Page 16 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2021

COAST NOTE
story by Lynn Lofton photos courtesy of Hair + Tonic
With a play on the name of the popular drink gin and tonic, Lau- ren Damond opened her trendy salon Hair + Tonic in Gulfport's old train depot in 2016. The business outgrew that space and recently moved to a larger location on 25th Avenue.
“I wanted to attract men clientele as well as women,” Damond said. “Back in the early 1900s men cleansed their beards and scalps with tonics. Tonics are also refreshing and that’s how you should feel when you leave.”
Hair + Tonic offers haircuts, coloring, men’s gray blending, extensions, smoothing and straightening treatments, waxing and lash services.
Born and raised in Oregon, Damond spent two years working in Australia and traveling all over Southeast Asia after high school. “I had a chance to reflect on my ideal job,” she recalls. “Upon returning to the states, I went through beauty school and then opened Hair + Tonic. Owning my own salon and putting my imprint on it in every way is my dream job.”
Traveling is still her passion, allowing her to gather ideas from people on the cutting edge of fashion. She brings ideas home and incorporates them into the salon. “I feel like I have a modern and cosmopolitan space,” Damond said.
“We pride ourselves on having the absolute latest techniques in cutting and coloring and use noth- ing but the best hair products.”
Hair + Tonic
1315 25th Ave., Gulfport 228.214.1262
Court St. Cafe'
107 Court Street, Bay St. Louis
228.344.3070
story by Lynn Lofton photos courtesy of Court Street Cafe'
There's a new restaurant in Bay St. Louis since Honey Spoon opened Court Street Cafe' in a prime location in Old Town. She has a background
in food and beverage, hospitality and business coupled with a love of cooking.
“Cooking gives me a deep sense of happiness,” she says. “I told everyone I would get back into restaurants if I could find a small place near the beach where I could make the food I
wanted.”
Now she is happily cooking familiar foods such as sliders, quesadillas and flatbreads with a
different spin. “One of our most popular items is the Korean Slider, which is a pork burger glazed in house-made Korean barbecue sauce and topped with sautéed carrots and onions,”
Spoon says. “We make everything fresh daily.”
Several of Court Street's drinks are geared towards first responders such as Blue Light
Special, MediVac and Firehouse. All first responders get a 20 percent discount when they're on duty and 10 percent off duty.
“We donate food to the local fire departments that they can prepare in their kitchens,” Spoon said. “Also, we are working out the logistics for our patrons to Feed a First
Responder by donating the price of a quick meal.”
Spoon's daughter Alex has been a part of the Bay St. Louis Police Department. She
earned a degree in Criminal Justice and has been accepted into a graduate program in
Homeland Security.
16 | July 2021
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