A full-service establishment
Cleveland natives, Brandy Grant and her husband Robert, decided to buy Kut Works Salon from Freida Easley in 2019. Before becoming a salon, Grant said there have been many businesses that have occupied 118 E Sunflower Road in Cleveland over the years. It has been a pawn shop, a furniture store in the 70s, and the first John Deere store in the area. In 2009, Easley bought the building and transitioned out of her original location across the street from First Presbyterian Church.
According to Grant, Easley still owns the building that houses both Kut Works Salon and Kut Works Boutique, but she rents the space out to both businesses, and has continued to work as a stylist at the salon.
“Morgan McCain, who owns Mod and Proper, is the sole owner of the boutique, and I’m the sole owner of the salon,” said Grant.
Right out of high school, Grant said she went to Delta State and attained her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Merchandising with a double minor in art and business in 2005 before getting married and moving to Murfreesboro for her husband’s job.
“I always wanted to be a cosmetologist and I begged my parents right after high school, but they said I needed to go and get a college degree first,” said Grant. “When we moved to Murfreesboro, I could not find a job and ended up working for Esteé Lauder doing makeovers.”
According to Grant, this reawakened her love of all things cosmetology. Later, when Grant was continuing to have trouble finding a position after they moved to Jackson, Tennessee, she and her husband decided she should go to cosmetology school.
In 2007, Grant enrolled herself in Elite College of Cosmetology. Since graduating, Grant has continued her education and is now certified in hand tied and hidden bead method for extensions through Jay-Z Style as well as lash extensions and Brazilian Blowouts.
“It’s definitely been the biggest blessing in my family’s life,” said Grant. “And, I continue to try to educate myself on the latest techniques and trends. I feel like that’s key to being a successful hairstylist.”
Grant said she watches others on social media and does her own research to help her learn new techniques and inspire her. She also takes classes when they are made available.
“I’m always trying to grow and learn as much as possible,” said Grant.
When her husband got the Food and Service Director position at Delta State, she and her two sons, now fourteen and eighteen, were happy to move back to Cleveland in 2013. Grant became a stylist at Kut Works shortly after they moved back.
“Cleveland’s always been our home and this town has been such a blessing to my family in more ways than we can count,” said Grant.
When the pandemic hit, Grant said she had only had the business for about a year.
“With us being out of business for six weeks, that was definitely one of the toughest things I’ve had to deal with as a business owner,” said Grant. “Especially being a new owner and having to still pay all your bills. Mississippi was so slow giving us our unemployment checks. I didn’t even receive my check until week five. So, being self-employed and having no money coming in was definitely hard.”
Although it was difficult, Grant was forced to come up with unique ways to help her customers.
“The community came together and tried to support us by buying products, and I would self deliver them,” said Grant. “I would mix color and take it to their house, so they could apply it themselves.”
Grant said it can be difficult working with the same group of women day in and day out because of all the personalities, but the ladies make an effort to talk through any issues they have, work out their differences, and move on.
“We see each other more than we see our own families so that’s probably the only real challenging part, but we get along pretty well,” said Grant.
After seventeen years of experience, Grant shared that cosmetology is not a job you do unless you love it.
“We have seen people at their worst and we see people at their best,” said Grant. “We love to make a difference and make them feel good. We are absorbers of people’s energy, but it’s definitely worth it.”
Kut Works Salon offers hair colors, haircuts, hair extensions, last extensions, manicures, pedicures, spray tans, massages, and waxing, according to Grant. They also offer hair and makeup services for bridal parties and other special events. One of their newest offerings is semi-permanent hair toppers for women who aren’t candidates for hand tied extensions, but are starting to lose a lot of hair at the top of their head.
“We also have teeth whitening, and our newest treatment is the Japanese Head Spa,” said Grant. “It originated in Japan and it’s a treatment for the scalp. If you suffer from dry scalp, buildup, or psoriasis, it can help reverse the symptoms.”
It’s a relaxing experience, according to Grant. They have a camera that looks at the scalp and can show what the scalp looks like before the treatment is used and after to see the difference.
“We have a thirty minute on-the-go for people who just want a quick treatment, and we have an hour long option,” said Grant.
The session starts with an analysis of the scalp. Then customized “top of the line” products are chosen to treat specific issues, depending on what the scalp needs.
“They’ll start with a neck and head massage at the chair and then they’ll take you back and you’ll receive a heated eye mask,” said Grant. “We use a scalp steamer and all these different oils and exfoliating scalp head treatments and masks. They often massage the arms and the hands as well.”
Grant said the experience can help bring blood flow back to the scalp and improve circulation to help the hair grow.
“We like to suggest people do it once a month to help really keep the scalp healthy,” said Grant.
According to Grant, Kut Works is one of the only salons in the area that is open six days per week and they have the largest selection of hair care products for all hair types. They carry “top of the line” product brands such as: Kevin Murphy, Color Wow, and Design Me.
“We’re one of the largest salons in the area with nine stylists and one massage therapist,” said Grant. “I consider us to have an upscale look, but a laid back professional environment. We like our clients to feel like they’re at home.”
Grant said their clients are like their second family, and each stylist makes an effort to make sure their client feels relaxed and happy with their experience.
The current stylists at the salon include: Brandy Grant, Frieda Easley, Melissa Logan, Leslie Box, Linzy Abraham, Sammi Leinart, Betsy Rush, Linda Ingram, and Willow Rooker. Scottie Landown is the part-time massage therapist for the salon and has fifteen years of experience, but she is also a full-time social worker. She is only available for massages on Thursdays and Fridays at 5:30 p.m., and then on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
If you would like to book an appointment with any of the stylists, set up a massage, or a teeth whitening appointment, Grant said you can book online through the Vagaro app, call the salon at (662) 846-1818, or stop by during open hours.
“Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are preferred for longer services,” said Grant. “The boutique hours are Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and then the salon is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays.”
In the future, Grant said their goal is to expand on the Japanese Head Spa offerings as well as continue to add additional services and “some of the best products” they can find. They also plan to host classes in the salon and they currently have a class coming up in this May.
“Thank you to all that have supported us over the years,” said Grant. “We’re so grateful to have some of the best clientele. We promise to continue to bring the best services that the industry can offer.”
If you would like to learn more about Kut Works Salon or keep up with what they are offering, Grant said you are welcome to follow them on Facebook, or look at their offerings on the Vargaro website or app.