Dakota County
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Farmington • Rosemount
DakotaCountyTribune.com
Dec. 6, 2018 • Volume 133 • Number 40
Established 1887
‘Everyone’s welcome’ at new nail salon Family-owned Zen Nails opens in Farmington Mall by Jody Peters SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Many nail salons get a bad rap. Customers often have to wait in a stiff plastic chair before being rushed through what’s supposed to be a relaxing experience. Davis Nguyen and his wife Dorothy Siouthai want to change that perception. The couple opened Zen Nails, 923 Eighth St., in mid-November. The focus of the salon is to provide an inviting, comfortable space, they said. “Getting your nails done is a luxury. … It’s a time to relax and get away and wind down, especially after a long day at work — come in and get a pedicure, get a massage. “So that’s what we want to provide our customers is a calm, relaxing, good experience of getting your nails done, rather than coming in and getting hurdled in and hurdled out like most nail salons do,” Nguyen said. To that end, the couple have designed a space that resembles a farmhouse living room more than a cold salon. There are leather sofas in the waiting area and signs sporting phrases like “Good vibes only.” The salon also has a neutral color scheme of grays, browns and creams. That choice was intentional, the couple said. With more men choosing to visit nail salons for pedicures and manicures, they opted for a gender neutral space. “(Men) feel more comfortable if it’s gender neutral rather than going into a hot pink salon with chandeliers and glitter and all that everywhere,” Nguyen said. “Everyone’s welcome. It’s not just service for women; it’s everyone,” Siouthai added.
Community rallies around student with cancer Farmington hosts benefits to support teen Heidi Kuckes by Jody Peters SUN THISWEEK DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Photo by Jody Peters
Dorothy Siouthai and her husband, Davis Nguyen, recently opened Zen Nails in the Farmington Mall. The couple said they want to create a calm, welcoming environment for customers.
Path to opening Nguyen and Siouthai are continuing a family tradition. Nguyen’s parents have 20 years of experience doing nails, and opened seven salons of their own. Because they were looking to transition out of the business, they sold their last two salons in Eden Prairie and Burnsville a couple of years ago, Nguyen said. Now he and Siouthai have taken up
the reins. The couple, Nguyen’s parents and his sister-in-law all work as nail technicians at Zen Nails. For Nguyen, opening a salon in Farmington seemed like an obvious choice. He said he practically “grew up in the back of a nail salon,” and he previously worked at another salon and had his own ideas for improvement. The new salon’s top priorities are cusSee Nails, 13A
When Heidi Kuckes started her sophomore year at Farmington High School, she expected to do typical activities: attend homecoming, go to football games, hang out with her friends. But shortly after school started, her life changed when she was diagnosed with leukemia. It all started with a simple backache. Her mother, Christina Kuckes, recalled that Heidi started complaining of back pain in August, but the pain was minor enough that she didn’t need ibuprofen. On the second day of school, Heidi’s back pain had strengthened to the point that she needed to go to urgent care. Doctors performed a CAT scan but didn’t see anything abnormal. Five days later, her pain hadn’t lessened. Bloodwork showed Heidi had an infection, which was treated with antibiotics for a week. At a follow-up appointment, Heidi’s pain was “excruciating,” her mother said. Heidi was given Vicodin but when it “didn’t touch her pain at all,” her parents brought her to the emergency room. On Sept. 19, Heidi was officially diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Within 48 hours of her diagnosis, she went in for surgery. Doctors put a port See Kuckes, 14A
When a sick day becomes sick weeks Expert Care by ER Physicians Index Opinion
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