Thirty years ago, when Lisa Sanzari opened The Mane Place II Salon with her late husband Sergio, big hair was the big thing–styles were layered and permed for maximum volume. Thirty years ago, salons recorded appointments in paper date books and marketed in newspapers, and customers paid in cash. Thirty years ago, Lisa Sanzari’s triplets hadn’t yet been born.
This month, appropriately enough on June 30, Lisa Sanzari will celebrate 30 years of business at the corner of Bloomfield and Grove avenues with her new partner in The Mane Place II, her son Anthony.
“I’m definitely excited,” she says. “I’ve been doing it by myself for the past six years. Having Anthony here to help me is very nice. He has new ideas.” (Sergio Sanzari passed away in 2012.)
Despite only being on the job since February, Anthony has already made several changes to the salon. As you might expect from someone who grew up in social media and computers, he’s set up a new Facebook page, gotten the salon on Instagram and implemented online booking for appointments. He’s working on a website and new signage out front. He’s brought in high-end grooming products for men, like Tampa Shave Co., and introduced additional services for women, including balayage–a hot highlighting technique–and fun hair colors for younger customers. He’s encouraging the salon’s stylists to all develop their own Instagram pages. “It’s a lot of juggling things around,” he says. Maybe so, but mom approves: “We just started posting on Instagram and it has definitely brought in business,” Lisa Sanzari says.
From an early age, Anthony Sanzari had been deeply immersed in the hair business. He says he always knew that he’d be involved in it, but he didn’t always know that he would join his family business to do so. He worked at Panico in Cedar Grove for several years before deciding to join his mother. His brother, who is also named Sergio, is training to be an esthetician and will be available for special bookings at The Mane Place II while he works in New York City. His sister, Gabriella, is at Villanova University studying to be a math teacher. The siblings are only just 21.
Anthony Sanzari concedes that he is working long weeks now, in the salon and after hours, but he says that that’s what his dad would have advised him to do. He’s setting priorities for what should be done first, and what can be tackled later, knowing that there will always be new developments. “The salon industry changes so often,” Anthony Sanzari says, “you have to take it as it comes.”
What’s coming soon is the 30th anniversary celebration. During the week of June 26 to 30, The Mane Place II will give everyone 30% off of any service, but you will need to book in advance. There will be a rep from Swarovski Touchstone Crystal Jewelry on Friday, June 29, and Saturday, June 30, and Tampa Shave will be showing off its artisan shaving products on the 30th as well. Also on Saturday: a day-long celebration, including a ribbon-cutting with town officials at 2 p.m.
One think that won’t be changing, maybe ever: The Sanzaris’ determination to treat clients like family. Says Lisa Sanzari, “We like to make our clients feel comfortable.”
