Local stylist strikes out on her own in Chippewa Falls

Sara Barnes, center, said when she left her stylist job at a national chain to open Mia Bello Salon – five stylists she worked with followed. Submitted Photo

Cheryl Hentz

Contributor

June 24, 2024

CHIPPEWA FALLS – Sometimes working for someone else just doesn’t feel right.

That, Sara Barnes said, was the case for her.

A hair stylist for about 13 years, Barnes said she had most recently been working for a salon that was part of a nationwide chain.

Things were fine in the beginning, but she said eventually, it got to a point where she was becoming increasingly unhappy – feeling the stylists and clients weren’t at the forefront of the company’s concern.

“We had to charge what the company wanted to charge…” she said. “I felt it was gouging the client for what they were getting. I wanted to offer high-end services with cost-effective pricing.”

Inspired to do things differently, Barnes opened her own salon – Mia Bello Salon – bringing with her five stylists she had worked with previously.

Grand opening a huge success

After going through all the necessary hoops to start a business – which included locating a site and completing renovations – the doors of Mia Bello swung open for the first time April 2.

Barnes said they held an official grand opening event April 23 – which garnered the attention of “way more people than we were expecting.”

“I was expecting maybe 10 or 15 people, but I bet there were about 60 people here,” she said.

Mia Bello Salon offers a coffee and tea bar, as well as complimentary water and soda. Submitted Photo

Barnes said the whole staff was grateful to receive such a warm welcome from the community.

Full-service salon, reasonable rates

Mia Bello Salon is a full-service salon offering:

Women’s, men’s and children’s cuts
Perms
Coloring
Foils
Specialty colors
Eyebrow waxing
Lip and chin waxing
Hair treatments

“We offer a little bit of everything,” Barnes said. “With us, the shampoo is included and the conditioning treatment is included with a haircut – and every service gets a style with it. When you leave here, you’re all set. You don’t need to go home and restyle your hair or anything.”

The salon also offers heated neck wraps with aromatherapy and several other treatments.

Sometime this summer, Barnes said she plans to add scalp treatments to the salon’s list of services.

“They’re about an hour-long experience including hair being combed or brushed,” she said. “Then we wash your hair, we clean the scalp well, condition it, and there’s a 20-minute massage of the client’s head, neck and arms included with it. Then, we style your hair afterward. We want to offer experiences clients don’t normally get in Chippewa Falls or around this area.”

Mia Bello, Barnes said, offers a coffee and tea bar, as well as complimentary water and soda for clients.

Wedding season is upon us and while many places that have been around for a while may be heavily booked, Mia Bello has openings because they’re so new, Barnes said.

They are starting to book out for the summer, but there are plenty of dates still available, at least for the moment, she said.

Barnes said the salon has openings for weddings and other special occasion services – which include full makeup, eyelashes and hair options.

The team, she said, will travel within about a 20-mile radius of Chippewa Falls for on-site wedding/special event services.

Expansion likely in the future

Though Mia Bello has only been open a handful of months, Barnes said they are already thinking about the future – which includes expansion.

There is another unit attached to Mia Bello’s current location, which she said the team intends to expand into.

“That will be our day spa area,” she said. “It will include spray tanning, facials, massages, eyelash extensions – those kinds of things.”

One of the things Barnes said separates Mia Bello from others is its client-centered focus.

“I’m not out to get rich,” she said. “I want people to have good hair and not have to break their bank account to get it. My goal is to make everybody feel beautiful. That’s the goal of all the girls here, too. Some circumstances would make the price go up, but we tend to not overcharge people for the services they’re getting.”

Mia Bello has a total of six stylists, including Barnes.

Sara Barnes said shampoo, conditioning and style are included in all haircut appointments at Mia Bello Salon. Submitted Photo

“We treat our clients like they’re family, and we treat each other like family,” she said. “Clients enjoy our fun atmosphere in the salon.”

For example, Barnes said it’s not at all unusual for the whole salon to be involved in a conversation.

“What starts as a conversation between us and our clients, often ends up with other clients joining in,” she said. “Before long, everyone is talking and laughing. Sometimes, if it’s a few of us, we’ll crank up the music and the clients will sing along.”

Barnes said she initially wanted the salon name to be Mia Bella, but since they’re an LLC, somebody already had that name.

So, she settled on the next best name: Mia Bello.

“It means, ‘my beautiful,’ and that’s exactly how we want our clients to look and feel,” she said.

Mia Bello Salon (424 N. Bridge St., Suite B) is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.