Salon owner wants to bring community back to downtown Syracuse

Bloom on Willow Salon recently relocated to Armory Square.

Having been in the hair industry for over 20 years, Antonietta Moritz, stylist and owner of Bloom on Willow salon, understands the power of hair. She has curated a salon in Syracuse, with infinite ways to boost confidence, and tend to hair needs. 

Bloom on Willow moved to Armory Square in October, and Moritz was easily able to renovate the space, given that it was a salon previously. In one weekend, the space was painted, moved into and opened the following Monday morning. 

Moritz began her career in downtown Syracuse, so she understands how much this part of the city has to offer.  As she aims to bring the heart back into Syracuse and life into hair, the move to this new location was a logical choice.

“When I worked down here over 20 years ago, the hustle and bustle was awesome,” Moritz said. 

Being a Syracuse native, Moritz added that she understands what the city has to offer, and the changes it has faced in recent years. She said the downtown area was more vibrant when she began her career. However, she remains hopeful that her move will help bring the action back.  

“Downtown is where I started my career, so I wanted to be back, there is so much more action here, so many more people. I love our big windows, I love the front door,” Moritz said, regarding what the new location has allocated for her small business. 

In addition to a more convenient location and closer proximity to the city, Mortiz hopes Armory Square can reignite what it once had; where living in a post-COVID world significantly hurt several small businesses, causing downtown Syracuse to lose a significant grasp on the small town feel it once had. 

“I’m hoping to see downtown blossom into what it used to be,” Moritz said when talking about her memories of downtown Syracuse. 

COVID-19 and the unprecedented lockdown were tough on small businesses. The city of Syracuse was no exception as businesses faced economic challenges. However, according to The Office of the NY State Comptroller, similar to other cities, a specific COVID-19 relief plan was organized to help recover the city. The program highlighted $2 billion in federal and state funding for small businesses, restaurants, and arts and cultural organizations’ economic recovery.

“I hoping to be a part of that I’m hoping to try and get new businesses to come down here, I feel like Armory Square needs shopping, it needs a coffee shop, things that are going to bring people down here, and keep you down here, and spend some time which will also help Syracuse,” Moritz said. 
Despite the impact of COVID-19, small businesses are slowly returning. Moritz has immense hope that downtown will have a great comeback.

“It was awesome then, it seems like it is already getting better, we have so much going on and coming in so I’m excited for that, get some people back here,” she said.“Armory has so much more to offer for clients for the stylists themselves, it was kind of  a no-brainer to move down here.”

Moritz said she knew this salon relocation would be extremely beneficial for her stylists and clients, everyone was eager for the future and endless possibilities at a new Bloom. 

“I think it’s coming back and I am glad we are going to be a part of that,” Moritz said about the future of downtown.

Moritz understands that hair has the power and potential to change an overall look, including outfit, mood, confidence, and how one composes themselves. This has always been the principle of her work, that she hopes to continue in this new spot. 

“I’m just really excited for the new clients that we are going to bring in, I feel like we are a lot more visible than we once were, you know you can see us right when you are walking across the street, and I like that we are a little bit more forward in the community,” Bridget Aceto, Hairstylist at Bloom, said. 

Having luscious locks is a luxury, but is a challenging task. The stylists at Bloom are no strangers to this idea, being open pretty much all day every day – except Sunday –, and constantly working to make clients look and feel their best. 

“There are amazing women that work here, really talented, really heartfelt, and they are all about their clients,”

“It’s not about who’s going to make the most money, and who’s going to do whatever the client wants, it’s really about the health of the hair, the health of the human, they’re great people,” Moritz said, about the girl squad at the salon. 

The deluxe new hair space offers the same luxuries as it did in the old location, including men’s styling, women’s, color, highlights, balayage, extensions, and most kinds of hair care.