01
To our guests
Clean, nontoxic products. Single-use files and buffers at every service. Careful technique that protects your natural nails, and a 7 Day Guarantee for gel services because we stand behind our work.
Photo: Saltmara salon pedicure chairs and coastal-inspired interior
our story
A nail oasis
in the city
We built the salon we wished existed. Unhurried, honest, and good for your nails, your wellbeing and the people doing the work.
Photo: Furqan Hadi, Saltmara founder
“I believe in paying every teammate for every hour on the clock.”
Furqan Hadi, Founder
a note from our founder
Care is the whole point
I didn't start in the nail industry. I spent 15 years leading people and culture inside large corporate organizations, and one lesson stayed with me: when people feel truly cared for, they do their best work, and the people they serve can feel it.
So I built Saltmara around a simple promise. Guests get an unhurried hour, clean products and nails that stay healthy. Technicians get paid for every hour they're here, real training, and a team that has their back. When both sides are cared for, the experience takes care of itself.
City life is a lot. Saltmara is where you get to exhale.
what we stand for
Built on three promises
02
To our team
Every technician is paid for every hour on the clock, not just the hours in the chair. We train in house and grow careers, not just schedules, because a supported artist is a better artist.
03
To our city
Three Chicago neighborhoods, one standard of care. Each salon is designed as a calm, coastal escape from the pace of the city, a place regulars come back to week after week.
Photo: Saltmara artist carefully shaping nails during a pedicure
the people behind the polish
Artists, not
assembly lines
Most salons pay only for the service in the chair. We pay for the whole shift, so our technicians never have to rush you to make a living. That time goes back into you: a slower soak, a more careful cuticle, a longer massage.
Every artist trains in house with our nail education team, learning techniques like Russian manicures, gel overlays and hard gel before they ever take a guest.
our journey so far
From one chair to three neighborhoods
Wicker Park
Our flagship opens on North Avenue as Chicago's first membership-based nail salon.
South Loop
Our second oasis opens on State Street, carrying the same unhurried experience.
West Loop
Three salons in fifteen months, each holding the line on the guest experience that made the first one work.
Your neighborhood
New salons and future franchise partners are on the horizon. Your neighborhood could be next.
grow with us
A model built
to last
Saltmara pairs a wellness-first guest experience with a membership model that turns first visits into standing appointments. Paid shifts and in-house training help us keep great artists, and great artists keep guests coming back.
We're looking for partners who share our belief that beauty and good business both start with how you treat people.
Photo: Saltmara salon coastal-inspired reception
Brands we trust
DNDOPIDAZZLE DRYOSEAAPRESVOESHKOKOIST
We use VOESH for pedicures, hand lotion and hand masks.
your oasis is waiting
Come find your calm
First time guests enjoy 20% off their first service. We can't wait to meet you.