Businesses on Chula Vista’s Third Avenue began reopening last week after months of closures while adapting to the new set of guidelines for a safe reopening plan. Several Third Avenue Village Association members are navigating their way through as pandemic restrictions are lifted.
Ann Nungarary, owner of Shear Envy, took her staff and salon back indoors after adapting to outdoor haircuts.
Kula Yoga owner Eddie Bustamante decided to continue his classes outdoors with donation-based classes at Memorial Park.
Barbershop Heaven owner Erick Alvizures also decided to move his business back indoors. Rico’s On 3rd opened its doors to the public on Sept. 1.
Rico’s On 3rd owner Snooky Rico said she is thrilled to be back at work after shutting down with a 24-hour notice in March. She said right now the hair salon is just trying to catch up with all the appointments booked weeks ahead when the salon closed its doors.
Due to the shutdown, Rico said they had to get creative, so began its new clothing line store online to help keep the business afloat. Now she said she is happy to have that new edition on the floor in her salon.
“We are really excited anticipating being able to grow even more in the way that we are kind of boxed in right now,” she said. “We are not able to work to the degree we did before. Now we are serving one client at a time, so they get good quality time with us while they are here. Usually hairdressers can do a couple of clients at a time as they can make more money that way.”
Rico’s normally has nine chairs open, but due to social distancing only every other chair is used. She said it takes some creativity to schedule her four employees and five independent contractors. All of them returned except one who has not decided yet when to return.
“We are open morning and night so some are coming in the morning, some in the evening, afternoon,” she said. “Some work on Saturdays, some are off, so they are rotating enough to get everyone in.”
Rico’s is a full-service hair salon that specializes in color, creative and corrective coloring, high styling, vintage weddings and haircuts for women and men.
“We are excited about opening up because our clients are not just clients, they are friends, family,” she said. “We’ve been here on or around the avenue for 27 years.”
Rico said during shutdown, she went to some virtual meetings held by TAVA, which helped keep her up to date about what was “coming around the pike” as far as grants and other programs she could apply for.
