John Velasquez Salon Leaving Jackson Square After 33 Years

John Velasquez Salon Leaving Jackson Square After 33 Years

John Velasquez. (Photos: Geri Koeppel/Hoodline)

Geri Koeppel
Published on March 08, 2016

John Velasquez Salon, which just celebrated its 33rd anniversary at 440 Jackson St. in Jackson Square, is being forced to find a new home. 

The salon's landlord sold the building last year, and the new owners told Velasquez in the third week of January that his rent would go up by three-and-a-half times on May 1st. He's looking for a new location, but with rents going up everywhere, it's not easy. "I would probably like something a little bit smaller, but I haven't found anything yet," he said.

Velasquez said he's searching for something within a few blocks' radius, because his customers are used to the convenience, and many don't want to—or can't—walk too far. Stylist Kerrin Lanahan said she has a client who is 90 years old who comes every week to get her hair done. Many clients reside in nearby Embarcadero residential buildings, while others come from from the FiDi and beyond.


"They're pretty upset," Velasquez said. "They're not happy. Some have been here the entire 33 years we've been here. Some have followed us from the previous location." The salon first opened in 1970 in the North Pointe Shopping Center in Fisherman's Wharf; Velasquez opened the Jackson Square location in 1983, and then shut down the North Pointe location in 1989.

"It's disappointing, but not surprising, given what's going on in the city," Lanahan said. She's worked for Velasquez for nearly 10 years. "The clients are sad." 

Velasquez said he doesn't want to rent a private studio within a larger space, such as at the V Salon Studios at 520 Montgomery St. "I don't think my clientele is suited for that," he said. We asked if he'd be interested in applying to become a legacy business, but for various reasons, he said it probably wouldn't work for him.

Velasquez declined to give us contact information for the building's new owners, but through a public records search, we located the owners, Thor 440 Jackson LLC, and called agent Thomas Nishloka at Thor Equities, who referred us to the company's spokesman. We left three emails for him on Monday asking for comment, but he didn't reply.