Longtime salon owner says it’s about more than hair — it’s a gathering place for stories and friends

SUGAR CITY – For the last 23 years, Marlene Webster has been the heart of Sugar City’s hair scene. Her cozy yellow salon on Center Street isn’t just a place to get your hair done — it’s a cornerstone of the community.

Marlene’s journey in hairdressing began long before opening her own salon.

“I gave my first haircut when I was 5. My friend and I were playing beauty shop and I told her I can cut your hair. I put a ponytail in and cut underneath the rubber band,” Webster said. “I was in big trouble and that was when I got my first haircut, too. My mother made me cut off all my hair because my friend had to cut all of hers off.”

She decided that she wanted to do hair for the rest of her life and never changed her mind.

“I started beauty school when I was 16,” she said. “I’d go to beauty school in the summers while still in high school. I graduated from beauty school and high school about the same time.”

By the time she graduated, she was ready to make her mark on the beauty industry.

Before settling in Sugar City, Marlene worked in various salons across eastern Idaho, from Rexburg to Pocatello. Eventually, she managed to combine her skills and love for the craft into her very own business. She opened a salon in her home and started Marlenes. That lasted for quite a few years, but eventually she knew it was time to find a store, and her husband concurred.

“My husband was tired of the smell of perms in the house,” she laughs. “He told me to find a place to set up shop, and we found this building — Sugar City’s old post office.”

Over the years, Marlene has witnessed every hair trend imaginable, from bouffants to pixie cuts.

“Hair trends always come back,” she says. “The names change, but it’s the same styles recycled. The Dutch boy, the undercut, the pageboy — they’re all just different takes on the same idea. The mullet has come and gone the most times I think.”

Advancements in hair care have also transformed her craft. Webster recalls the days of electric perms, where clients would sit under metal clamps heated by electricity.

“It was wild back then,” she says. “Now, there’s so much variety. You can hardly tell when someone’s had a perm.”

Despite the changes in the industry, one thing has remained constant: her dedication to her clients.

“I love making people happy. That’s what keeps me going,” Webster says.

In addition to offering small town prices and a gathering place where stories are shared and friendships are formed, it also serves as a training ground for young stylists. Marlene has mentored many over the years, offering guidance and encouragement to those just starting their careers.

“You can tell pretty quickly who’s going to make it in this business,” she says with a knowing smile. “It’s about passion and a genuine love for the work.”

Tara Tollman has worked in the salon for 12 years. She grew up in Sugar City and remembers going with her mother when she got her hair done at Marlene’s. She would stand right by the chair and watch everything that Webster would do to her mom’s hair. She is continuing the traditions that Webster started by loving her clients as much as doing their hair.

“I like the small town feel. I know everyone because a lot of locals come in here. I grew up here. It just feels like home,” Tollman said.

Offering a full range of hair and nails services as well as massage therapy and a tanning bed, Marlene’s Hair Design remains a beloved staple of Sugar City.

“This place has always felt like home,” Webster says. “It’s the people who make it special.”