HBAR Salon & Spa To Celebrate One Year In Business

STAMFORD, CT — Last November, Stamford native Antonio Rende opened HBAR Salon & Spa during a time of uncertainty amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rende had worked at salons in Seattle and Manhattan, but HBAR, located in the Harbor Point section of Stamford at 140 Washington Blvd., was his very first business.

After a challenging year, HBAR is now celebrating one year in operation. The salon will hold a celebration on Nov. 7 that will feature a pop-up bar from Troupe429, and a charity fundraiser to help a Stamford resident who has breast cancer.

"We have been doing so well. We've got a ton of clients, and some followed me from New York. We've been sustaining pretty well, considering. The business has been growing month over month, and we've definitely been very lucky in comparison," Rende said of the first year in business.

Heather Cavanagh, President and CEO of the Stamford Chamber of Commerce, said Rende's resiliency during the pandemic should be commended.

"Throughout the pandemic, many new businesses emerged and overcame so many obstacles. Antonio should be applauded for his tenacity and perseverance and congratulations on celebrating their one year anniversary," Cavanagh said.

HBAR has expanded its services since opening to include barbering, eyelash extensions, makeup, and facial lymphatic drainage, to go along with nail work, massage and all hair services.

Rende says what separates HBAR from other salons is the fact that his staff goes above and beyond to meet clients' needs

"Most recently, we had a client come in and show us the color she was willing to settle for, so I said, 'I'm not really crazy about that terminology,'" Rende said. "And she told us that she had been trying to get this one hair color for 15 years and she gave up on it. We sat down, listened to everything that she wanted, and she left with the color that she had been trying to get for 15 years. We listen and pay attention to what our clients are saying."

The one-year celebration event will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 7. All are invited.

In October, the salon was offering pink hair extensions, with proceeds going to support breast cancer research. Rende said he wanted to then focus on helping out at the local level, so an employee told him about a Stamford resident, Elisa Gorman, who has had breast cancer for two years now.

"Anything that we make at the party, we're going to be doing a raffle for products, and all of the proceeds are going to go to her GoFundMe," Rende said.

Rende is looking forward to many more years in business, and said the support from the community he grew up in has meant the world to him.

"It's been really great," he said.

HBAR Salon & Spa is open seven days a week and is currently accepting appointments. For more information, visit their website.

To donate to Elisa Gorma's GoFundMe, click here.