I've been going to Bruno's for haircuts and hair dying for about four years. I am usually a…read morewalk-in and they can almost always fit me in within a half hour. However, since I'm usually a walk-in, I rarely get the same stylist twice in a row. Perhaps if I developed a relationship by seeing the same stylist, the results would be more consistent. I've always had very good experiences with the coloring, but the cuts are varied. I wouldn't say I've gotten a bad haircut there, though some stylists just do layers differently. In particular, I like two of their stylists: Laura and Karen.
I know the salon does nail stuff and makeup in the back, but I've never had any of that done there so I can't rate that myself, but I can say that I frequently see ladies getting their nails done. There are at least three nail tables in the back, and lots of little bottles and such on the shelves so I assume they are adequate at it.
For the hair cutting/dying area, I've seen varied clientele, from families with kids, working adults, punky types and old ladies getting perms. I should note that a lot if their stylists are on the older side, which can mean they are experienced and speedy, or perhaps are a little less than great at any cutting-edge styles.
The reason I give only three stars is the atmosphere. There is nice paint on the walls and a mural in the waiting area, but the waiting area is sparse. The chairs are rickety and I think there's a fake plant sitting dusty in the corner. The stations are nicer. They have newly upholstered chairs and are kept clean. But there certainly isn't a posh, hip feeling to the place with the casual way some of the stylists do themselves up. Some wear ratty smocks and little makeup and have hair that hasn't had a style update in 8 years. They offer beverages but if you ask for water, you'll get it in a styrofoam cup. The price for a cut, dye and blow-dry the last time I went was somewhere around $85. Probably the right price for the atmosphere. Obviously I like it enough since I keep going back.
However, there is one bad thing about Bruno's that happens all the time. It is pretty minor but happens so frequently I imagine someone calling up for the first time might get put off by it. Every time I call or walk in to make an appointment, they seem as if they have never made an appointment or seen the scheduling book before in their lives. I mean, if I call saying "Hi, I'd like to make an appointment for a trim tomorrow. I work until 5 so it needs to be after 5:30. I don't care which stylist it is - they all do wonderful jobs. Do you have anything available?" they are going to do this for 10 minutes: "Uh, hmm. Let me see. Wait, what was your name again? Ok. Hmm. Well we have so and so free- wait, that's not going to work. Hmm. Uh. Da da da da. Let's see... How about tomorrow at three?" and so on. You'd think the person in charge of scheduling would know if they had a slot free the next day offhand, but they act blindsided by your request.
