Berkeley Heights Resident Realizes Dream With Salon Opening

Like a lot of young women, Esperanza Urrego came to New Jersey from Colombia seeking the American dream. She started a family and found work doing what she trained to do, cutting and coloring hair at a local salon. But what she didn’t expect to find was the gratification that came with getting to know the people around her and making them look and feel great about themselves.

This January, her English much improved, her client base loyal and growing, the Berkeley Heights, NJ, resident became the proud owner of Esperanza Salon, 32 Maple Street, in the heart of downtown Summit, NJ.

In becoming a small business owner, Urrego hopes to encourage other women and Latinos to seek out and accomplish their dreams. “I know the economy is down right now, but that’s no reason to believe I can’t be successful. I love my clients and they love me,” she tells us.

Esperanza’s love for her work shows every time she sits someone down in one of her elegant salon’s brown leather chairs. “I love to talk to people and learn about their lives. Every client is different and I love that every hour is different,” she tells us.

Known by her clients as a genius with cut and color, many have followed her through the years from salon to salon—some even driving great distances to have their hair styled by her—before she decided to open Esperanza Salon.

“Esperanza is a true professional who really cares about her clients. She takes time to understand your hair styling dreams and then works hard to make those dreams come true. She has done that for me every week for the last six years. I highly recommend Esperanza's hair styling services,” says Debra Keenan of West Orange, NJ. “I have been a loyal customer of Esperanza’s for longer than any other stylist I have ever used. Esperanza is incredible stylist and very knowledgeable about the science of hair. When I first went to Esperanza my hair was falling out and I had considered getting a weave or a wig. Within three months she had revitalized my hair and by six months I had healthy new growth.”  

“I love that she’s very flexible and listens to what you want. She makes great recommendations—she takes what you want and makes it even better,” says Erica Anthony of Maplewood, NJ, who has been going to Urrego for cut and color for seven years. “I trust her completely. I get compliments all the time. I’ve had people look at my hair and say, ‘That’s what I want!’”

“I love the way I look whenever I leave Esperanza's Salon,” says Jill Quist of Maplewood, NJ. “The drive is well worth it. She makes me feel warm and welcome when I arrive, I have an immensely pleasurable experience while I'm there, and when I leave I look better than best. She is a magician as a stylist and colorist. Don't miss another opportunity to make an appointment. You won't regret it!”

“It’s my goal to offer the best service to my clients,” says Urrego. “I don’t believe that going to a salon is just about your hair—it’s the whole experience. Here, I can take care of people they way that I want to. I want people to feel that this is their home, as well as my own.”

The new salon is chic and elegant—lots of white with splashes of red and a modern décor that utilizes a touch of the fantastical, fun art that she loves. “It’s like an extension of her,” says Anthony.

Of course, Anthony and other clients would just as happily visit a dingy basement if Urrego had decided to open up shop there. “She’s a one-of-a-kind,” says Anthony. “She loves what she does and she wants to be there. She makes you want to be there, too.”

Urrego herself couldn’t be happier than when she’s working. “It’s instant gratification,” she says. “It’s very creative. I can express what I love in the colors I use and the way that I style their hair.”

She hopes that people coming to Esperanza Salon will catch that love-to-be-here bug that others have found with her. “I have some wonderful stylists working for me,” says Urrego. “Everything I’ve done, everyone I’ve hired, is with the goal of making sure my clients love coming here.”

Esperanza Salon is located at 32 Maple Street in the heart of Summit, NJ. Appointments are available Tuesday through Saturday. We have stylists who specialize in hair design for men, women and children with all hair types, as well as waxing and skin care. For more information, call 908-598-1000 or visit www.esperanzasalon.com. For more information and updates, like us on Facebook!