The Shop — Local services in Kirkland

I've been coming to the Shop in Kirkland for about 3 years now mostly because I found a great person for my haircuts and not for the actual establishment itself and the employees. With that said, I essentially have two separate reviews; one for the hair stylist and the other for the establishments.

(Establishment: Kirkland) Good: unlike other locations, the shop allows you to call in and put your name on the waiting list whether it be with your preferred hair stylist or next in line.

Bad: Well, where do I start off at? Ownership has "recently" changed due to unfortunate circumstances, and since that transition, the Shop has gone from relatively ok to worse. Some employees, to include the manager, are not always customer friendly and seem to be upset at working there...smile are not easy to come by. The establishment is very small and extremely packed on busy days, a reason why you need to call and put your name on the wait list. Bathroom, well, not functioning properly more than 50% of the time. In essence, it very well seems like employees are not generally happy to work there...side conversation from other hairstylist with their customers says a lot about the way the location is managed.

(Hair Stylist: Molly) Good: If I could give her 5 stars, I would! I am very picky about my hair mostly because I've had a few too many bad experiences. Molly is extremely professional with all her clients and take the time to get to know you to better work with your needs and wants. Her haircuts are on POINT; great fades, great suggestions for new hair styles, and timely service....not only with me but with all her clients. Getting a haircut is already awkward enough, but Molly's personality coupled with her professionalism allows me, or anyone for that matter, to feel comfortable and relax during their time there. If she is running late, and she has your number, she will let you know. Needless to say, I've been coming to her for 3 plus years and I've noticed that she has a lot of clients that do the same. She is definitely the go to person at this location for many reasons! She will make your hair look good!

Bad: None! Some people might think she has an abrasive personality, but honestly, I prefer someone who is real and professional and not FAKE! Molly has the ability to do both very well.

If you're looking for haircut, I highly suggest you give her a try. :) and if you have...

I’m honestly heartbroken to be updating my old review. For years, The Shop was my go-to and I always left feeling great—affordable cuts, fun atmosphere, and the comfort of knowing my stylist, Reylene, understood exactly what I wanted every time.

Unfortunately, after eight years, I can’t return. During my last visit, Reylene went on an anti-immigrant rant that left me stunned, blaming immigrants (her commentary seeming to focus on the Desi and Latino communities) for her son’s difficulties in finding a job…As a Desi woman who has always felt welcome here in the heart of Kirkland, it was incredibly hurtful to hear those comments—especially in front of other clients and POC colleagues who were visibly uncomfortable.

I’m genuinely sad because I loved our vibe and the consistency of having someone I trusted for my quarterly trims. But hearing that kind of prejudice made it impossible to come back. No one’s “stealing” anyone’s job here, we’re all landing in what we’re qualified for…and I wish she’d realized how damaging that kind of rhetoric is. So disappointed but brown queens, I’d avoid this spot if you’re sensitive to being in hostile environments. It took so much out of me to post this and I’ve sat on this since my birthday in January (same day of the incident). I couldn’t be more disappointed, especially knowing that there are several women of color working here.

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Best hair salon in town! In addition to being crazy affordable, I love The Shop for their amazing stylists and fun atmosphere. I have yet to be unhappy about a haircut so I highly recommend checking it out for your next trim! If you happen to be able to pick who is cutting your hair, ask for Raylene,...

I feel very let down by my hairdresser. I did not get her name nor do I want to put her on blast, and her ability to cut hair is not in question, but I walked out of the haircut feeling like I wasn't listened to. I showed her several reference pictures and verbalized that I didn't want much length taken off the top and sides, trying to go from a mullet to a wolf cut, but I ended up with a pixie cut with a long back. I know my hairdressers doesn't need to know my entire hair journey to respect what style I was looking for, but I feel she didn't listen to the basic elements of what I was asking. Also she was incredibly rough washing my hair, I almost told her to stop. Staring off to the TV when I was telling her what I wanted after showing her pictures, visually giving me cues that she wasn't interested in understanding what I wanted. I've been to the shop several times when I wasn't growing out my hair and they do great short cuts, but this experience has made me decide I can't come back here while I grow out my hair because it will all be...