Tenant Sought for Vacated Hair Salon

By Colleen Gundlach

With the closing last month of Norfolk’s only hair salon, Great Impressions, the south corner of Station Place at Route 44 looks dark. But, in the words of an old Chinese proverb, “Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” Martha Pallone, owner of the building that formerly housed the salon and the Corner Store, is looking to light the candle.

After the Corner Store closed last year, Pallone put a sign in the window advertising the building as for sale by owner. “I wanted to give a local person the opportunity to open a business there first,” she says. “I didn’t formally put it on the market with a realtor until December.” She reports that the building has been shown to interested parties, and she is hopeful that more will follow.

Great Impressions had been operated by Tammi Pavano for the past 15 years, but back-related health issues caused her to close the store and take employment elsewhere.

“Closing day was very sad and emotional,” Pavano says. “I am happy to have been a part of the Norfolk community for so many years. There are a lot of special and very talented people in Norfolk. I will miss them. It’s a cool little town.”

A Winsted native and graduate of the Torrington Beauty Academy, Pavano said that being a hairdresser is something she had always wanted to do and to be able to have her own salon was her dream, which she achieved in Norfolk.

Though her salon was booming and kept her hopping, she handled the business by herself. “If the phone rang while I was working with a customer, I would often let it go to voice mail rather than break my attention on my customer.”

She said the hardest part of closing is leaving her customers and friends. “I want to thank each and every one of my clients for the last 15 years. It has been my pleasure doing business with you and I wish you all the best. Maybe we can catch up over a cup of coffee sometime. Take care and be well.”

Pallone’s property at 2 Station Place is listed for sale with Raynard & Peirce Real Estate for $249,000.

Photos by Bruce Frisch.