Local business reaches 50-year milestone

There is a small number of businesses in Sisters that have operated continuously for 50 years. Hair Caché is one of them. On January 1 they will hit that milestone. When opened for business on January 1, 1975, by Mary Norseen, she set up in the back corner of a dentist's office on the southwest corner of North Elm Street and West Main Avenue.

There was barely room for her one chair, and not by design but by space limitation, she named it Hair Caché (as in stash). Some 10 years later the business moved to its present location on East Main Avenue, about 500 feet away. It was a new building then housing multiple tenants, and the owners constructed her section as a custom-built, five-station salon.

It had two subsequent owners, Terry Leavitt and Linda Churchill. Churchill worked in the salon for seven years, before becoming its owner for 18 years. She sold the salon to Theresa and Jeff Robertson 25 years ago and retired.

Photo by Bill Bartlett

Hair Caché will mark 50 years in business on January 1. Theresa and Jeff Robertson have owned and operated the salon for 25 years.

The Robertson's were both in retail in Ontario, Oregon. Jeff was the local Bi-Mart manager and neither had any experience in hair or skin care. They were desirous to be in Central Oregon and like so many entrepreneurs took the plunge.

They both enrolled in what was then called "barber" college in Boise, graduated following an 18-month course and were credentialed in both Idaho and Oregon. Rather than taking the slow path of working their way up the employee chain, moving from salon to salon, they relocated to Bend and jumped right in and bought Churchill's salon.

They've never looked back.

"My dad, grandpa, and uncle were all barbers, so I come by it naturally," Theresa said.

"I've never regretted a minute of it," Jeff added.

Both beam when describing their experience in Sisters.

"We have close, personal relationships with our clients," Jeff explained. "When you're touching people and standing right beside them for years, they become like family," Theresa said.

Some of their clients have been with them for many years, several are fourth generation customers.

"From their first haircut to balding," Jeff said.

About half of their clients are couples.

Bruce Williams in Sisters typifies a Hair Caché client.

He said, "I've been going to the Hair Caché for my haircuts ever since arriving in Sisters in 2004. Jeff laughed and was somewhat surprised recently when I told him that calculated out to about 180 times I've sat in his barber chair.

"A perfect haircut every time and a comfy, friendly, happy place to chat for half an hour while getting trimmed up. When my young grandsons moved to Central Oregon a while back, they too started going to Jeff. Didn't take them long to discover his kids' candy stash. It's definitely a kid-friendly place."

Donna Marshall has similar thoughts.

"It's such a wonderful feeling just to walk in and feel so welcome," she said.

Theresa talks about the special moments like doing the hair of somebody undergoing chemo. They count their success by hugs.

"I'm used to getting 10 a day," Theresa said.

Jeff said, "Hugs are handshakes around here."

They use a paper appointment book, don't take credit cards, and don't have a website. "We're blessed to have such loyal clients," said Theresa. "They tell our story best."

Hair Caché is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 152 E. Main Ave.