From left, Jordin Tuller, Annika Ells, County Executive and state Sen. elect George Borello, Kyla Rodriguez, Forbici Hair Design owner, City Council President Marie Carrubba, Morgan Baker; bottom left, Hannah Lombardo, Stacey Johnson, Hannah Pangborn, Kelsea Fitzpatrick, Patrice Heath and Carrie Retterer. Forbici offers a variety of services aside from haircuts, including manicures, pedicures, massages and waxings. P-J photo by Carly Gould

Loyal customers to Forbici Hair Design can now visit the business on Washington Street, where the Red Barn used to be located.

Forbici started out in 2010 with only four employees. Now, Kyla Rodriguez has 14 employees and the business has moved to a larger location at 2103 Washington St. The business started out on Foote Avenue and moved during Labor Day weekend.

A ribbon cutting ceremony took place Nov. 1, with the event being catered by Rodriguez’s grandmother and her home-made cookies.

“Our old location was too small for everybody,” Rodriguez said. “We had two different locations next to each other because there were so many of us, and it was so hard to keep having to go back-and-forth. This location is perfect. Everybody can see each other.”

The new location has several different rooms for the variety of services Forbici offers, which is more than just haircuts. There are rooms for washing hair, drying hair, manicures and pedicures, waxing and massages. The business has 11 hair stations, five manicure stations, three pedicure chairs, two waxing rooms and an eyelash room. The waiting area is in the middle of the main room, so waiting guests can still interact with the stylists or those getting haircuts.

“It’s all very open,” Rodriguez said. “We want to make people feel very comfortable here.”

On the wall next to the waiting area is a certificate that Rodriguez is proud of, which states Forbici is “owned and operated by women in your community.”

“It feels so surreal,” Rodriguez said. “It feels like home. I know people who come here leave with a smile on their face. I still have the same feeling every day when I open and close the door, so I know we did the right thing.”

She added that the business has received a lot of support from the community, and Forbici now has more than 7,000 clients. Marie Carrubba, president of the Jamestown City Council, said at the ribbon cutting that she is looking forward to coming to Forbici in the future.

“I’ve known what I wanted to do with my life since I was a little girl,” Rodriguez said. “I set forward to do it. I went to BOCES in Mayville and I knew that this is my calling. I’ve lived in Chautauqua County all my life and this is where my roots are, no pun intended.”

Rodriguez worked for a California-based hair care company before opening her own beauty shop. She said the only service Forbici doesn’t offer is facials.

“I’m locally grown,” she said. “Chautauqua is my home and always will be.”

Forbici Hair Design is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, call 483-2758 or go to forbicihairdesign.com.