Ultra Violet Shines Bright in The Brewery District
New nail salon doubles as a boba cafe, but without that 'intense nail salon smell.'
Site of Ultra Violet, 930 W. Juneau Ave. Photo taken Jan. 29 by Sophie Bolich.
Enjoying a glass of champagne at the salon is nothing new, but business owner Christine Vang is putting her own spin on the tradition — with bubbles more her speed: boba.
“We thought it would be a fun idea and a little something extra to offer our clients,” she said. “Plus, I don’t know enough about champagne to make sure it’s good,” she added with a laugh.
But when it comes to boba, she’s well-versed — first as a consumer, and now as co-owner of Ultra Violet, a nail salon that doubles as a cafe. Vang and her husband, Yansai Yang, opened the business at 930 W. Juneau Ave. in August, transforming a vacant commercial space into an oasis for both polish and a pick-me-up.
Although The Brewery District business is still gaining traction — its location is a bit off the beaten path at the base of the Vigor Apartments building — the couple are firm in their vision and pleased with their progress thus far.
“Everyone who’s come in so far has been like, ‘Boba and nails? Perfect!'” Vang said.
While Vang handles reception and client services, working alongside her team of nail technicians, Yang heads up the cafe side of the business, taking orders, working the register and making drinks.
The counter-service cafe is open to the public, but clients can also order directly from their table during nail appointments. The menu offers a variety of boba drinks including milk teas, fruit teas, refreshers, smoothies and frappes, with toppings such as tapioca pearls, popping boba, lychee jelly and rainbow jelly.
The couple put extensive research into the cafe, and Vang said she’s looking forward to experimenting with new recipes now that she’s mastered the basics.
And while she’s new to cafe operation, Vang has a long history in the salon business, bringing a decade of experience as a nail technician to the new venture. Having seen the best and worst of the industry, she’s determined to raise the bar at Ultra Violet.
“We really prioritize cleanliness here,” she said, recalling client horror stories of unsterilized tools, dirty workstations and cheese graters used as improvised callus removers.
At Ultra Violet, each client gets a fresh set of disposable tools, which they’re free to take home after each service. The salon also takes disinfecting seriously, Vang said, and is diligent about keeping chemicals such as monomer covered and stowed away. The practice is not only safe and sanitary, but staves off that “intense nail salon smell.”
“I wanted to open this place to show clients that this should be their standard,” she said.
Ultra Violet provides over 600 colors and a variety of nail services, including regular polish, gel polish, dip powder, structure gel, acrylic, and hard gel. The salon, which also offers permanent jewelry, focuses on personalized appointments and works with clients to choose the best service for their needs.
“It’s more science than people think,” Vang said. “There’s so many different services, and it’s our job to help you figure out how to keep your nails healthy.”
Ultra Violet is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Salon appointments can be booked online, but cafe walk-ins are welcome.
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