POULSBO — Like her business’s namesake, Emily Kramer is packing some serious heat.
But her’s is a pair of scissors. And the atmosphere of Dirty Hairy’s is more like Boston’s “Cheers” than Inspector Harry Callahan’s gritty San Francisco streets.
Kramer is the new owner of the hair salon, on 19132 Jensen Way NE. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.
Appointments and walk-ins welcome. They tackle family grooming needs, from Brazilian Karatin smoothing treatments and extensions, to beard trims and lip waxes.
Their “Manic Man Mondays” special offers men’s and boy’s haircuts at 50 percent off the regular price.
Kramer was an employee of Dirty Hairy’s for nearly three years. She graduated from North Kitsap High School in 1999 and completed her hair certification at the Pacific Northwest Hair Academy in Port Hadlock. In addition to 1,600 hours of training, she has been cutting hair for more than five years.
After working in salons in Silverdale and Kingston, she joined the staff at Dirty Hairy’s but didn’t anticipate owning her own shop.
“It’s kind of surreal,” she said. “I would never have thought going from beauty school I would own my own shop. It was a lot of time and hard work getting here and I want to express my gratitude to the clients and keep the shop going.”
Employees Hollie Todd and Rachel Stout also graduated from the Pacific Northwest Hair Academy.
“We are three girls that love what we do and we love to make our clients happy,” Kramer said.
The family-friendly salon has new hair-styling chairs and shampoo bowls. A wall that was formerly painted red is now a calming blue.
“We want to create a calming and relaxed atmosphere,” she said. “It’s a work in progress, but we want to keep growing by offering new [styling] techniques to clients in the community.”
CHANGES OVER THE YEARS
Over the years, 19132 Jensen Way NE housed Fishline, a tea house, a children’s boutique, a nail salon and, finally, Dirty Hairy’s.
Dirty Hairy’s neighbors include Westside Pizza and, possibly, a brewery in the buildings formerly occupied by Kitsap Publishing and Kitsap Printing, which moved to Finn Hill Road.
Kramer believes the mix of social businesses on Jensen Way complement what she is doing.
“We want to keep it comfortable,” Kramer said. “Like you’re going over to a good friend’s house … I picture it like ‘Cheers.’ Everyone knows your name — come on in, hang out. The door’s always open.”