Page 22 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2021

PEOPLE
Power Couple Finds Strength to Prosper
Blue Dog Bistro is named after the Lord’s blue Staffordshire terrier, Bluebell, who also inspired a
signature coffee.
Living by their motto, “Faith Over Fear,” Amber and Joshua Lord opened their own
businesses around their love of food and serving others. They’ve been through a pandemic which
rocked both businesses a bit, but living by their motto, they have grown stronger and continue to serve their
customers.
Amber, who owns Salon Rouge on Washington Avenue, and
Joshua, the proprietor of Blue Dog Bistro on Government Street, were high school sweethearts who have been married for 11 years. Since opening Salon Rouge 13 years ago, Amber has developed a very
loyal client base.
“I love doing hair,” she says. “I feel like when you love doing something and you’re
passionate about it, you’re going to be good at it. When someone walks out of the door of the salon,
I care whether they like their hair or not. It’s not about quantity over quality. I would rather spend hours on one client and give them what they want.”
Her salon offers an array of services from haircuts and color to eyebrow microblading, lash lifts and extensions. She also styles hair and makeup for events and weddings.
Amber is the one who encouraged Joshua to open his own restaurant. He started in the restaurant industry
when he was a teenager as a grill cook and later earned his bachelor’s degree in restaurant and hotel management. He spent years working for another restaurant managing and opening new locations.
“He knew he was qualified to open his own restaurant, and he finally did it,” adds Amber. “It’s always been his dream to have his own restaurant, and he worked to make his dream happen.”
They opened Blue Dog Bistro in September 2019, and six months later, the COVID-19 pandemic hit causing both Blue Dog and Salon Rouge to shut down for eight weeks. During that time, the couple leaned on their motto
22 | August 2021
www.smliving.net | SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living
story by Alexis Williams photos by
Madeline Simpson
and courtesy of
Amber and Joshua Lord
Faith Fear