Salon Offers Friendly, Comfortable, No 'Foo Foo' Atmosphere

It took Jackie Chew four college degrees before she finally figured out what she wanted to do for a living.

After pulling down degrees in business, psychology and English, plus certification in secondary education, Chew decided to go to school to learn how to do nails.

“I always wanted to go to hair school,” she said, but nail school was faster. “I fell in love with it.”

After earning her stripes working at other salons—Moments in Mount Laurel, Tranquility in Hainesport—Chew decided she’d had enough of working for other people and, in 2003, opened on Chester Avenue.

She spent nine years there, spreading to the second floor as her clientele grew, and eventually outgrew the space. Chew and her team just moved to Main Street, opening their new location between and last week.

Chew loves the salon business because, for her, it’s a glorified social hour.

“I love it. I talk to people all the time. I love talking to my customers,” she said. “I have formed relationships with all my clients, who’ve stayed with me 18 years.”

She added, “I’m not stuck in a box. That is so not my personality … I’ve always been a free spirit.”

The business reflects that free-spiritedness, offering clients a comfortable, casual atmosphere, without all that “expensive … foo foo stuff. I don’t believe in that. A lot of it, because the economy hit, people aren’t spending money on that anymore.”

Studio Ten—which Chew explained derives its name from “10 fingers, 10 toes—I’m a nail girl”—offers many of the services you’d expect from a salon, including manicures and pedicures, coloring, and waxing, as well as organic spray tanning. (Check the photos attached to this story for a more complete menu of services.)

Asked what her favorite feature at the new location is, Chew replied simply: “Room ... We were on top of each other (at the old location). And everything’s new.”

One of the most notable expansions of Studio Ten’s services in the big move is the addition of a separate barber’s area for men. Chew’s two female barbers provide the full barbershop experience (including TVs airing ESPN ‘round the clock) in a separate room off the main salon area.

“They’re used to it,” Chew said of separating from the men from the women. “There are certain services they get, maybe they don’t want (women) to see them getting.”

She also added a makeup station, which she didn’t have room for at the Chester Avenue location.

Chew said she has an extremely loyal clientele, many of whom have been with her and her roster of stylists for years.

Joanne Hoffman, of Maple Shade, has been going to Studio Ten for the last seven years (and following her stylist, Allyson LaLonde, even longer) and will keep going as long as they let her. It’s the service, Hoffman said. “It’s a very friendly, outgoing staff.”

Chew said the salon had a soft opening last Tuesday, but will plan something more grand for next month—a “happy hour grand opening,” she described it, with food and refreshments, “kind of a thank you to everybody.”

Studio Ten is located at 5 E. Main St., Moorestown. For more information and hours, call the salon at 856-914-0800, or visit them on Facebook.