LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Employees of a Las Vegas hair salon that shuttered weeks before Christmas learned of its closure through a text message, according to a former worker who says she is still owed back pay.
All that is left of the Fantastic Sams Cut and Color location near the intersection of Durango Drive and Warm Springs Road in southwest Las Vegas is an empty store with no chairs, tables, or hairdryers to be found.
“Employees need to feel comfortable and confident where they work,” said Tara Jefferson-Harvey, a former employee of Fantastic Sams. She said she had previously worked at several salons in the Las Vegas valley, before calling the location home for the past two months.
According to Jefferson-Harvey, she and several of her colleagues were fired on Dec. 5. An employee at a nearby store said a truck had been seen hauling furniture from the location earlier in December.
“[I] got a text from my manager, saying […] don’t come in – that we’re closed,” she said. “Corporate had closed them down, and basically, come get your stuff.”
According to the Nevada Department of Cosmetology, the salon was cited for operating without the supervision of a licensed person. The site listed the location’s owner as Stephanie Cook.
In the Summer of 2024, five Fantastic Sams locations closed, with Nevada Department of Labor documents showing that $20,000 in unpaid wages and at least $11,000 in rent was still owed.
Jefferson-Harvey said she is owed nearly $500 in back pay.
“I was expecting to use that money from my electric bill and give a few gifts and stuff for family,” Jefferson-Harvey said. Other former employees have similar stories, including pay coming two weeks late.
“This isn’t going to work for me,” said Delany Boyle, a former employee earlier in 2024. “I also have a child at home. I have bills to pay.”
“You think they have the moral standard to pay people,” Jefferson-Harvey said. She added that she also filed a complaint with the state labor board.
Stephanie Cook, the listed salon owner, could not be reached for comment. Two other Fantastic Sams locations are still open in the Las Vegas valley. Both are independently owned.
