This salon was up for the challenge

Under the IATF resolution, Metro Manila will be placed under GCQ (General Community Quarantine) on Alert Level 4 from Sept. 16 to 30. Part of the protocols include: Personal care services limited to barbershops, hair spas, nail spas, and beauty salons shall be allowed at a maximum of 30 percent venue/seating capacity if such services are conducted outdoors regardless of vaccination status. These establishments are allowed to operate at a limited 10 percent indoors."

This left us scratching our heads, or should we say scalps—do outdoor personal care servicing establishments exists? Is there such a thing?

Well, Piandre Salon posted yesterday on their Instagram account, "Yes. You heard that right! Piandré Salon will now have outdoor seating on the 5th floor of our Timog branch in Quezon City starting September 20."

In an exclusive interview with the salon's general manager Andrea Zulueta-Lorenzana revealed that it will be in the LZF (named after her mom's initials) building. "Pre-pandemic the 5th floor roof deck was used for parties.  We decided to repurpose it to allow for outdoor services," she says.

So how many can they accommodate? "We are preparing for six chairs in the outdoor cabana area and about three to four in the covered part of the 5th floor," the general manager adds. Services include for hair, nails and food massages. "The only limitation in the outdoor area is we will not be able to do blowdries. But we have an indoor area, that is still open area, for those services."

The team is also prepared for the ongoing rainy season, "There is a covered area that basically has only two walls, so the air flows freely. At least we have an alternative, for the meantime. I think for most salon services, it's the waiting time to get their hair processed, it's the feeling of having your hair shampooed (no electricity required), it's the massaging of the hands and feet when you have manicure and pedicure services. We are still looking for how this will all pan out, but we hope that our first few customers in the outdoor space will give us valuable feedback to adjust and calibrate as we go along."

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And whether it's indoors or outdoors, the salon makes sure that everything is disinfected and clean well. "The sanitation procedures are the same outdoors as they are indoors at our regular Piandre salons. I think the outdoor area is for people who are very wary about stepping out of their house at all. It might be a good stepping stone to enjoy the services they've missed."

It's been over a year since this pandemic took over our lives, and salons are one of the establishments that have been badly hit. "I think we had to rethink how we do business also—like the hours, and what clients might be comfortable with. Many clients are okay now staying outdoors unlike before they only wanted airconditioned and very cold A/C. Now, people are thinking differently so we have to adjust," Andrea explains.

All employees are fully vaccinated. For booking, call 0998-5607429. Home services are also available by clicking on this link.