ago.”
Poco Pelo Chic is open from noon to 8 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. For more information on services offered, call 305-293-8893, or visit www.pocopelo.net.
[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]
No Comment