Soho hair salon applies for its own extensions

By Adrian Zorzut, Local Democracy Reporter

A luxury hair and beauty salon in the heart of Soho has applied to serve drinks until 1am on weekends to give customers an ‘enhanced’ experience.

Salon 64 in Bateman Street, which also doubles up as a private members’ club, wants Westminster City council to allow it to sell beer and a slew of other spirits, according to council documents.

The venue, where a cut and blow dry costs £90, according to its own website, is currently allowed to sell champagne, cocktails, whisky and wine until 10pm. It said the extra three hours meant customers could “enjoy their experience at the salon”.

In its application, it wrote: “The extension in hours would enhance [customers’] experience further and allow them the opportunity to remain in the premises a little longer before heading home after a working day, the theatre, dinner with friends or a night in the town.”

The salon has scaled back plans following resistance from the Met and council licensing officers who claim it could lead to an uptick in crime and public nuisance. If approved, this would be the second extension in five years, records show.

The council’s licensing team wrote: “The Licensing Authority are extremely concerned that the application is now seeking a further extension of hours beyond core hours Wednesday to Saturday and remove the requirement that the sale of alcohol is ancillary to the provision of hairdressing and/or other cosmetic services.”

Salon 64 says it will only sell alcohol to guests who are members and that its membership, which is skewed towards creative industry professionals, is reviewed regularly. It has also agreed to a number of conditions, including dimming windows at 8pm and ending admissions at midnight.

Westminster City councillors are being urged to approve the request during a meeting on May 1.

Pictured top: Salon 64 (Picture: Google Street View)