Pinki’s Beauty Salon opened its suite in Flossmoor’s Shops on Sterling, 1056 Sterling Ave., to offer beauty services.
Pinki Koli, owner of the salon, said she started the business in 2017 and now has three locations, including Tinley Park and Highland, Indiana.
The salon’s services include eyebrow threading, shaping, waxing, tinting, eyelash extensions, facials, body waxing and henna tattoos.
Salon hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays through Saturdays. Tuesdays are by appointment.
She attended the Rosel School of Cosmetology before moving on to the Walmart Salon in Country Club Hills, working there for three years.
“I’m from India, but I’ve been living here (about) 13 to 14 years now,” Koli said. “I did my (schooling) at the Rosel school and then I started working at the Walmart Seva Salon.”
Koli and her husband got work visas and joined family here. Opening the salons was a dream come true for her.
“When I was in India, I used to work (at) an advertisement agency as an art director,” Koli said. “I used to do graphic designing and became an art director. I (did) good work there.”
Breaking into a career in print media in the United States was challenging, Koli said. She’d been interested in fashion and beauty all her life and saw a career in beauty was a path she could take.
With time to think and full support from her husband who helped with her business endeavors, she was able to open her salons, Koli said.
“God gave me a very good gift as a husband,” Koli said. “He always supports me (with) my business, whatever I want to do.”
She heard about the location from a friend who lives in Hazel Crest who used to have a beauty salon in the same space.
When having lunch with her husband in Flossmoor they went to visit her friend’s salon and realized it wasn’t there anymore. Koli said she took that chance and contacted the owners of the space to check it out.
“This place I love the most because … first of all it faces front of the door,” Koli said. “When I opened this (shop), I was amazed at how all the ladies are very cooperative.”
Clients from the Alison Turner Nail Studio in the front of the building come to her for beauty services and Koli’s clients have gone to Turner’s studio, she said.
Out of all her locations her Flossmoor store is the smallest. Currently she is working there solo, but she hopes to hire a few people before summer.
“Mondays are a little slow because most of my neighbors are closed on Mondays,” Koli said. “Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday are good.”
Koli said her passion comes from being a woman who is beautiful wanting to help other beautiful women accentuate their beauty.
She expresses gratitude to the communities that have welcomed her.
“When I was coming here, I was not prepared, but I’m impressed. People are very friendly, very welcoming,” Koli said. “I’ve had no single bad experience with a single person. So I am very blessed.”
For more information about the Pinki’s Beauty Salon, call 464-333-1846.