As part of the Portraits of merchants & professionals of Côte-des-Neiges project (3rd edition), we invited Francis Faubert Cloutier to accompany us on a series of visits to 10 SDC Côte-des-Neiges businesses that took part in the project.
Interview with
Youssef | Portraits of merchants & professionals of Côte-des-Neiges
Find out more about your local Côte-des-Neiges merchants and professionals! // Looking back on our meeting with : Youssef Dhabi, Owner of Salon Amor
Youssef Dhabi, the heartfelt
barber of Salon Amor
The moment you step through the doors of Salon Amor, it’s evident that its owner, Youssef Dhabi, has successfully cultivated a friendly and warm atmosphere. Amidst the persistent buzz of hair clippers, hairstylists and clients engage in lively conversations. It’s clear that customers are free to come at their convenience and are welcomed like friends.
At Youssef’s chair, Alex converses with us. Despite living in Miami, it’s at Salon Amor that he gets his hair cut. Nowhere else. “You never change your barber! It’s like your confidant; this is where you confess,” he shares. Alex has much to say about Youssef’s success, and it’s quite timely as the barber is deeply focused on his work. According to this loyal client, the quality of the service, the skill of the individual, and the ambiance explain the triumph of Salon Amor. In essence, it’s a tale of success forged through a perfect balance of friendliness, enjoyment, and talent. “In my opinion, it’s a true story of the successful integration of an immigrant,” Alex confides.
Between two snips of the scissors, Youssef explains how much he appreciates the social aspect of his profession. “I know the clients, what they want, the haircut they prefer, and what suits them,” he emphasizes. For this hairstylist, the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood is both popular and frequented by students, who make up a significant portion of his clientele. Every year, new faces come to be pampered at the salon.
Established in 2013, Youssef acknowledges that his salon has become a hub of exchange in the heart of Montreal’s most multicultural neighborhood. “Here, I style all types of hair!” he reveals. One only needs to look around to easily notice the diversity of the clientele occupying the chairs.
After his haircut, Alex bids farewell to Youssef warmly. “I’ll see you soon,” promises his client. When I ask him about his secret to ensuring such loyalty among his clientele, Youssef responds without hesitation and with a sincere smile: “For years, I’ve been working with my heart.”
For me, Côte-des-Neiges is: magnificent!
Copywriter: Francis Faubert Cloutier
Photographer: Gaelle Leroyer
Art direction: Félicia Balzano (SDC Côte-des-Neiges)
Complete the experience by visiting the free exhibition from September 7 to December 5, 2023.
ABOUT THE PROJECT :
After a great success in 2021 and 2022, the SDC Côte-des-Neiges is proud to present the third anniversary edition of its Portraits of merchants & professionals of Côte-des-Neiges project through an exhibition on the Promenade Jean-Brillant from September 7 to December 5, 2023, as well as online interviews accessible via QR code on each panel.
The aim of this initiative is to put citizens in touch with businesses in the territory of the Société de développement commercial (SDC) Côte-des-Neiges. Through a series of portraits of 10 shops and businesses, we get to know 14 local business owners and managers. This social and cultural project is a real encounter with the human side of business life.
In this third edition, you’ll discover men and women, young professionals and established entrepreneurs, all from different cultures and backgrounds, with a diverse range of commercial offerings. The common denominator? Their love for Côte-des-Neiges.
This project is an initiative of the SDC Côte-des-Neiges, made possible through collaboration with the Maison de la culture CDN and the borough of Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
Ce projet est une initiative de la SDC Côte-des-Neiges et rendue possible grâce à une collaboration avec la Maison de la culture CDN et l’arrondissement Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.