The Olive Tiger is bringing accessible luxury to the salon experience come the fall of 2023. According to the Denver Post, co-owner Amanda Lawlor recently signed a lease at the One Platte building at 1701 Platte St. The 2,588 square foot space will spread out on the building’s southern corner, offering salon options while lounging over cocktails and light baked goods.
“I keep calling it an accessible luxury boutique service because it’s accessible to the average person,” Lawlor said. “Most people think of first-class hospitality service and think, ‘I can’t afford it.’ You can! Everyone deserves to be special and to feel taken care of.”
Lawlor has shaped this belief over 20 years as a hairdresser while her husband, Dustin, has had his perspective carved over years as an “award-winning” bartender. Dustin will act as the bar manager while Amanda will run the salon. Dustin will be responsible for staffing the service side and putting together a menu of light patisserie items, fresh baked goods, and light charcuterie.
The pair had tossed around the idea of incorporating their careers for a while, but pandemic shutdown gave them the impetus to put together a business plan. Now that a strategy is in the works, Lawlor’s current clientele are “freaking out” about the upcoming melding of cocktails and salon service.
The Olive Tiger is truly a family affair, named for the Lawlors’ two daughters. Olive is the youngest and Stevie, the eldest, is nicknamed ‘Tiger,’ her alter ego to overcome anxiety.
“She growls and nobody can hurt her,” Lawlor said. “We’re adopting this elegantly-bold space to bring out your own inner tiger.”
