Kelly Gallo, owner and operator of “Nails by Kelly,” said one of the best features of her salon business is the setting.
“You can just sit and relax and watch the Yough roll by,“ Gallo said of her shop off Yough River Park along the river in Connellsville. “People just find that sitting here while they get a pedicure and watching the river is very relaxing. It‘s a wonderful view.”
Gallo said she decided to open her own shop as a way to schedule more freely, while still offering her clients the best in service. She brings nearly a dozen years of experience to her salon.
When Gallo began to have health issues related to kidney disease, she decided the full-time position she was working at the Nemacolin Salon was too much.
“I loved it there, but there was just no way that I could keep up the pace,” Gallo said. “I thought that if I could have my own place, then I would be able to control how I book and schedule around what I needed to do.”
Gallo did not have to look very far for a location — the extra room off the side of her home proved to be ideal.
“My husband, Geno, said, ‘Why don't you just open your salon here?' ” Gallo said. “He said let's make it a salon, and it worked out really well.”
The room off the house was gutted and remodeled, with an open, inviting appeal.
Gallo offers a variety of nail services and adds a little special touch for all her clients.
“I do hand massages, and you also get a leg and foot massage with every pedicure,” Gallo said. “Everyone really enjoys that.”
Offering services that include gel manicures, paraffin, salt scrubs and hot stone services, Gallo can shower her clients in extra luxury, which is a step above a regular salon. But she stresses she will not work with acrylic nails.
“I won't do acrylics,” Gallo said. “I get a lot of people who ask for them, but I think that the smell is so bad when you work with acrylics, and they are also very bad for your nails.”
Top of the line nail products used at the salon include Essie, OPI and China Glaze polishes, as well as CND and Harmony Gel Polishes. She is exploring using different types of nail art.
Gallo said business is steadily increasing, and she hopes to see more and more clients come for the luxury services while enjoying the natural beauty of the area.
“You have a really great view of the river here, and some customers just enjoy sitting on the deck and relaxing,” Gallo said, adding that her background, her personality and the array of services offered in a clean setting are a big draw for many. “I have a lot of experience, and this is a nice, private setting. It's very clean here, and there is no smell, which a lot of people seem to appreciate. I can also say that I pay attention to the little things, and I do a little extra, but I don't charge extra. I don't nickel-and- dime the customers. I offer quality services, and I sincerely enjoy doing what I do.”
Visits to Nails by Kelly are by appointment only.
Nails by Kelly is located at 232 N. Seventh St., Connellsville. Call 724-603-5556 to schedule an appointment.
Marilyn Forbes is a contributing writer for Trib Total Media.
