Phase 2 of Gov. Greg Abbott's plan to reopen Texas went into effect Friday as more businesses are able to reopen their doors.
Barber shops, hair salons, nail salons, tanning salons and swimming pools all were given the green light as part of Abbott's plan.
“I tried to trim my sideburns myself and was unsuccessful, so I’ve just been patiently waiting," said customer Matt Donnell.
After more than a month away, clients at Gulfway Barber Shop were ready to get back into the chair.
"It feels good right now just thinking about how it's gonna look at the end result," said Vicente Morin.
But the customer experience looks a little different than it did before the pandemic.
Some of the guidelines for salons and barber shops include:
- Only one customer per stylist.
- Stations must be 6 feet apart.
- It's recommended to use an appointment system instead of walk-ins.
- If walk-ins are allowed, people waiting inside must be 6 feet away from others. If that is not possible, people will have to wait outside or even in their cars.
- Strongly recommended that both customers and stylists wear face masks.
Gulfway Barber Shop owner Brian Autry said even with the guidelines, people were eager to get a haircut first thing this morning.
"By 6:45 (a.m.) people were knocking on the door wanting to come in," he said. "Feels pretty good. Feels pretty good to be open again."
Nail salons stayed busy Friday as well. Some had 2-hour wait times.
Salons such as Golden Nails in Corpus Christi have taken the extra step to install sneeze guards between customers and employees.
Salon Salon lead stylist Daniel Villarreal said the changes are taking some getting used to.
"The biggest adjustment is not being able to double book and have my assistant with me," Villarreal said. "Now it's working even longer hours to be able to accommodate."
Gov. Greg Abbott provided checklists for various businesses and customers as Texas reopens.
And while the guidelines are an adjustment for many -- people are excited to return to normal routines.
"It’s been so fun just to be back today," Villarreal said. "Just getting back into the groove of things and back to routine. I do what I love, so I really missed having my hands in hair. Thankfully we're going to get back, slowly, to normal. Just take it one day at a time. And hopefully everybody stays safe and healthy."