Tre’Bella Nail Spa, a Black-owned nail shop in the Washington Heights neighborhood, was the site of what was described as a “re-grand opening” on Sunday.
Melinda Price, the owner of the nail shop and spa, hopes the event reestablishes the shop’s presence in the area to let neighbors know it’s there. The idea for a re-grand opening came after Price said she connected with the nonprofit group Far South Community Development Corporation (CDC).
“There’s so many people that come in and go, ‘I didn’t even know you guys were here,” Price said. “And so it was their idea to say, ‘Hey, let’s try these different things so that the neighborhood knows that you’re here.'”
Though services were not provided during the event, attendees received a discount on their next booked service and were able to visit the shop and meet Price and her staff. During the event, a gold balloon with the number eight floated about the reception desk; Price explained she was also celebrating her eighth year in business.
Free wine samples from local mobile wine business Cary Wines were offered as classic R&B cuts blasted through the speakers and attendees at this intimate gathering toasted the re-grand opening of the nail spa.
Tonda Reese, 63, said she learned about the event from the Far South CDC newsletter and remembers when the shop was located near 125th and Ashland in the south Chicago suburb of Calumet Park.
“It was a little small location, and I remember seeing it, but I never went to it, and that was during COVID,” said the West Pullman resident. “And so when I got this invite, I was like, ‘Ok, the name sounds familiar.’ So I decided to just check it out, because I’m looking for something in the area Black-owned.”
Price moved Tre’Bella Nail Spa from further south on Ashland to 10349 S. Halsted Street to take advantage of more space and to accommodate more clients.
“Business actually exploded after we were able to go back to work in 2020,” Price said. “I will say that my clients still came through. People were buying gift cards that they knew they would never use, but just to support my business, that’s what they did. I started making products, shea butter, foot care packages, and people started buying those, and I started shipping those.”
Once she was able to open up her post-COVID shop, customers returned to supporting in person. The demand led her to move her operations to Washington Heights.
Tre’Bella is a variation of the phrase “Trés belle,” which means “very beautiful” in French. Price, a South Side native, founded her business after visiting Avalon Park’s Black-owned nail salon, Lux Nail Boutique, which doubles as both a salon and a beauty supply store.
“I was sitting in a Black-owned nail salon that had just opened up, and I looked around and I said, ‘Oh, wow, I could do this,'” Price said, remembering that moment. The visit came after she quit her corporate job of nearly 10 years, and it motivated her to move on professionally.
“I had no clue what I was going to do, and God just spoke to me and said, ‘You could do this.'”
Lavetta Kirksey is a Tre’Bella regular. Kirksey said she found the shop years ago while looking for a Black nail shop to patronize near her job. She appreciates the shop’s appointments-only policy and relaxing environment.
“I just remember trying to Google because I was fed up with the people that I was going to and I said, ‘I kind of want a Black-owned appointment [spot],’” Kirksey said. “And so she fit the bill. I tried her, and then I just never left.”
As part of her operations, Price also offers manicure classes for those who want to learn the craft and she offers a specialized “teen boot camp” for those aged 12-18. The teen one-day boot camp is linked to Price’s entrepreneur-focused non-profit, She Nails the Future Inc., which was created to provide mentorship to young women and girls to not only become nail techs but “savvy entrepreneurs.”
The educational aspect of her business is why Price believes her business model and Black-owned nail shops, in general, are a treasure.
“I feel like the importance of a Black-owned nail salon is because we not only provide you a service, but we educate you as well,” Price said. “When you go to a Black-owned nail salon, we’re going to give you high-quality products, we’re going to educate you about your nails to make sure that they stay healthy, and then we’re going to give you quality service.”
Nikko James, manager of Tre’Bella and a nail tech who has worked at the shop for nearly two years, doubled down on this thought and shared why she enjoys working in the Black nail space in general and with Price in particular.
“I’ve been doing nails since 2011, so for me, it felt like home,” James said of joining Tre’Bella. “I’ve endured a lot of racism with other people and I finally found a Black home. [Melinda] pushes me to be better at what I do. In the industry, she definitely helped pave the way for young Black girls to do this.”
