Salon manager excited as new business opens in Winchester

Mooeys Beauty Salon has launched in the Brooks Shopping Centre, opening its doors to customers on Friday, July 26.

As previously reported, the salon, part of the larger Mooeys franchise, is located in the unit previously occupied by the comics and board game shop CGC and is being run by Katie Jansons, a former Winchester resident who now lives in Farnham.

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Katie Jansons (right) outside Mooeys Winchester with her daughter Rosie (Image: Chris Atkinson)

To celebrate the opening, Mooeys is offering free child manicures for those aged from three to 16 for every adult manicure or pedicure booked, with franchise owner Amy Lewis on-site to support the new salon.

Amy told the Chronicle: “We have some people in today who are having a manicure, and some people who are having a file and polish. We have about 80 people booked in today!”

Katie, a former Mooeys customer who has become a franchisee, said that she for the salon to be open in the Brooks, saying: “The Brooks has been really good at helping us get set up, and the community has been lovely.

“I remember this place being built, and this entrance always felt a bit forgotten, so we are hoping we can transform it.

“People are coming and finding us, which is really encouraging. I chose Winchester because it is my home – I was a Peter Symonds student – and although I now live over the border in Farnham all my family live in Winchester. There was a real sense that this was where the salon was supposed to be.

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Mooeys Winchester has completely refurbished the unit it occupies in the Brooks Shopping Centre (Image: Chris Atkinson)

“I don’t come from the beauty industry, I have 25 years of experience in IT service. But my daughter is going off to university, and I’ve been a mum, and I had the opportunity to do something different.”

At time of writing, Mooeys offers hand and nail treatments, with treatment rooms to open soon. Katie said that the unit it occupies has been completely refurbished, with the salon having been designed to be accessible to as many people as possible, and features a disabled-friendly bathroom and treatment room.

Katie continued: “We have a brand new staff her, four therapists of various ages. Mooeys has quite a high standard – we focus on training and making sure staff have a lot of practice time.

“Hopefully we will get really busy and then continue hiring more staff. Anyone looking to get into the industry can come and have a chat with us!”