Three Little Birds say that salons are open to public

When you open a new business, they say, it’s all about location.

Well, sometimes timing plays a role too.

Audrey Stuart was living the dream. She had found the perfect spot for her new hair salon and boutique on Old Kyle Road just off the square. She opened March 12 and three days later — boom — the virus hit.

“We were kind of like the rest of society,” says Audrey. “Like, what’s going on. First, they closed the schools, then they closed us.”

Slowly, things are getting back to normal at Three Little Birds Salon and Boutique. Customers are coming back, business is steady and everyone is following the proper virus protocols.

The name of the shop provides a little insight into the attitudes of Audrey, stylist Kaylee Turbeville, nail tech Misty Alldredge, Pearly Rihn, who runs the boutique and designs clothing, and Katie Friedman in the boutique. “Three Little Birds” is the name of a Bob Marley song where the reggae legend sings: “Don’t worry about a thing; ‘Cause every little thing gonna be alright.”

“Our dream has become a reality,” says the always-upbeat Audrey. “We can hardly believe it. We literally came up with the idea for salon and boutique while sitting around drinking wine one night. We have a good group. We just want to have fun and create.”

Perfect location

Audrey and her husband Chad, who is a corrosion specialist for Phillips Oil, came across the 1,500-square-foot store that was previously home to the Rancho Queso cheese shop. It was perfect. They leased the location in February.

They went to work converting the old house into a modern salon with a boutique. “Everything just fell into place,” says Audrey. “It’s absolutely upscale. It has a modern farmhouse vibe.”

Audrey was a popular stylist at Michele’s Salon on FM 2325 so her client base came with her. Kaylee, Misty, Pearly and Katie rounded out the team.

“The salon takes care of itself,” says Audrey. “Now, we need to get the word out about the boutique.”

“We tell everyone who will listen about the boutique,” adds Pearly. The store features everything from “small batch” clothing and Turkish towels to candles and jewelry. There are also one-of-akind chairs, crafted by Pearly’s husband, Andy.

“We focus on ethically made clothing,” explains Pearly, describing the items that are made locally as well as around the world.

But while the salon is open for business, make no mistake, things are not back to normal yet. There’s only one customer per stylist, masks are provided and the work stations are thoroughly sanitized after each use. They also maintain safe distances as much as possible.

Opening a new business and then having it closed down indefinitely proved a little stressful. Audrey tried to get a small-business loan, but that didn’t come through. “We’re the smallest of the small businesses. We definitely catch the brunt of it,” she says.

When customers started coming back, Audrey laughs, she had to “clean up a lot of haircuts.”

“It has been interesting,” she adds.

Creative team

Audrey and Chad own the salon, but it’s really run more like a co-operative. “We wanted to create a space that everyone wants to be part of. It’s kind of like a family friendship here. We wanted us girls to combine our creative processes under one roof.”

It’s clear the salon clicks with customers. “Audrey is the complete package,” says Suzanne Doty, who was getting her hair styled last week. Audrey gives great cuts, great color and has a great personality, says Suzanne.

The salon, despite being new, recently earned Best of Wimberley honors in Hair-Care Salons, Stylist (Audrey) and Nail Care (Misty). The annual contest is conducted by the Wimberley View.

“Being a hair stylist, you develop relationships with clients,” says Audrey. “It’s almost like being a therapist. It’s a deep-rooted relationship.” Audrey says many apprehensive customers come in wearing masks, but it doesn’t take them long to relax.

Already there are plans for the future. Gov. Abbott is expected to ease more restrictions in coming weeks. The girls plan to add teeth-whitening and spray-tanning services. “We have some plans for when we don’t have to social distance anymore,” says Audrey.

“Right now, we are rockin’ and rollin’,” she adds.

Audrey expresses some empathy for Dallas salon owner Shelley Luther who defied restrictions and kept her business running. “But I’m not a boat rocker,” says Audrey.

Three Little Birds takes appointments for men’s and women’s services. The boutique is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is located at 110 Old Kyle Road. For more information call 512-842-3233.

(Editor’s note: For the photos accompanying this story, protective face masks were temporarily removed.)