On September 18, 2003, the Mango team was eager to open the doors of its first salon on Libbie Avenue. That same day Hurricane Isabel swept through the Mid-Atlantic region, creating a state of emergency in Richmond. We would like to believe that Mango took Richmond by storm, but Hurricane Isabel beat us to it—forcing our new business to delay its opening for a week.
Although the storm wiped out the salon’s electricity and hot water for several days, the Mango team was not deterred. They organized an outdoor Cut-A-Thon in the parking lot and donated all proceeds to the Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund. That day was the true start of Mango’s team culture and it set the team’s intention to work together to serve the community.
Mango has grown into three Aveda Lifestyle Salons and an education academy which sponsors a Virginia Cosmetology Apprenticeship program along with advanced training for licensed designers.
“Our growth over the years is a direct response to the growth of our team and consumer demand in our community,” explains Pat Heaney, one of the owners of Mango.
Here is a timeline of Mango’s twenty years in Richmond:
September 2003 The First Mango Salon opens its doors at Libbie & Grove
October 2006 Mango moves its Salon to a larger location on Libbie Avenue
October 2010 Mango opens its second location in Short Pump
September 2015 Mango opens its third location at Gayton Crossing
May 2018 Mango opens its fourth location at GreenGate
April 2019 Mango Moves its Libbie Salon to the new Westhampton on Grove
January 2020 Mango moves the team from its Short Pump Salon to GreenGate Salon
Co-Owner Bobbi Heaney describes the journey at Mango saying, “In the past twenty years there have been many highlights, but the ones in our community are the most meaningful. Being named Retailer of the Year by The Retail Merchants Association in 2012 and repeatedly making the list of Best Small Business Workplaces in Richmond top our list. Surviving COVID gives us a greater appreciation for our guests and our amazing team members who help make it a great day at Mango, every day!”
