Elyse staff at their new location in downtown Port Elgin. Left to right, Becky Smith, owner, Candice Monahan; Jaime Brocklehurst and Lynsie Little.

Hub Staff

After a full year of renovations, Elyse Salon of downtown Port Elgin has relocated a block away to 642 Goderich Street, formerly Belle Abode. A party for the salon's VIP clients was held on the evening of July 7 to celebrate their grand re-opening, July 8.

Owner, Candice Monahan who is originally from the Grey-Bruce area, opened the salon in Port Elgin in 2012 after moving back to the area from Toronto. After working on her business plan, Monahan said she had narrowed down the area in which she wanted to open her business to Saugeen Shores, Kincardine or Collingwood; but in the end it was the people who drew her to Saugeen Shores. “I talked to business owners, people on the street, that kind of thing,” she said.

“I picked up and sold my place in Toronto and came here and opened with no clients,” said Monahan. “I didn't know one person here. I opened just with myself and we have been busy ever since.” She added that Elyse now has three staff as well as herself including a newly hired aesthetician.

When she was originally looking for space to run her business four years ago, Monahan said that her former location was the only space available in Saugeen Shores. “We grew out of it so fast so I'd been waiting for a building to kind of pop up and one did.” The decision was made not only for more space and more privacy for her clients but also to be more aesthetically pleasing.

Monahan designed the floor plan to create a modern, contemporary space and in order to achieve that the building went through some major renovations. “I love design so when we went in I actually ripped everything apart. I could literally stand in the basement and look up two floors,” she said. “We took out all the floors and all the existing walls, so really all that was standing there was the siding and the front.”

Having come from a just under 500 square foot space at 686 Goderich Street, beside Rabbit Dash, the new location is four times the size. “We've five stations, much bigger floor space and the design is fantastic,” said Monahan, adding that the salon furniture is designed by a company in Paris, France. “It's something that people haven't seen before,” she said. “I've been saving up for a long time to do something that will kind of blow people away.”

For more information on Elyse Salon's services visit elysesalon.ca or find them on their Facebook page.

Elyse Salon owner, Candice Monahan in her newly renovated salon at 642 Goderich Street, downtown Port Elgin.