Esperanza Salon: An In-Progress Work of Art

Forget the recent snow and ignore any lingering chill in the air: Spring is here, which means it's time for a new outlook. Often, that starts with a new look. One option in Summit is a new one: Esperanza Salon at 32 Maple St., a full service establishment for women, men, and children that opened its doors in January. 

Upon walking through the entrance, one instantly notices that the bustle of the business district vanishes. The shop, a bastion of serenity, is centered around a long, narrow space that is tidy and elegantly minimalist in design. Its walls are white with beveled panels and framed mirrors. Dark chairs, hardwood cabinets and floors, and hanging silver lamps that resemble clusters of stars serve as perfect, yet functional accents. In the background, an eclectic mix of music plays: smooth jazz, sophisticated pop, jamband rock. The aura radiated is one of peace. The room and its ambiance are simply lovely.

Lovely too, in mien and spirit, is the salon's owner, Esperanza Urrego. For years, she worked as a stylist in a Maplewood salon. In her estimation, this was not an ideal setting.

"I felt my clients there deserved a better quality of service in a nice, high end salon," The Berkeley Heights resident said, recalling her dreams of owning a shop that was "chic, that offered personal care at the right price, and where clients weren't being pushed around in a busy salon."

She also wanted her own salon to serve as a palette for her unique artistic vision.

"I have a passion for art," Urrego said. "That environment at the Maplewood shop was not the right place to express myself fully or to give clients the care they deserve."

Deciding to go into business for herself, she began to scout locations and found her perfect place in Summit. Here, she says, neighboring businesses have been welcoming and friendly, and she has found the community to be very accepting of her vision.

"I fit in here very well," she said.

The salon–"here we do art," its owner noted–focuses on hair, but also offers skin care, waxings, and facials. The shop is becoming well known for handling beauty details for brides and for special-occasion hair consultations. Another major part of the Esperanza vision is an embrace of diversity. 

"Looking around, what I have missed is multicultural salons. You don't see them too often. Diversity is very important to my salon. My clientele reflects all colors and textures of hair. Everyone is welcome here," she said.

It appears the public has responded to Esperanza's welcome in a positive way. Many of her clients followed her from the Maplewood shop. "They are more than clients," she said. "They trust me and follow me wherever I go." 

In addition, she reports enjoying a busy stream of walk-in business and says the salon has earned great word-of-mouth referrals. Urrego gives a lot of credit for the shop's success so far to her staff, which includes a stylist, a woman who does double duty as assistant and receptionist, and a skin care specialist who handles waxings and facials. The owner, of course, serves as a stylist as well and she insists that it is most important for her to sit in on pre-consultations for every client.

"Hair is so powerful that it has a real impact in a person's life, so I feel a great responsibility to make people feel powerful and important," she said. "You can either make them happy or ruin their day. It is not just about the hair, but about the feeling that goes with it. That is my art. Hair is my art."

Now that the salon is up and running and its clients are happy, Urrego is working on the next step in building her dream–expansion.

"I want to give stylists the opportunity to have a career working in this beautiful salon so they can bring beauty to the community," she said, adding that she hopes Esperanza's will serve the Hill City for a very long time.

"I want to retire here," she said.

For more information on Esperanza Salon including prices and a full list of services, check out the website at esperanzasalon.com.