Laying down Roots in Lewes
When Melissa Baxter and Jess Huss opened Roots Hair Salon in Lewes in October, they decided an intimate and personal experience for clients was of utmost importance.
“We want you to come in and feel like you’re at home,” said Baxter. “We want you to come in, have a glass of wine or a beer and just feel comfortable.”
Baxter says Roots has more a barbershop atmosphere than a hair salon.
“We’ll have clients up front at night all having a glass of wine, and we’re all involved in the same conversation,” she said.
Baxter and Huss each have 20 years of experience. Each has worked at a larger salon, and they wanted to get away from the assembly line approach, in which, they say, a client’s personal experience takes a back seat, as one person will shampoo, another will color and another will cut.
At Roots, Baxter and Huss do it all, offering a wide range of hair services.
And they don’t limit themselves to just women, as men are welcome too.
Roots is the culmination of a longtime dream for Baxter. She and Huss started looking to open their own salon five years ago. Baxter toured her existing Savannah Road location then, but before she could pull the trigger, it was gone.
So, rather than open their own salon, Baxter and Huss left the big salon and rented chairs at a friend’s salon on Coastal Highway. Last spring, they once again felt the urge to branch out on their own and started looking again.
Just a day before they were set to sign a lease in Rehoboth, the Savannah Road location went back on the market.
“It was definitely fate,” Huss said. “It was meant to be, especially when we walked in and saw it. It just had all the character we were going to put into our own building.”
Five years after first seeing the space, Baxter said, it was still the perfect location.
“I fell in love with it,” she said.
The historic building was once a military infirmary in current day Cape Henlopen State Park. After being moved to Savannah Road, it served as a single-room church – a cross is still visible on the eave. It was then a psychiatrist’s office, a real estate office and an antique shop.
“We love the history of the building and everything about it,” Huss said.
Roots is located at 361 Savannah Road, next to Lewes Fire Department. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are strongly encouraged. For more information or to make an appointment, call 302-644-1363.
Nick Roth is the news editor. He has been with the Cape Gazette since 2012, previously covering town beats in Milton and Lewes. In addition to serving on the editorial board and handling page layout, Nick is responsible for the weekly Delaware History in Photographs feature and enjoys writing stories about the Cape Region’s history. Prior to the Cape Gazette, Nick worked for the Delmarva Media Group, including the Delaware Wave, Delaware Coast Press and Salisbury Daily Times. He also contributed to The News Journal. Originally from Boyertown, Pa., Nick attended Shippensburg University in central Pennsylvania, graduating in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He’s won several MDDC awards during his career for both writing and photography. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, going to the beach with his family and cheering for Philadelphia sports teams.
