The frank anthony story
Frank Anthony Salon photoshoot, 1990
Established in 1970
Frank Anthony Salon was founded in 1970 by Joy and Frank Warner. What began as a two-person barbershop on the east side of Chester Village located in the Chester Professional Building and was originally named A Masculine Touch.
In those early days, Frank worked six days and three nights a week, fully committed to building the business. Joy worked Saturdays so she could remain home during the week to care for their new baby. A licensed hairdresser herself, Joy wore many hats; stylist, receptionist, and shampoo technician.
At the time, the hair industry embraced a very natural look. Hair color and perms were rare, and trends were simple. In their first year, the salon serviced approximately 50 clients per week, with half of those appointments taking place on Saturdays alone. A men’s haircut was priced at $6, while a perm cost $30, compared to the industry average of $3 for a cut and style and $25 for a cut and perm.
In Frank’s own words
“After eight months in business, something really special happened one Wednesday afternoon. Anthony Gentile walked in looking for employment. Anthony was already a friend, we had previously worked together at his brother Tony’s barbershop years earlier. Joy and I told him we would love to have him join us, but we didn’t yet have enough business to pay him a fair salary. Anthony’s response was simple: he would work for no salary until we could afford to pay him.”
Frank cutting hair, 1990s
“After a week of trying to figure out how we could bring Tony on, we finally made it work. Tony’s starting salary was $125 a week before taxes. Looking back, it was one of the best business decisions we ever made. Within six months, Tony was fully booked.”
That moment set the tone for what Frank Anthony Salon would become—a place rooted in loyalty, hard work, and belief in one another.
The salon grew slowly over the next five years. During that time, Joy welcomed another baby, Jennifer, and shortly after traveled to New York to attend hair color school. She studied with the most renowned and first color-only salon in New York, Leslie Blanchard. This became their second-best business decision.
As time passed, Joy permed and colored everything and everyone. As their family grew older, Joy was able to work more and the business truly began to flourish. They became the first truly unisex salon in New Jersey.”
Frank and Tony, early 2010s
Carrying the Legacy Forward
In 2010, Brianna joined the Frank Anthony team at just 20 years old. By 2015, she realized she wanted to be more than an employee—she wanted to be a leader. During that time, Frank took Brianna under his wing, mentoring her closely and passing down not only his technical knowledge, but also his values, work ethic, and deep love for the industry.
Owning a salon had always been her dream and she knew without question that Frank Anthony Salon was where that dream belonged.
In January 2020, Brianna proudly became the owner of Frank Anthony Salon.
Today, she continues to honor Frank’s legacy while bringing her own vision to life, blending tradition with innovation and creating a warm, inspiring environment where creativity thrives and everyone feels at home.
The future is bright, and the journey ahead is one we are excited to continue together!
Brianna, left, with our guest services manager Shawna, right
Shawna’s been at frank anthony salon since 1998