Giuseppe Acampora hung up the phone, sighed, and called the next client on his list to cancel their hair appointment.

Acampora — whose family has owned C&C Salon locations at the Galleria malls in Poughkeepsie and the town of Wallkill since the early 1990s — learned earlier this week the businesses may not reopen until after July 7.

What You Need To Know


  • Salon owners from inside malls have had to wait to reopen

  • This comes after competitors, who are not located inside malls, have been open for weeks 

  • Governor Andrew Cuomo has now voiced concerns over mall HVAC systems and the possibility that they may be recirculating the virus 

  • The owner of C&C Salon says they are trying to open by following any guidelines that may come their way

After shutting down both salons in March, in accordance with state orders to slow the COVID-19 spread, Acampora was excited to reopen in early June under Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan. However, he found out his salons were not eligible to open because they were located entirely within malls, which were not cleared to open.

“Unfortunately, the governor is not going to let us reopen,” he told a customer over the phone. “It seems the governor is holding us to a different standard than other salons that have already reopened," he told another. 

Acampora had hoped to keep appointments made in late June on the possibility the state’s plan would change, allowing the salons to open in late June for Phase 3 or early July for Phase 4.

The reopening plan does seem to have changed — for the worse.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday that he received information from other states about possible problems posed by air conditioning systems in malls, movie theaters, and gyms.

“That air conditioning may not be cleansing the air of the virus and just recirculating the virus,” Governor Cuomo said during a press conference. “So we’re studying that ... as soon as we get some more information we will make an informed decision.”

In a statement, the company that manages both malls cited research that flies against the governor’s statements, adding that any suggestions that HVAC systems in enclosed shopping centers may spread the virus are “simply false.”

“Numerous health and safety experts support the view that enclosed shopping centers present no greater risk of spreading the virus through their HVAC systems than standalone, freestanding retailers’ locations,” Pyramid Management Group responded in the statement. “If anything, the relative risk within our airy, enclosed malls may in fact be lower as we have done more than is necessary based on health and safety recommendations to improve the existing air filtration systems within our shopping centers to bolster the quality of airflow within our centers.”

This further puts Acampora at a disadvantage because other competing salons have been open for weeks.

Acampora added that he has used almost all the money he received through the federal government’s Paycheck Protection Program. 

He said that he is lobbying at all levels for a creative solution, as C&C sits on the brink.

“We’re trying our hardest to open,” he said. “We’re trying to work with the county executive, trying to work with the governor’s office, trying to work with the mall to let us do something to open up, not only here but in Poughkeepsie as well.”

As of Thursday evening, the listed Phase 4 reopening date for malls is July 7, though the governor hinted that may not stand, depending on what state health officials learn about their HVAC systems.

“I’ll keep you updated,” Acampora said to another customer on the phone. "Don’t forget about us.”