The Prado Sandy Springs Shopping Center caters to beer enthusiasts, strong liquor drinkers, sports lovers, and gym junkies. The locals jokingly call it a “public man cave.” However, women and their daughters have increasingly started to flood into the Prado Shopping Center. They are not coming for the booze at 5 Seasons Brewing or the men at Lifetime Fitness. They are showing up to get their nails and toes slayed by Sandy Springs finest nail technicians at the Haute Spot Nail Boutique.
The Haute Spot Nail Boutique is roughly 900 square feet with two entrances instead of one. The double entry highlights their welcoming vibes. Numerous elegant chandeliers drape from the ceiling and oversized plush, tan massage pedicure chairs are perfectly lined up in four rows. The welcome desk is directly in the center of the shop, forcing patrons to walk halfway into the shop to inquire about appointments.
At the welcome desk, customers get greeted by Tony, the owner, and his overdressed Pomeranian and Yorkshire Terrier pets. Tony is a bubbly and soft-spoken man. The only time Tony’s smile disappears for a moment is when he has to inform customers that the nail technician they are inquiring about is booked for the day.
His smile slowly works its way across his face and into his eyes as he reminds patrons that all his technicians are specialty designers. “I am proud to say that all my employees are highly skilled. It is no reason to turn anyone away. Whatever they want we can do,” says Tony.
Once your nail appointment is confirmed, Tony directs you to an elaborate wall of nail polishes that usually flows from lighter shades to darker shades. As pretty as the wall is, women rarely pick a color from the wall because the new nail trend is gel polish and SNS powder. If you choose to opt out of the regular polishes, then you are handed a clear bucket filled with gel and SNS colors painted on acrylic nails.
Since Tony’s greeting at the welcome desk and your daunting search for the perfect polish, five other women have entered into the nail boutique following in your footsteps. This process will repeat non-stop until 7:30 p.m., which is the cut off for appointments.
The cramped environment would run out-of-towners away, but loyal customers are willing to wait because no other local shop guarantees customer satisfaction like the Haute Spot.
The average wait time is 5-15 minutes. Everyone waits. Nobody declines an appointment at the Haute Spot.
The best thing about the Haute Spot Nail Boutique is its location. The shop sits directly in the middle of the Prado Center, so most customers who are waiting to get pampered choose to take a brief walk to the neighboring establishments for sushi, pizza, subs, wings, steak, or ice cream.
The nail technicians hardly stop for a lunch break. In between appointments, the nail artists snack on healthy finger foods in the staff closet. At almost every nail station is a Venti Starbucks cup with the bright green straw.
“I am addicted to Starbucks. They make it so easy to purchase now. I can specialize my drink order, pay for it on my phone, and pick it up within minutes. As long as I make money Starbucks makes money because I drink coffee or tea about four or five times a day,” says a professional nail artist known as Wendy.
Anxious customers always choose to opt out of going to grab a quick snack. There are only five chairs in the nail shop for lounging customers.
The little shop was not designed with the thought of constant massive flows of people in mind. Customers and employees make it work by packing a few extra sets of manners. By the time you are seated for your appointment, you would have bumped, poked, or stolen someone’s seat unintentionally.After apologizing profusely for five minutes straight, you are starting to wonder if grabbing a snack was a better decision than waiting inside the shop.
The pungent smell of acrylic, coffee, and Asian cuisine is so prevalent that it could make the most robust stomach feel queasy. A light whiff of honey lingers in the air from the infamous Nourishing Pedicure, which promises to reveal silkier and glowing skin on your feet.
The hums from the nail drills and the vibration from the massage chairs are more audible than the juicy conversations between patrons and employees.
Other nail salons are not as nearly as packed as the Haute Spot on a Thursday morning because they do not go above and beyond for their customers. Haute Spot nail technicians pride themselves in their work ethic and having great communication with their clients. Miscommunication can lead to improper nail care, nail infections, wrong designs, wasted time, and lawsuits.
If you live in Atlanta and are unsatisfied with your nail artist and their work ethic, check out Haute Spot Nail Boutique. Make sure you tag @hercampusgsu on Instagram so we can feature your nails on our insta-story!
**image credit via yelp.com and from Jamacia Cook