Bonnie Wilcome, owner of Scrapbook Village in Glasgow, Kentucky, first told us about the "Pampered Crop" where attendees are treated to a manicure, pedicure, and other things relaxing delights. Pretty soon "Martinis & Manicures" starting making the rounds on Ladies Night in all kinds of stores. Now even Las Vegas is getting in on the act! We're going to have to check out The Beauty Bar and "Frankie the File", the first male manicurist in Las Vegas, the next time we're in town. Who's up for a road trip to Fremont Street while we're all in Las Vegas for MemoryTrends 2006?
The following is from The Las Vegas Advisor's Question of the Day:
Question:
"I saw on the Travel Channel's "What's New Vegas 2005" that there's a bar where you can get a martini and manicure. Could you tell me about this bar and where to find it?"
Answer:
Sure. The Beauty Bar is located downtown at 517 Fremont Street (between Las Vegas Blvd. and 6th St.). Chronologically, it's the fourth member of the Beauty Bar family, which originated in the spring of 1995 at the former Thomas Beauty Salon in New York and launched the concept of the "beauty saloon." The success of the New York venue spawned one in San Francisco (1998), followed by Los Angeles (2000), Las Vegas (2004), and both San Diego and Austin (2006). They're each either located in a genuine converted beauty parlor or else retro-fitted with fixtures and fittings from '50s and '60s salons, as is the case with the Vegas venue, the interior of which came courtesy of the former Capri Salon of Beauty in Trenton, NJ.
In addition to cocktails and eclectic DJ nights, the Beauty Bar brand took the interior theme to its natural conclusion and pioneered the concept of the "martini manicure," offering a free hand massage, nail buff, and polish with your cocktail. The same service is available in the Las Vegas venue, but the proprietors found that they fell foul of local Health Dept. regulations by offering a "manicure," which, according to the Nevada State Board of Cosmetology, apparently by definition involves the trimming of the nails and cuticles and is a hygiene no-no in a venue that serves drinks. So, at the Fremont Street branch, you'll find you'll be offered a "nail demonstration" as opposed to a manicure, but it's the same service, just under a different name. And, as you may have seen on Travel Channel, E! Entertainment, or one of the other shows that's featured The Beauty Bar, "Frankie the File," the resident manicurist, is something of a local celebrity, not to mention being the first male manicurist in Las Vegas.
Source: From http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com -- Question of the Day, 4/9/06
