Salon Spotlight: Ochoa Salon In Massachusetts

By Jessie Amato & Powered By L’Oreal Professional Products Division

From a young age, Troy and Miles Ochoa knew they were destined to work in the hair industry. Now, as the co-owners of two Ochoa Salon locations originally founded by their parents, they work tirelessly to continue the legacy and maintain Ochoa’s stellar reputation.

We recently chatted with them about the history of their salons, their proud relationship with L'Oréal, and their hopes for the future.

The Brand

The term “keeping it in the family” rings true to Ochoa Salon, with Miles and Troy being the second generation of the Ochoa family to run the businesses. Their parents opened up the first location in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts in 1985, followed shortly after by the South Hadley space in 1989. The brothers may have joined the family business but they didn't exactly follow in their parents footsteps, opting not to become trained stylists or colorists. Rather, they felt they could be more helpful as the brains behind making sure each salon is at its greatest potential.

“When we got out of college, we thought about going to hair school...But we felt we could make the biggest impact by trying to empower our employees rather than trying to create our own legacy behind the chair,” Troy explains.

Unlike many salons out there, Ochoa Salons are not departmentalized—meaning every pro you come across there is a jack of all trades. There’s a heavy focus on in-salon training, with each employee constantly being trained on what’s new in cut, color, and style. This, Troy says, is at the core of the salon’s ethos.

“The most important thing is sticking to our core values, why our parents started the company, and kind of never wavering from that,” Troy says. “We try to keep the core ethos of the program the same year after year, but we make small changes to adapt with the times and with the industry.”

The Location

Don’t let the locations fool you—Ochoa is not your typical small-town salon. From the very beginning, the salons were designed to give clients the feel of a metropolitan salon without the outrageous prices.

“We want to give you that same experience as if you were in the metropolitan market,” Troy says. “A high-speed salon that’s hustle and bustle, but also a place where you can relax and where the prices aren’t going to kill you.”

Though they love the big city vibe, they’re proud to be nestled in a suburban community where clients can feel at home as soon as they walk through the door.

“We feel like we can have a much larger impact in our community the way we have our salons, rather than if we were in a big city or just being another one of 30 other salons in the area,” Troy says.

The Products

Ochoa Salon has been with L'Oréal from the very beginning. Five years ago, they made the switch to exclusively stocking L'Oréal’s various lines including Shu Uemura, Kerastase, L'Oréal Professionnel, Matrix, and Baxter Of California.

“Ochoa has been with L'Oréal longer than we’ve been alive,” Troy explains. “We don’t carry any lines outside of L’Oreal, and we’ve chosen them to grow with us. Hopefully, it’s going to be a really fun ride over the next decade.“

Though best-selling products are ever-changing, Ochoa says the Kérastase Resistance Extentioniste line, as well as the Shu Uemura Oil line, are popular with both stylists and clients.

The Services

Ochoa Salons are a one-stop shop for just about everything from full balayage($120+) and cuts ($30+) to chemical relaxers($75+) and bridal updos($100+). They also offer luxurious spa services such as Dermalogica facials and tranquility massages.

No matter what brings you into Ochoa Salon, the brothers want to ensure one thing: The client will always come first.

“In terms of what our clients need, we’re going to do it. Whatever our stylists need, we’re going to do it. If their schedule doesn’t work with our hours of operation, we’re going to find a way to make it work for them,” Ochoa says. “We love the reputation we have, and it is of utmost importance that we keep that.”

The Details

The Ochoa Salons are located at 653 N Main Street in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts and 11 College Street in South Hadley, Massachusetts. To book an appointment at the East Longmeadow location, call 413-737-8189. To book an appointment at the South Hadley location, call 413-536-9107. Follow the salon on Instagram or visit www.ochoaforhair.com for more information.