'Welcome back': San Francisco salons, gyms gear up to reopen indoors Monday

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Monday, September 14, 2020
SF salons, gyms gear up to reopen Monday
After six emotional months of having to shut down amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, San Francisco nail and hair salons and gyms are amongst other services that will be allowed to reopen indoors on Monday.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Starting Monday, San Francisco salons and gyms are officially allowed to reopen for indoor services amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Tracy Stanwick and Dave Karraker don't know each other, but they are pretty familiar with each other struggle and now excitement.

"Super excited just to say 'welcome back!'" said Stanwick, owner of Salon Belle de Soir.

RELATED: SF business owners excited to reopen after losing thousands of dollars during shutdown

"Our first clients are going to show up for indoor fitness and we are ready and excited!" said Dave Karraker, Co-owner of MX3 Fitness.

After six emotional months of the shut-down, nail and hair salons and gyms amongst other services will be allowed to reopen.

Stanwick has disinfected her business and is ready with the new safety guidelines. This week her mindset quickly shifted from "survival mode" to "rebuild mode."

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At MX3 Fitness, the rebuilding mode is also in full effect.

"This is indoor fitness zone one. This will be one client, one trainer, and in this zone, we will watch everything they are doing and touch. We can make sure they are following all the COVID safety protocols," said Karraker.

Since July, they've moved their indoor fitness studio to a sidewalk gym and business has gone up.

"Tomorrow we are full indoors and full outdoors and it looks like it's going to be a nice blend. In the last hour we just got a new bunch of clients who noticed we are opening in indoors," said Karraker.

Other places like "the barber collective" at Soma Street Food Park will remain open for outdoor haircuts. The plan is to give customers more options

RELATED: San Francisco business owners plea for clearer guidelines after getting green light to reopen

"It's half-half. Some want to go back indoors because it's not the same being outside, but some enjoy the outdoors because they are still skeptical about the COVID stuff," said barber, Mike Torres.

Truth is, this is a sign of normalcy and hope.

INTERACTIVE: Here's the reopening status of every Bay Area county

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