Offering nail services locally

Published 11:05 am Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Kay Nails has locations in both Northbridge Mall and Skyline Plaza in Albert Lea.

Story by Hannah Dillon

Photos by Colleen Harrison

Two years in and with two locations, Kay Nails in Albert Lea is doing pretty well.

Kay Nails is owned and managed by Ellie Bowman. Bowman will have owned Kay Nails for two years in June. Before she was in Albert Lea she lived in the Orlando, Florida, area.

The finishing touches are put on a manicure by one of the nail technicians at Kay Nails.

She owned a salon in the Lake Mary and Sanford, Florida, areas called La Beauté Nails and Spa.

Bowman said she moved to Albert Lea because her family lives in St. Paul and her husband’s family lives in Okoboji, Iowa. Albert Lea was a good halfway point, she said.

Bowman has been doing nails since 1996. Before that she was a pharmacy technician, but she moved so much she decided to switch careers.

There are two Kay Nails locations in Albert Lea — one at Northbridge Mall and one at Skyline Plaza. Bowman said she maintains about three to five technicians at the Northbridge Mall location and one to two technicians at the Skyline Plaza location. The Skyline Plaza location is appointment-based, she said.

In the nearly two years that Bowman has been in Albert Lea, she said business has grown a little. However, she said even a little increase means the business is moving up.

Bowman said when she moved here she didn’t know the area well at all, so she offered as many services as possible. She said she tries to learn and offer new services for her customers so they can get whatever they want without having to drive far away.

Satisfying customers and ensuring they return is a high priority for Bowman.

“I try my best that they are happy,” she said.

Kay Nails offers anything and everything related to nails, Bowman said, and she sees both male and female customers.

Some of the services Kay Nails offers are acrylic nails, gel polish, artificial nails, manicures, pedicures and combinations of services. They also offer children’s manicures and pedicures.

Bowman said her most popular services are gel polish and pedicures.

Kay Nails is open from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. The Northbridge Mall location can be reached by calling 507-373-1076.