Fantastic Sams locations throughout Chattanooga area to be renovated

Friday, January 1, 1904

photo Franklin Adkins of Amber Structures and Logistics paints the interior of Fantastic Sams in Fort Oglethorpe.

• Name: Fantastic Sams

• Location: The company has a total of four locations: one in Ooltewah, one in Hixson, one on Ringgold Road and one in Fort Oglethorpe.

• Status: Fantastic Sams is renovating its hair salons and launching a campaign to brand itself with a new image. Workers are installing brighter lighting and painting the hair salon with softer, more welcoming colors, using a scheme called Oasis. "It's more of a homey feeling," said market manager Martha Clemence.

• Features: New ceiling tiles, new chairs, new furniture and new signage will update the store's look to be more contemporary, while maintaining the inviting feeling that made the salons successful in the first place, Clemence said. The renovation is complemented by new training for the stylists, including a new dress code. "The training we've started implementing for the stylists will put them at another level," she said. The lighting, which will make the salons look better, also has another purpose -- being able to see customers' hair better, she added.

• Price: The renovations will cost an average of $20,000 per store, or about $80,000 total for the Chattanooga area.

• Highlights: Cus-tomers will appreciate the little touches, Clemence said, like the fact that wall posters are now framed versus thumbtacked.

• Contact: Fantastic Sams is walk-in only, no appointments.