BOARDMAN, Ohio – A national chain of haircutting salons that cater to kids has opened its first location in the Mahoning Valley.
Cookie Cutters, which specializes in turning a potentially stressful situation into fun, opened a month at 1315 Boardman Canfield Road, suite 4, approximately a quarter-mile east of Tippecanoe Road.
The franchise is owned and operated by Tiffany and Brian Mellott.
Tiffany discovered Cookie Cutters in 2021 when she was looking for a place to take her daughter – who was 3 years old at the time – for her first haircut. She wanted it to be a special experience, and wound up driving to the nearest Cookie Cutters franchise, which was in the Pittsburgh area.
“They offered a child’s first haircut package that includes before and after pictures of the child, with a lock of their hair on a certificate,” Tiffany said. “I was instantly sold and said the Youngstown area needs one of these.”
At the time, she was working in sales for a commercial roofing contractor and did a lot of traveling for her job. But she put “open a Cookie Cutters salon” on her “to do” list.
Tiffany signed a franchise agreement in late 2023 and immediately started a search for a location.
The shop’s focus on young children is what sets it apart, she said. “It’s the only salon in the area geared toward kids, with fantasy chairs and televisions at each station,” Tiffany said.
Each Cookie Cutters shop has a play center that kids can use while they wait. For their haircut, they get to pick out a themed chair to sit in – a race car, an airplane, a monkey chair, for example – and choose a show to watch or a game to play on a screen.
And they always leave with a sucker and a balloon.
The Boardman Cookie Cutters has four stylists who are skilled in cutting children’s hair. “We strive to provide a caring environment where we put both the child and the parent at ease,” Tiffany said.
Cookie Cutters is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. It is closed on Tuesday.
To learn more or make a reservation, click HERE.
Pictured at top: Tiffany Mellott stands at the front counter of her Cookie Cutters salon in Boardman.