Banbury’s Beauty Spa in Launceston has expanded, despite the challenges thrown at small businesses during the pandemic.
Many people will know the lovely Claire at Banbury’s - friendly, chatty and good at what she does - so it’s fantastic to see her beauty business has both survived and beat the pandemic, after she opened her newly expanded salon on Monday.
Claire invited friends and family to the opening and ribbon cutting of the new expansion of Banbury’s Beauty Spa on Monday, 19th July, and Launceston Life popped along too!
The salon, located on Madford Lane in Launceston, has been the home of Banbury’s Beauty Spa since August 2015. The opening of the new expansion was attended by Launceston Life, deputy mayor Cllr Helen Bailey, and all of Claire’s friends and family - including proud mum Linda - and we were all able to witness Claire and Cllr Bailey cutting the ribbon to announce the space upstairs officially open. Prosecco, cupcakes provided by All That Jazz Cakes and goody bags filled with some fantastic products were handed out and enjoyed afterwards.
Claire has been in the business since she was 17, leaving Saltash College with a CIDESCO Diploma and establishing Banbury’s in 2004. After securing the downstairs of the building that Banbury’s is currently located in 2015, Claire’s business has only gone up, with the addition of new staff, treatments and, finally, the expansion of the business into the upstairs of the Banbury’s building this summer.
Claire told Launceston Life more about the business and how the expansion means a great deal in the face of a pandemic.
She said: “In July 2019, just before the pandemic, I decided to expand. It was almost a good thing that the salon was closed during the pandemic so we could focus on the work upstairs. Financially and because we were closed over the lockdowns, it’s such an achievement to have been able to expand.”
The upstairs of the building has been transformed into a relaxing, quiet space for clients to enjoy their treatments, with the addition of an office, three treatment rooms and a lash and brow bar. With elegant finishing touches, including stunning upholstered chairs by Hannah Louise Upholstery, a detailed wall along the corridor, tiles selected by Claire and a bouquet of hot pink flowers from Flower Scene on the way up the stairs to match Banbury’s famous pink branding, the expansion is a wonderful place to come for all your favourite treatments.
The course of the pandemic hasn’t been easy for anyone, and for Claire it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions, but she’s been left feeling extremely proud of her business as she takes it to the next step.
“I can’t explain how much it means,” she said. “People always say, ‘it’s your dream, it’s your journey’, but to actually make it happen in these difficult times is such a huge achievement.”
With Banbury’s celebrating their 6th year in the shop this August, the expansion of the business is only a sign of the fantastic things to come. From manicures, pedicures and facials, to massages, tanning, lash extensions and much more, Banbury’s is the perfect place to indulge in some pamper time with one of the friendly, talented beauty therapists.
Claire, who started Banbury’s with a single treatment room in 2004, added: “We’ve been here six years and in that time we realised the need to have more space. When I first moved here I would never have dreamed that we’d need more space. You live and breathe your work.
“We are very grateful to all the tradespeople and contractors who have helped make this a reality, and I am very grateful to be able to expand my business in a pandemic.”