Nailing A Niche In Manicures
Dexter Do. Leah Friel photo lfriel@midweek.com
When it comes to entrepreneurial ventures, Dexter Do “nails” it like a pro. As nail artist extraordinaire and owner of Nailery Salon & Spa on South King Street, Do’s mission is to make people happy one nail at a time.
“I’ve been doing nails professionally for about 20 years now. I’m professionally trained and have a license as a manicurist, but I’ve also learned the art on my own,” says Do, who was born in Vietnam and raised in Hawaii. “I’ve always been very artistic, so I thought why not try my hand in the nail business?”
Do initially opened Nailery Salon & Spa in 1996 in Daytona Beach, Fla., where he garnered much success and steady clientele. Do’s work eventually began to speak for itself, and in 2002, he received a silver medal at the World Nail Olympics in Las Vegas. Then, in 2005, Do returned to the Islands and three years later opened his current shop.
“Fortunately, we’ve been doing very well, and so far every year we’ve been able to double our profit,” says Do, a McKinley High School graduate who later went on to earn a degree in business from UHManoa.
Do is much more than just a trained manicurist. He’s an artist who caters his designs to each individual’s personality. Prices start at $35 for a basic mani-pedi, and additional costs are added for custom nail designs and services.
“I can cater my designs to practically anything the customer wants,” he says. “My focus is on customary nail art design. If 10 ladies come in for nail service at one time, I can guarantee that each manicure and/or pedicure will be unique and based on each individual’s likes and tastes.
“I’ve been lucky enough to take care of all the manicure and pedicure needs of a great majority of the beauty queens throughout the state.”
Nailery Salon & Spa offers all the latest and up-to-date techniques and services to enhance the beauty of your nails, including solar nails, acrylic nails, 3-D nail art, airbrush designs and more. Do and his team of trained professionals also offer deluxe spa pedicures, exfoliating treatments, foot mask massage and waxing services, to name a few.
“People can reserve the salon for bridal showers, birthday parties or a girls’ night out, and I also can do nail art on location,” Do says. “Parties of four or more just need to call beforehand to make an appointment.
“First and foremost my philosophy is to make my customers happy. If they’re happy with their nails, then I’m happy, and I can build my reputation off of that. The reward of my job is knowing that people appreciate and respect my work. Again, customer happiness and satisfaction mean everything to me.”
Nailery Salon & Spa is located at 2741 S. King St. (between Kokua Market and Kuhio Elementary School) and is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sundays (by appointment only) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information on Nailery Salon & Spa, call 947-4116 or visit dexterdo.com.
