Wellsville resident to open new salon on Saturday

By Theo Tate
Posted 1/30/25

Eight months ago, Kristi Hager was a high school graduate. Now, the Wellsville resident will be an entrepreneur.

When the 19-year-old Hager opens her business, Celestial Beauty, at 10 a.m. on …

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Wellsville resident to open new salon on Saturday

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Eight months ago, Kristi Hager was a high school graduate. Now, the Wellsville resident will be an entrepreneur.

When the 19-year-old Hager opens her business, Celestial Beauty, at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Montgomery City, she will accomplish her dream she set years ago – running her own beauty salon.

“I dreamed of this when I was a little kid,” Hager said. “I started planning this in the beginning of seventh grade. I made my high school plan to go to cosmetology school in Mexico. I made sure I got all of my classes in order that way. By the time I was in my junior and senior years, I was able to go to vo-tech. Ever since I graduated, I needed to find a place and it will be mine.”

Celestial Beauty will open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Hager plans to open her shop five days a week after she graduates from esthetician school in March.

Celestial Beauty will be located at 112 W. Third Street in Montgomery City, becoming the third salon in that location in two years. Under The Dryer closed on Dec. 31 after almost a year after owner Tabitha Shramek took a job at the Community R-6 School District. Lanie’s Beauty Salon was housed there for 49 years before it closed on May 26, 2023 after owner Orlana Gardner retired.
Hager came up with the idea of the name of her shop.

“I heard it one day whenever I was younger and I was like, ‘That’s what I want the name to be.’ I just stuck with it,” Hager said. “I saw it online.”

Hager said she immediately jumped at the opportunity to operate her business at the building when she found out Shramek decided to close her shop.

“I decided I wanted to take over pretty much the second she told me she was leaving because I knew a lot of people were going to miss her,” Hager said. “So it’s my way of building some clientele hopefully. I always wanted to start a salon on my own. It’s always been a dream for me. The second she said this place was going to be available, I just knew I needed to start now.”


Hager graduated from Wellsville-Middletown High School in May. She graduated from cosmetology school and is currently going to esthetician school in Columbia three days a week. An esthetician is a skin care therapist.

“A lot of people think it’s a lot like cosmetology,” Hager said. “It’s just basically adding on facials and chemical peels. It really focuses on skin care, full body massage and full body waxing. I can do fake lashes. It’s just primarily skin care and health of the body and the skin.”

Hager said when she decided that she was going to open her own beauty salon, she shared the news with her high school classmates.

“They definitely knew this was a plan for a very long time,” Hager said. “They weren’t necessarily surprised. They were just surprised that it was so soon because everyone is still in college and still figuring out what they want to do. It’s a hard thing to figure out. Not a lot of people at my age figure out what they want to do for the rest of their lives, but I’ve known what I wanted to do ever since I was little. They all know that and support that. They’re very excited for me.”

Hager said her parents, Daniel and April Hager, were helpful in helping her accomplish her dream in starting a business.

“It’s been very stressful, but luckily my dad started his own business, Hager Tree Care,” Hager said. “My mom kind of knows about building your own business and trying to become an entrepreneur for yourself. My parents helped a lot with it.”

Hager has working experience in beauty salons. She worked at A’la mode Salon and Boutique in Montgomery City for six months.

“I was going to continue working there until I had a full clientele or at least I was out of esthetician school, but I decided instead to come here to get a head start on starting my own,” Hager said. “I figured it’s the best time to do it now while I’m living at home instead of moving out and having to deal with this on top of bills from my personal life.”

Hager said she hopes her shop will be a popular one for Montgomery County residents.

“I definitely want a full clientele,” she said. “I just want to take over what Tabitha was doing for everyone, but also add all of the skin care, nails and everything like that like the full body wraps, full body massages and waxing, just because I know there aren’t a lot of people here who do all of that stuff. I know what it’s like to drive all of the way to Wentzville to get my nails done or all of that. I’d rather help people and keep it here in town.”

To book an appointment, call 573-473-6580.

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