This story appears in the
June 2002 issue of
Entrepreneur.
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Vital Stats: Ji Baek, 32,
founder of Rescue Nail Spa and Rescue Beauty Lounge
Company: New York City
salons recognized as much for their décor and clientele as for
their manicures and pedicures
Trick or Treat, Save My
Feet: "Like typical Manhattan fashionistas, I wore
heels all day. My favorite thing was to get a pedicure, but I
couldn't find something satisfying. There are either cheap
salons that are unsanitary-and I'm a germophobe-or really
high-priced salons."
"I think I
attract the same kind of client that I am."
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You're Doing What?!
"As a first-generation Korean and a classically trained
musician, it was so clichéd when I told my family I was going
to open a nail place, because 80 percent of nail salons are owned
by Koreans. My mother fainted."
Hot Spot: "Our
clientele is a hip, eclectic crowd. We have people in fashion and
magazines, SoHo moms, Tribeca locals and women in their late 20s
and early 30s. People have business lunches in our private rooms,
or first-date pedicures. Instead of a bar or restaurant full of
smoke, this became the social scene."
Toeing The Line: "This
year will be exciting. We are probably going to open a third
location uptown, and are looking to expand in L.A. I'm also
coming out with a nail-care line and polishes. My dedication is to
educate the consumer. Even if they don't come to Rescue, they
should know how to care for their nails."
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