Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05

Haircut 101 Body Workx—Caring For Hair Since 1989

Story by Sam Calhoun

We care for hair.

That’s the slogan for Haircut 101 Body Workx, 174 South Depot Street in Boone, and although it is true in every sense, it’s only half the truth—the shop also cares for the body with massage services and will soon bring that care to a higher level.

The man behind Haircut 101 Body Workx is John Mena.

You know who he is. He’s the guy running every morning down King Street with his two massive Alaskan Malamutes. But if you aren’t up that early, chances are you’ve passed his neon lit shop near the ASU campus or perhaps sat in one of his eight chairs getting your hair cut—he and his 16 employees serve 30 to 50 customers every day.

For the past 18 years, Mena and his employees have been making the High Country look better, one head of hair at a time.

“I love what I do,” said Mena, 48, who still cuts hair five days per week. “I always wanted to be a hairstylist since I was 7 years old and visited my uncle’s shop in California.”

Boone should feel lucky that Mena found the area and decided to settle down. Many other regions had first dibs and failed to capture him.

Mena was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and his father was in the military so he moved a lot—Munich, Fayetteville, Alaska, Kentucky, Fort Bragg, just to name a few. But in 1982, Mena—having found his passion via his uncle in California—decided to leave his family and pursue a career in beauty. He enrolled in a one-year course at the Robison Tech Beauty School in Lumberton. Once certified, it was time to explore.

Mena cut hair in Fayetteville for two years, in Myrtle Beach for one year and in Daytona Beach for two years. A divorce from his first wife led him out of Florida and up to Virginia Beach where he took a job selling beauty products, driving 3,000 miles every month selling product, teaching color classes, running demonstrations and working with platform artists. When he tired of the long road trips, he moved back to Florida, this time to West Palm Beach, where he cut hair at the Salon at Boca Raton for 1.5 years.

“But it was time for a change,” said Mena.

It was 1988 and his friend and colleague Nelson Garcia—now the owner of Nelson’s Salon on Appalachian Street—was moving to Banner Elk to open a salon funded by some silent partners. Mena hitched along, and the duo worked two seasons in Banner Elk before the silent partners had a falling out and left Boone. Mena didn’t want to go back to Florida and neither did Garcia, so they both stayed in the High Country.

In December 1989, Mena opened Haircut 101 in the present-day location of the Footsloggers Paddle Shop.

“I didn’t pick Boone—Boone picked me. I kind of just fell in love with the place. It was a big change from south Florida. This is a more wholesome area,” said Mena. “When I came here, there were [no salons] that I felt like working in. I felt like this area needed a boost in the styling industry—a lot of services weren’t available. I wanted to create a niche for myself.”

Seven successful years later, a fire almost ruined the structure and Mena was forced to move. He moved to his present-day location in 1996.

“Opportunities just arise for me and I try to seize them,” said Mena. “That place burned down, which was an unfortunate event but then this place became available.”

Mena started out with just one stylist and an assistant. Today, he has eight stylists and three apprentices. His apprentices must complete beauty school and either be licensed or applying for their license.

“I try to get people right out of school and then train them,” said Mena.

Mena sends all of his stylists to the Bumble and Bumble Beauty School in New York City before they begin full-time work at Haircut 101. Mena has great respect for the school and also sells the full line of Bumble and Bumble hair care products in his store. When Mena sends his stylists to Bumble and Bumble, he pays for the entire trip, including airfare, transportation, hotel, food and classes. Once at the school, the stylists take part in classes, cutting hair on live models.

“I try to surround myself with like-minded stylists,” said Mena. “Like in any other industry, education is key.”

Today’s Haircut 101 features all forms of salon services—coloring, haircuts, styling—and massage.

And the business is about to grow.

Within the next six months, Mena will move his salon next door to the old army and navy shop and convert the present-day salon into a studio called Evolution - A Movement Studio that will provide space for Yoga, Pilates, dance, martial arts and Tai Chi classes. The new salon will have 14 chairs and the capacity to handle more customers.

And more customers are what Mena is all about. He loves the local people.

“Customer service is the biggest thing you can do for your clientele,” said Mena. “But it’s also about being genuine about your services and self and being available to your clientele.”

Mena, who has a 14-year-old son named Corey, wants to stay in Boone for many more years.

“I love the downtown area—the feel of the downtown area,” said Mena, who lives on Grand Boulevard. “I love the attitude of people. You don’t get that in south Florida. Boone is a great place to raise a family, a child, lead a more healthy lifestyle.”

He loves his employees too.

“We have a family atmosphere [at Haircut 101]. We all try and help each other out,” said Mena, who takes his employees on camping trips, rafting and to hair shows. He also conducts monthly meetings and educational programs. “It’s more than just a job for all of us.”

Haircut 101 Body Workx is located at 174 South Depot Street in Boone. Haircut 101 Body Workx is open from Monday to Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. For more information, call 828-262-3324.