By Julie Snyder
C & G Staff Writer

ST. CLAIR SHORES — There’s a new business in St. Clair Shores, though it may be a tad difficult to find.

Flash Cuts Hair Salon at 27423 Harper is somewhat hidden inside a longtime local business whose most noticeable exterior feature is a painting of “Star Wars” villain Darth Vader.

Since mid-April, local stylist Sally Walsh has operated her quaint salon inside Sadler Electric.

“When I found out there was a space there that I could rent, I wanted it,” said Walsh, who has been cutting hair and providing coloring to St. Clair Shores residents for nearly 20 years. “This is like a dream come true for me.”

Walsh, who resides in Warren, honed her styling skills as a student at Warren Woods Vocational Adult Education School in the Cosmetology Arts and Sciences program.

Walsh said she initially couldn’t decide whether she wanted to get into nursing or the world of beauty. A close friend who was already working as a stylist expressed her love of the profession, and Walsh was sold.

With a dream of opening her own salon, Walsh knew she would first need to gain more experience and build a clientele.

Immediately after graduation, she was hired at BoRics Hair Care on Harper near Martin. She remained at BoRics for 15 years before learning of another opportunity in the city she had grown to love.

Walsh set up shop at Lori’s Hair Affair on Nine Mile near Jefferson and took a majority of clients along with her. She would remain at Lori’s, renting space as an independent stylist, for four years.

“I always talked of opening my own salon and one of my regulars told me he had some space inside his business that he could rent to me,” said Walsh, 48. “I was very interested.”

Patrick Sadler is the owner of the family business, which has operated in St. Clair Shores since 1957.

Walsh, whose family came to the United States from Korea in 1976, said she loves her new location and foresees a bright future for herself there.

“It is such a great area of the city,” she said. “I’m close to the school (Lakeview High School) so I’m getting a lot of students, and some of the surrounding businesses are helping me get promotion here.”

One of the many devoted clients who followed Walsh from Nine Mile is St. Clair Shores resident Michael Prokopec.

Prokopec, a customer for four years, said he was delighted to learn of the move, as Walsh is now closer to his home.

“She’s more centralized in the city now and a lot easier to get to,” he said.

Prokopec said his busy schedule — he runs his own business and has an active 2-year-old son — often keeps him from getting necessary things done. Getting a quick haircut is now one less thing he has to worry about.

“She provides a great service,” Prokopec said. “She’s quick. You get in, you get out, and the price is right.”

Walsh said one of the great pleasures she finds in her job is meeting people.

“I get to meet a lot of very different, very interesting people,” she said. Walsh’s clients include members of the St. Clair Shores Police Department, local business owners and even city officials from Grosse Pointe. “I get to talk to so many nice people every day.”

One of her greatest challenges has been keeping customers coming back and increasing her customer base.

“There is so much competition here,” she said of St. Clair Shores. “You have to be at work a lot and provide the services. But it’s hard being here all the time.”

Walsh said she has no plans to open a second location. She also doesn’t foresee an expansion in services, which currently include haircuts, coloring and permanents.

“Right now, I’m just happy doing my own thing,” she said. “I love what I’m doing now and that’s how I want to keep it.”

Flash Cuts Hair Salon is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Walk-ins are welcome. To schedule an appointment, call (586) 909-3854.

You can reach Staff Writer Julie Snyder at jsnyder@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1039.