Meet Anton Ayvas, Owner of Anton’s Salon

Welcome back to Down the Boulevard, a feature on Hasbrouck Heights Patch where we ask the business owners in our town a few questions about their business and themselves. This week get to know Anton Ayvas.

Family ties go a long way in the history of Anton’s Salon. Not only did Anton Ayvas get his start with his salon on the Boulevard by taking over his uncle’s business, but his parents were haircutters too.

In addition to the haircutting blood ties, family ties run even deeper than that. The salon is known in the community to have quite a friendly atmosphere as many patrons have come to know each other over the 30 plus years. Plus staff members are much like family too.

“We’re practically related now,” Ayvas playfully jokes about Joan Pascarella one of his longtime employees who has known him for more than 30 years before she even began working at the salon. Pascarella said Ayvas is a great boss and has really gone out of his way to help her out over the years. Ayvas says he has a motto he likes to follow which is “the right relationship is everything” and that is attributed to his customers and the people he works with.

“I really feel like a part of the community and that’s a wonderful thing to be a part of,” Ayvas says.

He has been running the shop since 1978 since he took over from his uncle Plato. Originally the salon was located at 213 Boulevard right across the street from where it is now at 212. Anton said his uncle had the place for 19 years and he’s now going on 33, with almost 20 years in this location.

When his uncle had the salon he focused on women’s hair but since it's been under his ownership Anton’s caters to women, men and children, basically serving an entire family.  He says he holds families in high regard and caters to every age group. Some customers have been coming to the salon since he’s owned the shop and in fact in many cases he’s now serving the fourth generation of some of these families.  

Ayvas’ wife Irene plays a big role behind the scenes at the shop as well. They have four children, three of four who are girls.  Ayvas says all the girls know how to do hair yet not one of them followed him into the profession. The first two went into the music field and the second into the health profession.

A fun note about Ayvas which many may not know is that for the past three Thanksgiving seasons he has participated in the Macy’s parade as a clown. When he asked how he got into it he said one of his customers happened to mention he works on the parade and he suggested Ayvas take part. He’s gearing up to do it again this November.