Hookah and Energy Drinks Give Baltimore Salon an Edge

Gia Winfield’s Baltimore salon, The Purple Peach Nail Bar, cultivates an edgy vibe, offering clients complimentary wine, hookahs, and a Purple Peach energy drink. “This is not the traditional nail salon where you get a service and walk out,” says Winfield. “The Purple Peach Nail Bar is designed for a Purple Peach experience.” She envisioned the salon as someplace where clients can bring friends, a husband or boyfriend, or host a party. Winfield enjoys visiting hookah bars to relax, and thought it would make a great trendy addition to the nail bar. “If a walk-in comes and doesn’t have an appointment, we serve hookah to keep them occupied and not let money walk out the door,” she says. Advertised through word of mouth and social media, the offerings have been a hit with clients.

Winfield says the energy drink was created both for herself and for her clients. “I’m always on the go, so I drink a lot of coffee,” she says. “So I thought if I’m putting all this money into coffee, I can put it into my own brand.” Perfecting the drink was a year-long process. “I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t just another energy drink on the shelf,” she explains. “This energy drink has low sugar, low salt, and no crash.” With the help of a chemist, a marketer, and a distributer, she was able to formulate and launch the drink to clients. As well as being offered in the salon, the drink is available in nightclubs in various regions including Los Angeles, New York, and the Dominican Republic.