Hazlet Family Opens Nostalgia-Tinged Home Beauty Salon

HAZLET, NJ - When purchasing a home, it’s only natural to fill the newly-acquired space with something uniquely yours. For some, it’s a home workshop, a basement gym or a backyard swing for the kids.

For the Moraes family, it’s a full-service hair and nail salon connected to their home in Hazlet.

Opened 40 years prior by the previous homeowner, the renovated salon boasts vintage hair dryers, retro-inspired furniture and even a floor-to-ceiling wall of old vinyl records. When the family moved from Newark to Monmouth County three years ago, they knew that they immediately had to take advantage of the distinctive space.

“We immediately fell in love with the whole story, the aesthetic, obviously the location, because it’s part of our house,” said Anthony Moraes, who owns the salon with his wife Kelly.

In fact, while in the process of purchasing the home, Kelly decided to go to beauty school and became a cosmetologist, earning her degree and experience at local salons to gain insight into the industry.

“We saw it, we fell in love with the space and we sold the restaurant," Moraes said. "My wife told me, ‘what better way to raise a family than to have a home-based business?’ This was the perfect storm. She went full force and decided to jump into the career and go to school and learn it and get experience and now we have a cute little business.”

The husband-and-wife duo tout culinary and business expertise, respectively, having previously owned a restaurant and bar in Newark. The family recalls that it was the selling of their restaurant business in Newark, alongside news of a baby on the way, that propelled their move to Hazlet.

“We owned the restaurant for nine years, but we decided to raise our family in a quieter community. We raised two older boys in Newark, now we have one who is five and one who is three. We decided to raise our family in Hazlet,” Moraes said.

The co-owner also recalls that the decision to build the full-service retro salon came as soon as the South Laurel Avenue location was purchased, complete with a plan to realize a ‘60s modern aesthetic as a tribute to the salon’s vintage roots:

“Especially when the business has been here for a long time and I believe a bunch of people were really sad once it left, after being in the community for 40 years, she established some pretty strong roots in the community,” Moraes said. “We were very happy to bring it back and read the buzz and the excitement, and to give back using an aesthetic that’s reminiscent of the time which it was opened.”

Dubbed The B Parlour, the full-service salon opened for business on Nov. 14 after nearly a year of waiting to open due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moraes says that the vintage aesthetic of the salon - which serves as a short escape from the tribulations of 2020 - is the product of the family's resourcefulness.

“My wife and I, we didn’t grow up wealthy. We’re resourceful, we barter, we trade. Those things are fun, to be creative and put our brains together," Moraes said.

Instead of installing wallpaper, Moraes reports that he purchased old vinyl records from Goodwill to decorate the walls. He bartered between artists and friends for several projects, including The B Parlour’s larger-than-life mosaic design outside its front door.

Moraes also built a good amount of the furniture himself, including the front reception desk. The family even kept some of key pieces left intact from the former owners such as the array of vintage hair dryers lining the back wall.

The owner tells Patch that he hopes the nostalgia-infused beauty salon becomes a unique fixture for the Hazlet community, aiming to bring a sense of joy and comfort to residents during an unpredictable time.

“We really fell in love with the community as soon as we moved here. We’ve been enjoying every minute of it. It’s nice that not only we’re able to establish some roots with our family here and raising a family here in Hazlet, but also giving back to the community is something that - especially in a year like 2020 when people look for comfort in nostalgia, when they see a lot of things disappearing and a lot of businesses closing down - it means a lot," Moraes said.

"It made us really feel good to be able to open this and give back to the community. We’re super happy.”

The B Parlour, located at 600 South Laurel Avenue, is open Wednesdays through Fridays, 8:30a.m. to 7:00p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Seniors and first responders are eligible for a 15 percent discount.

Walk-ins are not accepted at this time. Call (732) 787-7619 for an appointment.