At 9 a.m., cars line the parking lot outside Vogue Nail Bar on Medical Center Parkway. For Huy Brogdon, the owner, that’s a good sign that maybe things are getting back to normal after a year and a half of living with the pandemic.
It’s been tough said Brogdon, a tall man with dark hair and grey peeking through. The pandemic forced changes in business operations and there were effects on customers, too.
“Majority of people started to come back to normal habits of getting their nails done, especially after the vaccine came out. Even so, once in a while, I have encountered people who just started to get their nails done again after over a year of not having their nails done,” Brogdon said.
When the pandemic hit, Vogue Nail Bar closed for six weeks due to the shutdown. Upon reopening the nail bar owner said workers and even customers were very nervous worrying about contracting Covid or that another shutdown would occur.
“At first, everyone was very cautious and scared. Then slowly more and more people feel comfortable working with clients again.” Brogdon said.
A nail technician at Vogue Nail Bar, Natalya Cason, said she tried to navigate her way through the pandemic as best as she could, but she missed her job. Cason, a brown-eyed woman is very passionate about being a nail technician. “I have been a nail tech for over 10 years,” she said.
Cason said the pandemic affected her work life but also has affected her on a personal level. “It has affected my mental health a lot, and having to wear a face mask with me having asthma has been a little rough, and I have to have more inhalers now.”
In January, Cason was diagnosed with Covid-19. “Covid affected me pretty hard because of my asthma and being out of work for so long.” She is determined to persevere through the pandemic.
At is Brogdon. “After the news of the new Delta Variant, there is a decline in weekly volumes and now there is always a percentage of customers who take extreme precautions.” the nail bar owner said.
Vogue also switched to an appointment-only salon. Converting to this way of appointments they were able to reduce and maintain a safe number of customers and workers in the building. Brogdon said.
Cason said most of her appointments are usually on time but there are four or five no shows in a week.
That’s part of doing business in this Covid-age, Brogdon said.
“Covid-19 is a challenge accepted. It is no more than the wind that blows constantly in the country and around the world. My goal is to set the right sail to make sure I, and people sailing with me, are on the right path to a better future. There will be storms and tsunamis along the way, but only through challenges and hardships do we grow.” Vogue Nail Bar owner said.
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