Seattle hairdresser takes her tools on the road

Dina Pupera of Columbia City Cuts has owned her South Seattle salon for 15 years, but is changing things up due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We all adapt pretty quickly,” said Pupera, who closed up her salon to start giving mobile haircuts and styling services outdoors at her clients’ homes.

A host of things led to the decision — the building that housed the salon recently sold, and her lease was ending soon. She did not receive a loan through the Paycheck Protection Program. And so, like many small businesses, she looked for an opportunity to pivot.

“I got a little misty-eyed,” she said about packing up the salon. But writing a Facebook post announcing the news to the community was the hardest part. “Once I finally pushed send, I thought, this was great. Everything kind of just flowed after that.”

One other thing made the timing just right. “You can’t beat starting in the summer.”

To schedule a haircut, visit www.vagaro.com/columbiacitycuts1/ or call/text 206-307-1721.