'Escape the ordinary': Business booming for 'magical' Harry Potter themed Chesterfield beauty salon after reopening

Jodie Evell who runs One Nine Three Hair and Beauty on Sheffield Road in Stonegravels, said she may have to move the popular wizarding business to a bigger premises in the future, if demand for the themed treatments keeps growing.

The 31-year-old entrepreneur set up the business which provides Harry Potter and ‘magical’ facials, massages, nail art and hair-dos in the Hogwarts house colours in December 2018.

While the hair and beauty salon was not originally magic themed, self-described Harry Potter super-fan Jodie quickly decided to incorporate the style across the business after customers praised the wizard-inspired artwork she had hanging up in the salon.

She said: "We've never been busier coming out of lockdown which has been amazing.

"I think coming out of the pandemic has been quite miserable and had a real knock on people's mental health so to come here and just have that little bit of magic and escape, as well as having a pamper has been really good for people.

"We've never really been quiet, we've been busy since we opened so I've never been worried about the business closing as such but I also never expected such a good response when we came back because it's just been non-stop."

Jodie previously rented chairs in other people’s salons but was always passionate about setting up her own enterprise that would be distinctly different from the white, clinical look and feel of many beauty parlours.

Before the pandemic hit, she held quiz nights, birthday and wedding parties, along with baby showers at One Nine Three Hair and Beauty – which she plans to bring back in line with Government rules easing.

The 31-year-old added: "Not all girls are girly, I'm not so I always wanted something different but I never envisaged having a Harry Potter salon, that kind of just happened but I love it.

"We have a slogan here and it is 'escape the ordinary' and that is kind of what we do.

"When you come in here you forget you're in Chesterfield and that there's a road full of traffic outside and it is really quite magical.”

The business reopened on April 13 in line with the initial easing of Covid-19 restrictions for beauty businesses and since then Jodie has recruited a new hairdresser and thanked her loyal customers and Harry Potter super-fans for returning to support the salon.

Visitors have travelled from Birmingham and London to visit the town and enjoy the bespoke magic and wizard themed treatments and Harry Potter interior that the 31-year-old decorated herself.

She added: "One of our clients, Stacey, she is crackers about Harry Potter - she's probably a bigger fan than I am - and every time she comes in, she changes her hair to match the different houses and she matches her nails as well.

"People love it, we've had a few people that literally just say 'wow' as soon as they walk in and a lot of people just pop in to have a look around.

"It's been a massive labour of love which has been really nice, especially that people appreciate it."

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