Business & Tech
Open All Winter: A Bella Salon and Spa
An occasional look at some of Ocean City's year-round businesses.
Address: 601 Ninth Street (Ninth and Wesley)
Phone: 609-399-6999
Find out what's happening in Ocean Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Info: www.abellasalon.com
Owner: Sally Onesty
Find out what's happening in Ocean Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Year founded: 1999
Employees: 16
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday and Monday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday
Other Stuff to Know: Check the salon's Facebook page for information on open houses and specials.
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Don't let the posted hours fool you. To accommodate clients, stylists and other employees at A Bella Salon have been known to book appointments as early as 6:30 a.m. and stay hours past closing time. The salon is open seven days a week year-round — joining only a select number of other Ocean City businesses in doing so.
“You have to be available when people want their services done,” says Sally Onesty, founder and owner. “We're busy all year,” with very loyal clients who come from all over the region.
On the menu is just about anything you could want to beautify and relax. Haircuts and styles, highlights, lowlites, waxing, manicures and pedicures, several different kinds of massage, including reflexology and Swedish. The cozy salon boasts seven hair stations, four nail tables and three pedicure baths, plus four comfortable massage and facial rooms.
But it's more than the array of services that draws a client back again and again to A Bella, Onesty says. It's the personal attention she gets.
“We know her name and hang up her coat,” she says. “We offer her a drink and a snack. Nobody has enough time any more, and she probably is coming here after work and on her way to her kid's game.”
Onesty also caters to bridal parties and corporate clients. Employees will go off-site to business retreats or meetings, too.
Onesty, who lives in Ocean City and has two sons, also prides herself on the salon's community involvement. Employees pick a cause each month — for example, recently collecting beauty items, clothing and money for an Atlantic County women's shelter.
Onesty said more businesses in town should try to stay open even in winter.
“It's so frustrating being open until 9 o'clock at night, then clients want to get a bite to eat,” but there's nowhere for them to go, she said. “People want to spend money. It would be great for all the businesses.”
