MAPLETON, Maine — When Grace Tarr moved back to her hometown of Mapleton from Massachusetts, she knew she wanted to share her passion for hair styling with community members, many of whom she remembers from her childhood and adolescence.
Tarr is set to open Hometown Hair Design on Aug. 18, in the former location of The Pizza House. The latter business closed in 2018 and was owned by Tarr’s parents, Anne and Glendon Braley, who also own and operate Green Meadow Farms in Mapleton.
After graduating from Washburn District High School in 2016, Tarr studied cosmetology at Mildred Elley, an adult education campus in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and worked at a nearby hair salon.
She and her husband Timothy Tarr moved to Mapleton earlier this year and began remodeling The Pizza House just as the COVID-19 pandemic forced hair salons across the state to shut down temporarily.
As she prepared the salon for opening, Tarr noted that the lessons she has learned from her cosmetology mentors and family members will serve her well in the days ahead.
“I’ve been around a lot of people who know how to run successful businesses,” Tarr said.
Hometown Hair Design will offer women’s, men’s and children’s hair cuts, hair coloring, root retouching, perms and eyebrow and lip waxes. Tarr plans to offer manicures in the near future.
With the salon’s building being vacant for several years, Tarr said, Mapleton residents have been supportive of her business bringing the space to life again.
“People have stopped by to see what’s coming in. They’ve been very supportive and excited,” Tarr said.
Hometown Hair Design is located at 1721 Main St. in Mapleton and will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
