“I’ve wanted to be a hairdresser since I was a little girl and I would do my mom’s hair and makeup,” said Julia, owner of Silvar Shears in Bridgewood Plaza, 1794 Bridge Street, Suite 12A.
Silvar Shears, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2024, is Dracut Economic Development’s Business of the Month for July 2024.
Julia pursued her childhood dream beginning with Haircare & Tanning Salon on Middlesex Street in Lowell, owned by Basil Karanastasis, who she calls “an amazing boss and mentor.”
“I learned so much under Basil,” she said. “He’s like a father to me.”
A highlight of her career that added another layer to her resume was a two-year stint at Talk of the Town in Dracut.
In 2004, she found an available spot on Broadway Road and opened her own shop. When it came time to name the shop, she played off her surname and dubbed it Silvar Shears.
She rented that location for 13 years before finding a suite at Bridgewood Plaza that was for sale.
She and her husband, George, bought the space, and George, who owns and operates Silvar Construction in Dracut, completely gutted the 1,200-square-foot space and transformed it into a state-of-the-art hair salon. Julia and George also raised two daughters – Alexis, 26, and Geanna, 21.
At the time Julia opened her shop, there were quite a few hair salons in Dracut, but nothing like the current number.
There are currently 34 hair salons in Dracut – eight of them in Bridgewood Plaza alone, not to mention five others in the 2.25-mile stretch of Bridge Street between the Lowell and Pelham lines.
One might think that would foil any attempt to open a salon in town. But Julia knows that as long as people have hair, they’re going to need a hair salon, and it’s up to salon owners to provide the quality of service to keep their clients coming back.
“It’s not really a competition,” she said of the volume of salons. “Anyone who owns a salon has their own clientele. A lot of clients have moved with me, and in my 32 years in business, as I moved, I gained a lot of new clients, and I have a great referral base. It’s a business that won’t go away.”
She is on the lookout for two more stylists, and the salon has two rooms that can be rented out by a nail or eyelashes technician or an aesthetician. She would rather add extensions to Silvar Shears’ services than trim them.
Julia said Bridgewood Plaza is her salon’s permanent home, and she has no plans to move away from her roots.
“I’ll be here a long time,” she said. “I don’t see me retiring any time soon. I don’t regret any of it. I love what I do. It’s always been my passion. If I didn’t do this, I don’t know what I’d do.”
For more information about Silvar Shears, or to inquire about the spaces and chairs available, call 978-441-1315 or email Jaggs1315@gmail.com.
CAPTIONS:
Julia Silvar is celebrating Silvar Shears’ 20th anniversary this year. (DRACUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PHOTO)
Silvar Shears has a couple of chairs available if any stylists are looking. (DRACUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PHOTO)
Some of the products Silvar Shears offers. (DRACUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PHOTO)\
Julia Silvar: “I love what I do. It’s always been my passion. If I didn’t do this, I don’t know what I’d do.” (DRACUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PHOTO)