A cut above the rest!
Robert Abuda owns one of the most stylish Beauty Salons in town. Fundación BAI's roving reporter, Mark Callum, went to Paseo Montejo, the Champs Élysées of Mérida, and managed to prise the scissors away, just long enough to discover the roots of his success.
Why this particular business?
Almost 10 years ago, while trying to break into acting, I started working in one of the top hair salons in Toronto as an assistant, doing shampoos, greeting clients, etc. The owner thought I would make a good hair stylist, so I started an apprenticeship with them. 1 year into the program, I moved, with my partner Erich, to Tokyo, Japan. When we left, neither one of us were ready to return to Canada, and we eventually found Mérida as our new home. 6 years ago, there really weren’t many hair stylists here for expats or many high-end beauty salons at all. We saw an opportunity and decided to change that. I certainly never thought I would be a hair stylist or find myself venturing into the beauty industry, but I love it. You can change a person’s entire attitude and disposition just by creating a transformation and changing their look. That’s a pretty powerful and rewarding experience.
You seem to be very busy at the moment – how’s business?
The business is doing very well. We are up 60% over last year, and look forward to having an exciting, busy winter. We take pride in working with some of the top stylists in town and creating a diverse and dynamic team. Our clients respect our work as much as we respect their different needs, which in turn has earned us a very loyal clientele.
Do you have any special promotions at the moment?
Yes, we are offering a 90 minute manicure and pedicure treatment for 589 pesos - a great excuse to pamper yourself and this includes a session on the relaxing pedicure chair. We also have our ever popular "Winey Wednesdays" where you can unwind with a glass of wine and a bite to eat, such as sushi and delicous snacks from Pistache, while receiving your treatment. We are now open on Sunday mornings to coincide with Bici Ruta. This is proving really popular and we are usually fully booked that day, so do please call and make a reservation first!
What gets you out of bed in the morning?
A 60-pound English Bulldog staring me in the face, looking for his next meal - LOL! That and the fact that we have created a very beautiful and rewarding life here.
Brewster
How has your business changed since you started?
When we started 5 years ago, I built a small one-person hair studio in the front of our house. Now we have five chairs and are located on Paseo Montejo in the Hotel Zone. Our clientele were mostly Canadians and Americans. Now a large portion are locals from the north part of town who tell us they used to fly to Mexico City every few months to have their hair done! We also see a ton of tourists from all parts of Mexico, and the rest of the world - Honduras, Australia, Russia, Israel, Japan, Singapore, and even Continental Africa, and that’s just in the past few months. In the beginning, we were strictly a hair salon, now we offer manicures and pedicures, waxing, and makeup services and we have transitioned into more of a full-service beauty salon.
What’s the difference between the market here and elsewhere in Mexico/USA/Canada?
The markets are quite similar actually. However, Mérida being a historical city, with a steady flow of tourists, and our salon’s location in the Hotel Zone, brings us much more diverse clients from many different parts of the world, which means we have the opportunity to work on many different types of hair.
What do you love most about your job?
I love seeing the look on someone’s face when you exceed their expectations with a great cut and/or color change. When your client sees and loves the finished result for the first time, its a great feeling. Of course, working with such a talented team everyday, I am floored by some of the transformations that can happen in only a few hours.
Why Mérida?
Mérida is a fantastic place to live. The people are very kind and welcoming. The weather is warm year-round, sometimes a bit too warm, but you acclimate. Also there is an emergence of a middle-class in Mexico which makes a business like mine, catering to people’s appearance and image, much more possible than a few years ago.
What do you love most about living here?
No winter! I grew up in Manitoba...can you blame me? and of course the people. Mérida is a city of a million people, but yet it really still has the feeling of a small community, which is very important to us.
Robert Abuda Salon is a socially responsible business investing in the future of the young people of the Yucatán, and one of our generous GOLD sponsors. Check out his facebook page.
Robert Abuda's favorites
ON MY IPOD - Anything Top 40. I was a child of the 90’s. My favorite song is "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman. BOOK - "The Book of Ruth", by Jane Hamilton. FILM - Salmon Fishing in the Yemen with Emily Blunt & Ewan McGregor.
RELAXATION - Working out and lately I have developed a Netflix addiction, that I am trying to curb. How many episodes of Columbo does one need to watch in one sitting? The answer is 7!
RESTAURANT - Oliva Enoteca. Fantastic home-made pasta in a gorgeous welcoming atmosphere. My kind of place!
DRINK - A really strong, frozen lime margarita, no salt on the rim please.
TRAVEL - Anywhere in South America, the architecture is gorgeous and the food delicious.
BEACH - Punta del Este, Uruguay, it's just stunning.
You are very generous with your time helping several local charities , including Fundación BAI – can you explain why?
When I was a kid my Dad owned a bread business. Growing up in a small community, he was often asked to donate to various charities, pot-lucks, or school fundraisers. My Mom is currently Chairperson of our Church in town, so community is such an important part of our family life. For my parents the question isn't, if they will help, it's always, how can we help? What do you need? That was the way I was raised and Erich and I take a lot of pride in giving back to the community. We are always looking for opportunities to help in any way we can. Recently I saw a post that really resonated with me: “You don’t need a reason to help people.” Words to live by.
What was your Grandfather’s career?
Well I have 3 Grandfathers. My GIGI (Ukrainian) was a farmer, and my AVI (Icelandic) was a soldier in the Canadian Military. Unfortunately, he passed away 6 weeks before my Mom was born, from a gun-shot wound at war, so neither her, nor I, ever had the opportunity to meet him. My Step-Grandfather, Grandpa Norm, on my Dad’s side, was in the Royal Canadian Air Force in WWII; he manned a gun turret onboard a Lancaster bomber.
One thing people don’t know about you?
I am actually a pretty good shot. My AMMA (Icelandic Grandmother who will turn 99 this year) taught me how to shoot with a pellet gun from the age of 6. We used to line up cans and targets in her backyard, and I loved it. I’m from the countryside, so it was pretty standard to learn how to shoot at a young age. Fast-forward to when Erich and I went camping at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan (they love to camp in Japan, by the way), and one of his colleagues had recently given Erich a hand-held pellet gun for his birthday. Erich brought it along and set up some targets. I will never forget the look on Erich’s face when he asked me if I wanted to “give it a go for the first time” and I made a perfect score. Thanks AMMA!
If there was one thing that you could change what would it be?
I wish more people had the opportunity to travel the world when they are young, before they start their careers, and immerse themselves in different cultures and traditions. Moving to Tokyo, and then to Mexico has been one of the best things I have done for my career and mindset. Living in different parts of the world forces you to look at things differently, opens your eyes, and truly allows you to become a more whole person.
Any future plans you can share – an exclusive piece of gossip for our Fundación BAI readers?
Yes, very soon we will be introducing customized semi-permanent Eyelash Extensions to Mérida. Yenni, one our stylists, has been studying to become certified. This will make us the first certified customized Eyelash Extension Salon in the Yucatán - a popular service offered in cities like New York, Los Angeles and Paris. We are also starting our own Cosmetics Line. Early stages yet, but we have been developing it for the past year.
You can make an appointment online at robertabudasalon.com or call 926 3015. Opening hours: Sunday 9-1 Monday 10-6 Tuesday to Saturday 10-7.