A Hair Cutter ‘Comes Home’ To Sandy Hook

By Jan Howard

Nathalie Lariviere felt like she was “coming home’’ on June 1 when she became the new owner of  the Sandy Hook Barber Shop at 117A Church Hill Road next to the River Cone Ice Cream Shop.

 Ms Lariviere recently worked in a shop in Monroe, but prior to that had been employed at what was then John’s Barber Shop in Sandy Hook. Her new location is directly across from where she once worked. The site was formerly a barber shop owned by Ronnie Provenzano.

“We feel like we came back home,” Ms Lariviere said of herself and part-time employee Noelle Sharp, who also worked at the shop across the street. “We’re from here, at least in our working lives. We know so much about the people here.”

 This is Ms Lariviere’s first experience in being the owner of a shop. In addition to the shops in Monroe and Sandy Hook, she also worked for Ricci’s Hair Works.

“A lot of people were glad to see us,” she said. “A lot of customers followed me and Noelle.”

A resident of Danbury for about 15 years, Ms Lariviere, who is single, studied at Americo’s School of Cosmetology in Danbury. She is originally from Quebec, Canada.

Ms Lariviere’s shop, which serves men, women, and children, offers barber services, haircutting, styling, color, highlights, lowlights, and perms by appointment and through walk-ins.

The shop is open Tuesday, 9 am to 5 pm; Wednesday, 9 am to 6 pm; Thursday, 9 am to 7 pm; Friday, 9 am to 5 pm; and Saturday, 9 am to 3 pm. The phone number is 203/426-2645.

Appointments can only be made with Ms Lariviere. She currently employs three part-time employees, Ms Sharp, Nickie Urbani, and Wendy Lavoie, who serve the walk-in clientele. Walk-ins are welcome any time during the shop’s hours, she said.

Ms Lariviere said she and her employees offer personal attention. “We take the time to consult with the client about what they are looking for” in hair styling or other services.

“My colleagues are talented and personable, and our rates are affordable,” she said.

The shop has three chairs, plus a new screened area she added for her clients’ privacy during hair coloring and chemical services. “It works out well,” Ms Lariviere said. When she took over the shop, she also added new hair dryers.

Ms Lariviere’s immediate plans include installing a second sink and doing some painting during the winter. Future plans will most likely include the sale of beauty products.

 However, more immediately, she noted, “I would like to be able to have more employees to keep the waiting time shorter.”