Back in the day, Brandy Virchow was an up-and-coming hairstylist. Although she was relatively new to the industry, one of her clients, George Ortiz, had no fear of her touching his hair. He walked right into the salon where she worked and handed her a big razor. “You’re going to shave my head!” he declared. Though Virchow was startled by the request (as any of us would!), she went right ahead and bzzz!
Today, Oritz is one of her most loyal customers at Virchow’s new hair salon in Grinnell, B. Nicole Salon, which celebrated its membership in the Chamber with a ribbon cutting! He used to travel from Newton every other week to get his haircuts — but now he gets to stay in Grinnell to enjoy her services! For 16 years, Virchow has been providing haircuts, styling, waxing, and more in Grinnell and surrounding communities. Since then, she has built an extremely loyal clientele, with Ortiz and an additional 130 clients following her from her previous workplaces. Fun fact: the location of her new salon is where she started working all those years ago!
When Virchow opened the salon, her promise to the Grinnell community was to provide quality and affordable services. “I also saw a need for a local salon with family-friendly hours and flexible scheduling,” shared Virchow. Ever since her salon opened 13 weeks ago, she has been grabbing people’s attention through her crafty cartoon signage outside her door and her unique salon hours — especially those after 5 PM and over the weekend. “Sometimes people have to book appointments so far out in advance, but because my hours are so flexible, they can schedule an appointment with me online or walk in after work,” she says, which is especially beneficial for people popping into Grinnell for the day. And if you need to bring your kids to the salon, she also has a comfortable couch, Netflix, Hulu, and coloring books to keep them occupied!
Virchow’s salon is aesthetically pleasing, with vintage photos of her salon back when it used to be the Cunningham Drug pharmacy — and she has an array of hair products from Denmark and Canada that are colorful and vegan (no preservatives or chemicals to be found!).
Virchow also gives back to the community, teaming up with a nursing home in Newton to provide regular haircuts to 56 community members with dementia and Alzheimer's. As a single mother, she pursued her Master’s degree in business management to complement her years of experience in the salon industry. Working alongside her with an entrepreneurial spirit and dream are social media marketer and bookkeeper Chris and Morgan Zimbleman, who are supporting Virchow and helping to grow her business.
Staying true to her promise, Virchow offers an array of discounts and deals. For Grinnell College students, she offers $5 off any service if they show their P-Card/student identification card. Community members who want to also save money but keep up their looks in the long term can sign up for her monthly club services. Men can clean or trim up their beards with Virchow, or enjoy a hot towel service with a complimentary neck and face massage. She can even wax your face for that shiny, glowing look. “The wives love it,” she says, laughing. Women can also join her weekly wash club services, and get their hair washed and styled every week! Kids also love to come in and have Virchow do any of the latest hair trends — which are mohawks at the moment!
P.S. Chris shared with the Chamber Ambassadors that one of his challenges before he retired from the military was looking for a place that could give him a haircut! So if you’re looking for a quick booking, give B. Nicole Salon a call at 641-657-1396, or visit their website bnicolesalon50112.glossgenius.com. For those wanting to rent a chair at Virchow’s salon, she is still looking for a colorist and hair specialist to join her!
Chamber Ambassadors from left to right:
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