by Vanessa Valera
RikRak Salon’s double doors opened to the inviting aroma of freshly brewed cappuccino, and as I witnessed the sunlight streaming through the salon’s floor-to-ceiling glass windows, I felt immediately placated. The daylight drenched the taupe-tinted marble tile, the soothing murmur of Brazilian jazz reverberated ever so lightly throughout the salon, and instantly, I felt relaxed. So much, in fact, that my scheduled 11 a.m. soiree with Ric and Raquel Watters, the dynamic duo behind the internationally renowned RikRak Salon, nearly escaped me. I sank into the waiting area’s plump leather sofa, watched Miami’s elite relish in full-body pampering, and effortlessly, I felt “at home.”
I could not believe it; in just 10 minutes, RikRak Salon had managed to modify my traditional take on mixing business with pleasure from “no-go” to “in-style.”
Raquel Watters
VV: Raquel, you and Ric have been married for nearly 16 years. Initially, what was it that attracted you to Ric, if you don’t mind me asking?
RW: (laughs) Not at all. I met him while he was doing the hair for a fashion show of my former store, Tango. I fell in love with this extravagant, gorgeous man, who had beautiful long blond hair and a Bohemian look. He was a true gentleman.
VV: Earlier, I overheard you speaking Spanish flawlessly. Where are you originally from?
RW: I was born in Cuba, but I moved to New York when I was five and then to Miami in 1970. Ric is from Baltimore, and coincidentally, he moved to Miami in 1970 as well.
VV: Well, you have been here for quite some time now. Where do you currently reside, and what has made you stay in Miami?
RW: We live in a house in Bay Heights in Coconut Grove, and I just love Miami! The mixture of people, all the cultures put together in one city, and the energy it all brings just fascinates me.
VV: It was a pleasure meeting your daughters earlier. Are they intrigued by the business?
RW: Yes, our 14-year-old, Chloe, loves every aspect of it; she really likes to come to the salon all the time and learn what we do. Our 12-year-old, Lilly, loves fashion; she is aware of all the new fashion trends, loves the boutique and all the clothes. And, as a side note, they speak Spanish better than me! (laughs) They can read and write perfectly, since they go to a bilingual school. They are so involved with the salon that both of them have a full head of highlights! Ric does it for them, and everyone thinks they are natural.
Ric Watters
VV: When you first met Raquel, what motivated you two to embark on “mixing business with pleasure,” so to speak?
RW: (laughs) My wife had a clothing store in Coral Gables before; it was called Tango, and that’s when I met her. I was doing the hair for one of her fashion shows. After a few years of being in business together, her store closed. Then, we felt that it was a natural thing to combine our passions – fashion clothing and a salon. My wife has done a tremendous job in purchasing the merchandise; people really like her style, and they appreciate everything she brings into the salon. It has become such a unique thing because you come in, and you can literally get ready from head to toe; you can get shoes, all the accessories, a dress, do you nails and hair and go to a club for dinner.
VV: That’s fantastic. With that said, I imagine the business has grown exponentially since its inception in 1989.
RW: We have grown to 20 hairdressers and 15 manicurists. We have great people who are multitalented. We rarely advertise for staff; most people come to us, and they are all handpicked depending on their skills. Every member of our staff is an artist. The way that our staff members present themselves to people is wonderful. We actually just had a staff meeting this morning to make sure that we are all on the same page and that we are happy working together.
VV: You worked on countless fashion shows and photo shoots in the past. Are you still heavily involved in that arena?
RW: I used to be, but not anymore. My staff does a lot of them and works with celebrities, but I have so much going on that I’d rather not do them. It has come to the point that it is not about me anymore, but more about my staff. It is all about the great team that we have working together.
VV: Congratulations on opening RikRak at the Four Seasons Hotel.
RW: We were asked to do the salon there. The Sports Club LA came to us and proposed to put the salon together because of our close proximity and our good reputation. Being attached to the Four Seasons is a whole other experience. We work with most of the hotels on Brickell Avenue, like the Mandarin Oriental, the JW Marriott, the Conrad; and, of course, the Four Seasons. We have established a great reciprocal relationship with each hotel. We take good care of their staff and they send clients here all the time.
VV: Do you consider your mounting clientele to be a chiefly referral business?
RW: Yes. We greet all our clients warmly and offer a friendly atmosphere, so everyone comes back and tells their friends about the salon; that is how our clientele keeps expanding. We have people who go around and give 15-minute massages if a client wishes; we have a coffee bar, a wine bar, and the boutique. RikRak is different from most salons because when you go in other salons, you usually feel intimidated as soon as you walk in. Here, you come in and you feel welcome. It is such a nice feeling to hear when someone comes to the salon and says, “I came because a friend referred me from Germany.” It is so gratifying.
VV: In your opinion, what is the key to maintaining distinctiveness and success in and industry as competitive as yours?
RW: I think that what has made us unique and successful is the energy that the salon produces; it makes you want to come back. It has an incredible vibe that differentiates it from any other salon, and clients tell us this all the time. It really makes us happy because it has become what we strove for. The look of the salon is what I always dreamt of. It is a salon where people want to come hang out!