by Maya Lazarovitz
Inquiring minds have been wondering what happened to popular hairstylist Johnny Mack? Where did he go? Former customers ask, “Johnny Mack, when are you coming back?”
Well, his dedicated clientele need look no further. Johnny and Tanya Mack are the proud new owners of Kinkz Salon & Day Spa, a mainstay in Dr. Phillips for more than a decade. As of early December, the Dr. Phillips residents have taken over management of Kinkz, a culmination of a lifelong dream.
Johnny (right) and Tanya Mack are the new owners of Kinkz Salon & Day Spa.
“We were planning to open up our own salon, but the chance to buy something that was already so successful was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Johnny said. “It’s like buying a Rolls Royce.”
While Kinkz ownership has changed, the salon’s mission of excellent service and products remains the same. However, Johnny is kicking it up a notch by adding a variety of new services, including acoustic live music — currently Kinkz has “Acoustic Fridays”; wine tastings; tapas appetizer parties; and wireless Internet service. Johnny also plans to make Kinkz available for private parties and business functions. Launching a company Web site is another one of his goals.
In addition, Kinkz is adding a monthly event calendar, featuring activities such as 101 blow-dry classes to teach clients how to maintain their salon dos at home; Hair Miles, a system where clients accumulate points they can put toward salon services or merchandise from participating vendors; and trade-in/trade-up product days.
“Clients can trade in products that are under their sinks, that they no longer use, and receive credit toward new products,” Johnny said. “These traded-in products will go toward local charities. It’s part of my desire to give back to the community.”
Involvement in the community is important to the Macks. Recently, as an outreach to let women know how special they are, Kinkz donated one free haircut for the Queen’s Banquet charity event held at the First Baptist Church of Orlando.
The Macks plan to continue the company’s commitment to charity by hosting charity events, giving away products and gift baskets to worthy causes, and making donations to organizations like Toys for Tots, Bridges of Light Foundation and American Cancer Society, as well as participating in the Locks of Love hair-donation program.
“We’re just trying to take hairdressing to the next level,” Johnny said.
“We want Kinkz clients to understand that we’re not making major changes. We’re just making minor improvements.”
One of those improvements is making Kinkz more family-friendly, with DVD players and a movie selection for children; a small, baby-proofed and gated area with toys for children of all ages; Mommy and Me days; and monthly children’s activities.
“We’re family-oriented people, so we want our salon to be oriented as well,” Johnny said. “We want to make people of all ages feel comfortable.”
Kinkz Salon & Day Spa has 22 talented and experienced stylists, manicurists, massage therapists, makeup artists and aestheticians to bring out the beauty in every woman. The salon also provides an array of beauty supplies and products.
One thing that will not change is the company’s commitment to five-star service and glamour. At Kinkz, serving satisfied customers is No. 1.
“We want every one of our clients to walk out looking like they’re ready for a photo shoot,” Johnny said. “There’s no excuse for anything less. If there is anything we can do to make our clients happy, we will bend over backward to do it.”
Kinkz will still provide quality hair, nail and skin-care services, and sell an array of beauty services and products, as well as some new product lines. For color, Kinkz now offers Wella, Schwarzkopf and Goldwell. For hairstyling and shampoos, Kinkz features Esuchen, Rene Furterer Paris, Profound, Paul Brown, Alterna and S Factor by Tigi.
Johnny and Tanya have personally tested every product for excellence and performance before recommending it.
“We won’t carry a line just because someone else says it’s good,” Johnny said. “We want to know whether or not it’s good and why, and if it’s good for certain hair types.”
Recently, Johnny appeared on the iVillage Live show, which broadcasts from Universal Orlando Resort. He plans to do more with the station to educate viewers about hair care and to bring a little bit of Beverly Hills to Orlando.
Customer service and community involvement are two things that Johnny hopes will set Kinkz apart from the competition. Another is his unsurpassed level of color knowledge, creativity and versatility.
A colorist with more than 20 years of experience, Mack began his apprenticeship in style at age 18 under famed hairstylist George Mangonaro, whose salon put perfection haircutting on the map. From then on, Johnny sought only to take his newfound craft to higher, more challenging levels. In doing so, he later trained under Jonathan Gale, one of Beverly Hills most prestigious colorists and stylists. It was there, at the Juan Juan Salon, that he learned how to foil with precision, in addition to studying the paste-on, belting and bricklaying color techniques. He used these skills on such famed clients as Diane Keaton, Faye Dunaway, Robert De Niro and Robin Williams. In Beverly Hills, Johnny became one of the most recognized and accomplished colorists in the industry, with a clientele list of celebrities that included Olivia Newton John, Kate Kapshaw, Kelly Preston, Bridget Fonda, Eddie Money, Tia Carrera, Jack Wagner, Julie Bowen, Daniel Davis and Mel Harris.
After nearly nine years in California, Johnny took his career to Sydney, Australia, where he worked as a world-class colorist and stylist for six years, before returning to the United States and moving to New York City, where he learned the latest coloring and cutting trends. An Orlando resident for five years, Johnny has built up his clientele by using his abilities to enhance and compliment his customers’ skin tones, personalities and lifestyles.
“I love creating new looks and enhancing people’s appearance, making them feel like a million bucks because they have great color and a great style,” he said. “That’s why I love being a stylist. It’s like being an artist, but with a head of hair as my canvas.”
Kinkz Salon & Day Spa is located in Suite 17 at 7571 W. Sand Lake Road, across from Timpano’s Chophouse & Martini Bar and Seasons 52.
It was founded 14 years ago by former owner Kathy Stephenson, in one of the area’s oldest shopping plazas in Bay Hill on Apopka-Vineland Road.
A full-service beauty salon and day spa, Kinkz offers a wide range of services, including haircuts, color, relaxers, Japanese straightening, perms, waving, extensions, up-dos, deep conditioning and clarifying treatments, manicures and pedicures, paraffin treatments, acrylic nails and fills, eyelash extensions, body treatments, European facials, body waxing and full body massage, microdermabrasion, glycolic acid and oxygen treatments, as well as makeup consultation and application using Audrey Morris cosmetics.
A treatment at Kinkz is not a typical trip to the beauty salon.
“We want our clients to feel like they could just hang out at the salon,” Johnny said. “From the time they walk in until the time they leave, we want everyone to feel welcome. We want it to be a one-stop shop for all.”
Kinkz Salon & Day Spa is open Monday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. To book an appointment with one of Kinkz 22 talented, experienced stylists, manicurists, massage therapists, makeup artists or aestheticians, call (407) 351-1122.
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