Salon Gatto is Hoboken’s newest hair destination, conveniently located across from the Hoboken Terminal at 22 Hudson Place, Suite 1N. The salon boasts a highly educated staff of trained professionals, all specializing in different areas, from color to extensions. More than a hair salon, Salon Gatto strives to touch base with the community at large by creating a space that is as much social as it is professional. Christine Gatto, owner and visionary, sat with us for this Q&A to let us get a glimpse inside her world. We talk about the local community, the beauty of styling hair and how her brand is changing Hoboken.

Tell me a little about your professional background.

CG: So far, I’ve been a hairstylist for fifteen amazing years. For ten of those years I’ve helped to build other companies as a national educator, specializing in hair color and hair styling. Now as a business owner, I have the opportunity to train my very own team and accomplish a lifelong goal of turning Gatto into a brand. Helping inspire other businesses as well as my own, creating systems and policies, as well as structuring real career paths for employees are hard things to find in the hair industry and I love being able to provide that.

Is there any particular reason why you chose to open a salon in Hoboken?

CG: Definitely! Having been in the industry so long, I’ve been privileged to experience what life is like in salons throughout Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. I started working here six years ago as a stylist, and from the very beginning, being here just felt right. I’m proud to not only own a business here but to call it my home. The support and sense of community is fantastic. You can just feel that people who live here really adore their city and shop small because of that. They get their hair done here, shop here, go to restaurants here. They love the convenience of that and I do too. The beauty of Hoboken and the people living here are precisely why I knew that when I opened up my own salon, it would be here.

What is your favorite thing about being a hair stylist?

CG: There are so many things, but I would have to say, building relationships. The ability to create a friendship and have that person leave feeling beautiful is a very powerful thing. You don’t know what the rest of that person’s day may have been like, and there’s is nothing better than turning your client’s day around by the time they leave your chair. Getting to know that person and making them feel good really is the best of both worlds.

How does your salon stand out from others in the area?

CG: In many different ways. We’ve built a brand that really concentrates on high level customer service. Even from the very first moment you enter the salon, your first interaction with our Client Service Specialists imparts the sense that you are about to receive an experience customized for you. It’s not just about coming here for a phenomenal hair cut, but for the knowledgethat we care about our guests and making sure that we reach all their needs. Another thing that we pride ourselves on is our involvement with the local community. That is, after all, why I chose to open my business here. I network with different businesses within Hoboken in an effort to help grow their companies alongside our own. I’ve been in business now just over a month, and have already made lasting connections with brilliant people. For example, even our beverage menu is an outlet for us to feature companies like our fresh ground beans from the amazing coffee shop, Bean Vault Coffee. We offer different flavors of tea from Do You Tea in Jersey City; a company which has hand crafted each blend with locally sourced ingredients.

We will be featuring boutiques in our interviews about what’s trending in fashion, as well as our upcoming blogs and short videos. We have a Business Bar where you can plug in and charge should you choose to work during a lunch break appointment. However, what really sets us apart is that we look forward to you coming in and hanging out! There’s no need to rush out the door, and if you want to stay and chat, get to know us, we encourage it. When you come here, you are a member. You belong. It’s not just about what’s happening in these four walls, but what’s happening outside of here and bringing it in. We’re simply here to take care of people, and we understand that’s something that goes above and beyond hair.