Population Expanding With A Mission Location

Population Expanding With A Mission LocationPhotos: Stephen Jackson / Hoodline
Stephen Jackson
Published on September 02, 2014
Population has been fixing folks up with new hairdos on Divisadero for the past four years, and they’ve gained so much popularity that the time has come to open a second location of the salon.

Owner Brian Belier plans to open the new location at 14th and Guerrero, inside the former laundromat next to Thieves Tavern. So far, the space has been gutted and a crew is in the process of installing some funky lighting and other “cool conversation pieces.” 

Belier told us he's very excited for the new project, which is slated to open by mid-October. However, he made it clear that the original Divisadero location is here to stay. 

We caught up with Belier to ask a few quick questions about the salon's new digs.
 


Why are you expanding and why did you choose that location?
 
“We're expanding because we have to. The goal was always to have two salons in the city. We’re having trouble serving all of our clients at our Divisadero location, so we need to expand.
 
"The Mission was my original plan for the salon, but I was turned off by the high rents and was disenchanted by the idea of opening on Valencia. When I chose [the Divisadero location], I wanted something that stood out more, was more unique, and four years ago that was here. 

"The 14th and Guerrero location kind of has that now. It’s off of Valencia but it’s not a drop in the bucket type Valencia location. 14th and Guerrero seems more appropriate for our brand. It’s a more unusual spot ... it just had the right formula and feel.”
 
Will there be any major changes? Will it also be called Population?
 
"Yes, it will have the same name, but the two locations will be like siblings. You can tell they have the same parents, but they don’t look identical.”
 
What's your general philosophy behind running a salon?
 
“I want to have a place that’s all inclusive in that it’s the type of place where everyone feels comfortable. It’s behind why we called it “Population”. We’re a salon for real people…it’s not super high-end where all we deal with are high society people. 

"I’m also very selective with the stylists I hire. It’s my responsibility to see that no stylist slips through the cracks and that they get the proper training and stay current with what’s going on in the fashion industry.”

Congratulations to Belier and the Population team on their expansion play, and look out for the new location to debut this fall.