Sam Dy, owner of Benibana Beauty Hub (or Benibana, for short), knew she wanted to put up her own salon ever since she was young. But it was a childhood dream that almost got lost into her busy schedule growing up.
“When I was in high school, I think I already knew that I wanted to be in the beauty industry,” she recalls, saying that she went from wanting to be a make-up artist to studying hairstyling, and, eventually, to becoming a runway model until she was in college.
While all these essentially revolve around beauty, Sam still wanted to have a space for premium beauty services where people can commune and feel good about themselves.
“Before graduation, I told my ka-barkada na feeling ko talaga, beauty industry ‘yung gusto ko. ’Yun ‘yung alam ko at ‘yun ‘yung gusto ko.” she says. This conversation unknowingly became Sam’s oath to herself as she navigated her way into the industry.
Right after she graduated college, she put up her first ever nail salon. “[I think it was] 2011 or 2012 [when] I opened a nail salon in El Terrazo, but it only lasted for less then a year,” she says.
Sam’s vision for her first salon was ahead of her time. “I wanted it to be sosyal. May cocktail bar pa kami doon. ‘Yung mga nail polish namin, Mac and Chanel,” she says. “I don’t think the market was ready for that.” Sam charged everything to experience and tried a couple of different things after her first industry venture closed. But just like fate, all the path she took eventually led to her dream.
On November 11, 2017, Sam’s dream finally came true. Benibana Beauty Hub, a one-stop beauty hub for premium hair and aesthetic services, was born. Almost five years into the business, they still stand out in the metro for their minimalist and nature-inspired salon, and their top-notch beauty services keep their patrons coming back. Their eyeleash extension service, in particular, even made it to SPOT.ph’s Top 10 Places for Eyelash Extensions in Manila.
However, as with most salons in the Philippines, Benibana was hit by the pandemic. In spite of it, the salon has stood through this huge challenge. For Sam, surviving—still seeing Benibana standing strong right now—is the most beautiful thing that happened during the pandemic.
“I think it means na kahit papaano, medyo stable ka na as a brand,” she says and this makes her feel proud. Just like most salons, they needed to respond quickly to the changes the pandemic demanded. “Nabasawan ‘yung traffic,'' Sam says. “Nag-shift kami to strictly by appointment.”
But instead of looking at this as a loss, Sam chose to see things in a positive perspective. To her, the days they were closed meant their operating expenses were also low. Those days were also opportunities “to improve our services, renovate the space, and offer home service.”
The Benibana girl boss made sure that each time the salon is open and every day they provide home services are risks worth taking for their staff and clients. “Before, ako ‘yung nagd-drive [to my staff] para makapag-home service kami,” she shares. Times like this made her realize that beauty remains to be a necessity more than just a “want,” especially for moms and housewives.
“Since nag-pandemic, ang daming mommies and housewives na nagpa-home service. [They say] kailangan talaga kasi they don’t feel good about themselves na,” Sam says, illustrating how important self-care and beauty have become even when we were isolating. In a way, by helping their clients survive the toughest days of isolation, their clients helped them survive as well. And the center of it all? Beauty.
Indeed, if there’s one thing Sam is proud of about Benibana, it’s their growth. “We started with one shampoo bowl and [we used to be] a five-seater salon,” she recalls. “Now, nine-seater na [kami] tapos dalawang shampoo bowl na. And then, [we also have] the lash area.”
She’s also excited about the innovative treatments from Japan they will soon offer for those who want to care more for their color-treated hair. Packages will soon be released, which includes an after-salon treatment customers can take home and use once a week.
Now that the restrictions are easing up and more people are feeling confident to go out, Sam looks forward to welcoming new and regular clients at Benibana. “Iba pa rin ‘yung experience kapag nasa salon ka na. Total experience kasi ‘yung sa salon,” she says, adding that professional salon services make achieving one’s hair goals easier. “And of course, it’s a way to relax and take a break.”
How can beauty enthusiasts help salons bounce back? Sam only has a few words to say, “Support your neighborhood salon. Come visit.” After all, when they support a business, they might just also be supporting a childhood dream that took years in the making.
Visit Benibana Beauty Hub at 187 N. Averilla Street, Flossom Place, Sta. Lucia, San Juan City. To know more of the services and beauty deals that they offer, check out Benibana Beauty Hub’s Parlon page and follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Photos courtesy of Benibana Beauty Hub and Sam Dy
