The American pop-rock trio Scissor Sisters define “kiki” as a party to relax, calm your nerves and engage in some playful chatter about your life, in their catchy and comical 2012 tune.

Every time you step into High Falls resident Daniel McHenry’s new salon, located within the hamlet, you’re going to have kiki, no questions asked.

You have probably noticed the construction at 2303 Lucas Turnpike, right across from the High Falls Food Co-Op. While the upper floors will be reserved for apartments, the bottom space will house McHenry & Company hair salon, delivering high-end hair care for every gender. McHenry is excited to offer a taste of Erie, Pennsylvania, culture along with a hot, new cut.

“[In Erie] we have that mentality of hard-working, close-knit families, with proper behaviors, and we enjoy the finer things in life,” McHenry explained.

Up until the age of four, McHenry was living on Governors Island, a former military post that housed a community of military families in his time, since his father served with the U.S. Coast Guard. His mother actually had to take a ferry to Staten Island in order to give birth to McHenry, since there were no on-site doctors. In McHenry’s mind, however, he is an Erie man through and through. It was the next place his family moved, where he spent most of his life, received his hair-styling education, and started his first business.

The parallels between his hometown and his slice of Ulster County are fairly remarkable. Similar to Rosendale, Erie was once a powerhouse industrial area and has since evolved into a residential paradise, in his mind. While we have the Shawangunk Ridge to gawk at, he was always mesmerized by the beauty of Lake Erie, the fourth largest of the Great Lakes. McHenry proudly shared pictures of what looked like an angry and chaotic ocean, which turned out to be Lake Erie during a nasty storm. In the winter, everyone bundles up and hibernates, only to emerge with new life and a rejuvenated social scene come spring. Sound familiar?

A visit to McHenry & Company starts with fresh-baked goods, coffees, teas and other treats offered to patrons, free of charge, whenever they come in for a cut. While you wait, enjoy the comfy couches and other tasteful pieces of furniture sitting just beyond the front entrance. The salon also sells high- and moderately priced Goldwell products (which are top of the line in McHenry’s industry), including personal and hair-care items. Talk about enjoying the finer things.

You will be just as impressed by McHenry’s hair styling abilities, along with those of his developing team of five stylists. McHenry, for one, studied at the respected TONI & GUY Hairdresser Academy for nine months learning everything from the chemistry of hair dyes to human anatomy, while sharpening his skills with the scissor and comb. Later, he sat on the academy’s Board of Cosmetology for five years, where he joined other Erie-local hair industry leaders to consult the school on the education it offered.

He eventually opened his Erie location in 2006, bearing the same name, which won the Erie’s Choice Award for best salon three years in a row. When the shop closed from March to June 2020, McHenry didn’t notice many changes except for a lot of bad hair-dos surrounding him. However, it did take people until September of that year to feel comfortable with coming back for in-person cuts. The salon has now been passed down to his daughters, since McHenry became a more permanent resident in High Falls.

“When their hair looks good, they feel good,” McHenry explained. “It makes me feel happy, like I hit my goal with each individual.”

The outside of the salon will look a lot different come spring. McHenry’s salon in Erie won an award for their lush garden, and McHenry plans to line the exterior of the building with wildflowers that complement the dark palette of the building. A deck area with an overhang will also be built outside of the front door.

In all honesty, the real reason McHenry came to High Falls, in 2019, wasn’t to find customers. It was for love. McHenry lives with his now three-year-long partner Antonio Parrotta, who locals may know as a licensed real estate salesperson for Village Green Realty. McHenry says he admired Parrotta’s boyish, goofy humor and never got sick of the cheerful banter they shared with each other. With Parrotta, he says he is always surrounded by good company.

You can expect the same honest and fun relationship with your hairdresser at McHenry’s salon. The reason he adds the word “Company” after the salon’s name isn’t because he is running a business, McHenry explained. The “company” he refers to is you. Those who frequent his chairs, and the co-workers who make his business feel like a family, are his true company at the salon.

While the salon will be open within the next week or so, you can start scheduling your appointment by calling 845-687-6372 or by sending an email to Mchenrysalon@gmail.com.