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A long time ago in Soddy-Daisy, a man might spend a little time every Saturday at a local barber shop, getting a go-to-church shave and trim while having a friendly talk with other men in the community. However, small-town barbers have been disappearing out of the north end of the county for some time.
That’s what Candace Turner, owner of The Soddy Celebrity Hair & Beard Lounge, noticed, too. In fact, she opened up her shop at 8857 Dayton Pike to fill just this need: a friendly, laid-back barber shop focused on men’s hair and beard grooming.
“I’ve been doing hair almost 10 years now,” Turner says. “I’m originally from Middle Tennessee, but I grew up here in Soddy Daisy. I’ve lived here almost 20 years. I decided to open up a barber shop because there weren’t any in the area.”
People come to The Soddy Celebrity Hair & Beard Lounge for the down-home charm and stay for the excellent haircuts.
“It’s a rustic, small-town vibe,” Turner says. “Everybody knows everybody. I’m trying to make The Soddy Celebrity feel like home for everyone who comes through the doors.”
At The Soddy Celebrity, you can get a cut or trim that will make you feel like you’re ready for anything. Turner doesn’t offer perms or color treatments; she focuses almost exclusively on men’s haircuts.
“I’m very detail-oriented when I do beards,” Turner says. “There are spots you can miss when you trim your own. They look great when they’re clean and shaped, not just wild and crazy.”
(And if you just touched your beard to see if it is indeed “wild and crazy,” it’s probably time for you to visit The Soddy Celebrity.)
For another local touch, Turner uses premium hair and beard care products from Chattanooga Beard Co.
“When I decided to open, I asked around on social media to see what people preferred,” she says. “Men suggested that company. I reached out to the owner and got with him to carry his products in my shop.”
Opening a business this July was a bit of a risk because, as Turner says “I decided to open up in the middle of a pandemic.”
However, things have been going well for The Soddy Celebrity Hair & Beard Lounge. Encouraged by her boyfriend, who remodeled the shop for her, Turner has been blessed with a growing stream of customers. She has three chairs; stylist Tara Hyatt occupies one, and Turner is eager to fill the third one once the craziness of 2020 winds down.
“I’d like to fill that chair, expand and maybe move to a new location,” Turner says, though she makes it clear she’s committed to Soddy Daisy. “I love this community. Everybody seems like family to me around here.”
Get Your Style On
Visit The Soddy Celebrity Hair & Beard Lounge on 8857 Dayton Pike or follow them at facebook.com/thesoddycelebrityhairandbeardlounge. Tuesday features the “golden ager” special, a $10 haircut for people 65 and older. To book an appointment, look up Candace Turner or Tara Hyatt at theCut hair app. Walk-ins are welcome, too!
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