A Sutton hair salon has proved its coiffuring credentials and won a national gong recognizing the UK’s best family business, just 12 months after first opening its doors.
The luxury salon, on Carshalton High Street, was awarded the One to Watch honour at the sixth annual Red Ribbon Awards, held at the Globe Theatre in London last week.
After presenting the accolade judge said: “The team at Frank Di Lusso has a true commitment to quality, innovation and customer satisfaction.
“The business buzzes with personality and for such a young company they have many schemes and programmes to develop the future generations and ensure skills for the future.
“From the minute you walk in to the moment you leave, the team show genuine care and attentiveness to ensure every visit is a joy.”
Business owner Frank Cappalonga transformed the former pound shop into his dream salon with financial support from his mother-in-law, his father helped with the full scale refurbishment and Frank’s wife Charlie was in charge of interior design.
Frank now runs the business with support from Manager Stevie Killgallon and Assistant Manager Michelle Le, both of whom he trained at a different south west London salon and who accompanied him to the ceremony.
Frank said: “It’s never easy to start a new business from scratch but we saw a gap in the market in south west London for a high-end luxury salon with services at affordable prices so we decided to bite the bullet and go for it.
“Thankfully, the gamble has really paid off. More than 90% of our clients have returned more than once, we have employed two more team members, and now a panel of experienced business people have rated us the ‘One to Watch’!”
“After 12 months of hard work from the whole team and invaluable support from all of our families, we are just thrilled to have been recognised with a national accolade.
“The judges told us they had hundreds of entries, so we are truly honoured to have been chosen as the best.”
Last year Frank Di Lusso won the Tom Brake Independent Shop Of The Year award voted for by residents, and last month the business, which attracts custom from across London and Surrey, was given a Customer Service award from software review firm Phorest, in recognition of a consistently high number of five star reviews.
