Longtime friends Silvia Narvaez and Maggie San had already worked for six years in nail salons before they decided a few months ago to open their own business.
The pair found a place to realize their shared vision in New Canaan.
“About two months ago we found this space” Narvaez said from the floor of ‘Studio 3 Spa & Nails.’
Co-owners Silvia Narvaez (left) and Maggie San (right) opened the business in late-April. Credit: Catherine Gorey.
Located on the street-level floor of a single-story building at 36 Vitti St., the newly renovated space features five spa pedicure chairs, numerous manicure stations, a wall rack with color options and a facial room in the back.
Much of the labor to make the space ready was done by the women themselves and Narvaez’s brother, they said.
“The painting, the decorations, we all did ourselves,” Narvaez said, pointing out the different jobs. She said the work was “very tiring” and that they are “very excited” with how it turned out.
“It’s important that you put your heart into the work, then everything else will happen because of that passion,” Narvaez added.
Opened about one month ago, Studio 3 Spa & Nails enters a competitive and crowded market in New Canaan, which counts some 10 nail salons already.
Pedicure stations. Credit: Catherine Gorey
“There are a lot,” Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Tucker Murphy said in reference to the amount of salons in town.
“I know there are some concerns that we may have tipped the balance,” Murphy said. “You would think supply and demand would dictate what the right balance is.”
Murphy said that salon owners in town are “discussing the subject among themselves and are planning on going before the municipality,” citing the Planning & Zoning Commission as the agency that handles such matters.
Faced with this competition, Narvaez and San said they hope to distinguish their business in the environment they provide for patrons.
The salon’s many color options. Credit: Catherine Gorey.
“When the customers come here, we are friendly and try to make it part of the community,” Narvaez said. “It is not just a salon, it’s a place where you can come and you can talk.”
They chose to open their business in New Canaan because of it close-knit social fabric and supportive business environment. “It’s a great community,” San said. “We really love it.”
The salon also has ample free parking, Narvaez said, as it’s not in the middle of downtown.
Studio 3 Spa & Nails offers facials, manicures, pedicures, waxing and full body massage. It’s open 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed Sundays.