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Nestled in historic Germantown, Truman Grey Salon and Market might catch your eye as a trendy local salon and market. But, when husbands and co-owners Adam Hayes and Naresh Patel combined the best of each of their visions, they created an authentic community experience far beyond what meets the eye.
Opening a combined salon and market felt like the perfect fit for the power couple, who have extensive experience in each of their respective fields. Hayes also serves as shop designer while Patel doubles as a master stylist. Together, they have meshed their talents to create a space that offers something for everyone.
“We’re definitely a perform-and-function collaboration, so Adam would have the ideas and I would figure out how I thought they should be implemented and then we’d go back and forth,” Patel says.
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Recognizing the significance of hair as artistic self-expression, the couple carefully curated a salon environment that clients can trust. The stylists at Truman Grey are constantly enhancing their skills to ensure that each customer walks out with the hair of their dreams.
“There are new trends every month, practically, so we have to kind of blend the old with the new,” says Hayes. “I think that’s where we set ourselves apart—by honoring the old while keeping in touch with the newer trends.”
Hayes and Patel have fostered a close-knit, familial environment among their team that spills out into the community.
“We do have a heavy influx of neighbors that come to the salon, but we have people coming from all over the place and we want to treat everybody like family,” Hayes says. “In a lot of salons your clients interact with their stylist and that’s it. Our clients interact with everybody. That’s our culture.”
Truman Grey’s market encompasses the same ethos by offering something for everyone. When selecting products, Hayes and Patel strive to find unique pieces with a modern feel, while keeping prices modest.
“When we went to market with that concept in mind, we wanted to keep pieces affordable. A lot of times I feel like when you get into more modern décor the price jumps, and we wanted to try to keep all of our things under a $100 price point,” Patel says.
Truman Grey’s retail space offers more than home décor. They recently began interactive custom fragrance creation, where customers can choose from 48 scents to be cocktailed into a rollerball or perfume of their choice.
“If you have one or two friends and you want to be able to do something with them but you don’t have the space, just come in and spend an hour or so making your fragrance. It’s a small intimate setting and it’s a safe option for something to do,” Hayes suggests.
“It’s been really fun.”
Truman Grey Salon and Market reflects Hayes’ and Patel’s mission to serve their community by offering something that everyone can enjoy, and they’re grateful to be part of a community that has embraced their concept.
“It’s the neighborhood vibe,” says Patel. “It’s not just another business; our clients actually know who we are, and they really care. We know them, they know us.”