Nail Nak Celebrates 12 Years
by Jim Evans

Kathy Jo Brewer manicures nails when she isn’t drag racing.

It isn’t easy to stay in business for 12 years — most new businesses fail within the first three years — but Nail Nak & Golden Tan Day Spa & Salon has beaten the odds, and then some.

Owner Kathy Jo Brewer was one of the original pioneers in working with nails in Ramona and is now celebrating her 12th anniversary at Nail Nak, located at 636 and 638 Main St. in Ramona.

"We actually started at the old Ramona Hotel, and we have been at our current location for 10 years now," Brewer said.

Brewer has finished in the top 25 in the nation for her nail work three times. Her salon was listed in "Who’s Who" in 1992, and in 1996 it was featured in Nail Pro Magazine as the most successful nail and tanning salon in the nation. At least seven different nail aestheticians have worked at the Nail Nak and left to start their own local businesses.

"There is plenty of business for everyone," Brewer said, "and I am pleased if I might have contributed in some small way to their success. We all want to do what is best for our customers, and that’s really the most important thing."

"I’m proud of what we have accom-plished," she added. "There is an art to making the nails look natural.

"We have always made customer service our first priority. In fact, we absolutely guarantee our work. We use only top-of-the line products, stressing quality craftsmanship and sanitation."

In addition to nails, the Nail Nak also offers services in tanning (including air brush tanning), facials, massage, body piercing and hair in its full-service salon and day spa.

Brewer, originally from Kalamazoo, Mich., knew from the time she was a youngster that she wanted to own her own salon.

"I just loved being around people and making them feel good about themselves," she said. What she didn’t anticipate was that she would become involved in drag racing along the way too.

That’s right: This unassuming woman who artistically creates the perfect nails is also a top drag racer. She finished in eighth place at the Spring Nationals last year, among 47 other drivers in her bracket (Sand Drag strip). She finished the 300-foot course in just 3.24 seconds — or a blazing 109 mph!

"I sometimes joke that I ‘nail’ them all week long at the salon, and then I ‘nail’ them again at the track," Brewer said, laughing. "I used to work in my husband Taylor’s pit crew, but I got so tired of him yelling at me all the time, that I told him I wanted to race instead, and one thing led to another. We still have fun talking about it, and he’s been such a good sport.

"I only compete at the Spring, Summer, and Winter Nationals now, because the salon requires so much attention, and I don’t want to neglect my customers."

The Nail Nak will celebrate its 12th anniversary with a "re-grand opening" get-together on May 29.

"We want to invite everyone who has ever been to our salon to stop by and reminisce with us," Brewer said. "We’ve had such a good time serving the Ramona community, and we have made so many good friends. And I have to say that I owe a lot of it to Taylor, who has supported me in whatever I wanted to do — he’s my guy!"

Sounds like he’s a lucky guy too.

For information about the celebration, call (760) 789-4303 or (760) 789-4306.