When you step into Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids, the target audience is immediately evident. There are cartoons. Xboxes. Princess costumes. And balloons virtually everywhere.
“We will be greeting kids by name … making them feel at home,” says Pauline Devinger, who co-owns the Falls Church hair salon with her husband, Garry Devinger. The shop opens Saturday, Oct. 8., with a Jack Sparrow impersonator, balloon twister and a face painter. On Sunday, the fun continues with a visit from the Falls Church fire department.
The shop—a children’s paradise—is the first such business for the Devingers, who each have day jobs. Garry, a former Marine who now works in I.T., doesn’t have a background in cosmetology. But during the pandemic lockdown, he took a shot at trimming both his young sons’ hair … and had a little trouble.
“It was good at first, but then as it grew out we saw all the flaws,” Garry says. “Getting a haircut in general is a chore for [parents] and for kids. I think we had this epiphany: Why wouldn’t we create something that’s this really fun experience [that makes] getting a haircut actually fun and memorable?”
Feeling left out? Consider the parent-and-me station toward the back of the space, where moms and dads can glow up alongside their kids.
“We definitely want this to [be] a whole-family experience,” says Pauline, who works as an internal auditor when she’s not moonlighting as a salon owner.
Boys’ haircuts are $29, and girls’ cuts are $33. If you’ve got a first-time haircut candidate, you can get a cut, haircut certificate and lock of hair for $37. During opening weekend, each salon guest will receive $7 off their service.
Sharkey’s is a 20-year-old franchise with more than 100 locations across the country. The Devingers say one of the ways they are putting a personal touch on their shop is with their staff.
“You can have all these great colors and balloons, but it’s the experience that you have with the team, with the hair stylists … that will make you want to come back,” Pauline says.
The salon also doles out a “Sharkey dollar” for each kid client to “donate” during their visit, choosing from a list of local nonprofits and dropping their dollar into a jar. As the containers fill up, Sharkey’s will donate a portion of the profits to each charity.
“We definitely intend to get more involved in the community,” Garry says.
On your way out, don’t forget to take an Insta-style pic with Sharkey the mascot. And grab something that isn’t so new-fangled: a lollipop.
Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids will hold its grand opening Saturday, Oct. 8 at 9 a.m. and Oct. 9 at 10 a.m. Its regular hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekends. The shop is located at 7395 Lee Highway, Suite D, Falls Church.