Kid’s haircut shop to open

Three-year-olds sit on theme chairs shaped as a “Taxi in Times Square” or a “Porsche in Hollywood,” surrounded by bright colors and a variety of toys. Despite these distractions, they sit patiently as a barber carefully snips away hair.
In another room, 10-year-olds dressed up like Hogwarts characters listen to a reading of Harry Potter.
This is not your average barbershop, this is Frankie Jannello’s vision of Frankie’s Playce, which will be the first full-service toy store and children’s haircutting boutique in Queens.
Frankie’s Playce, scheduled to open at The Shops at Atlas Park in early January, will specialize in haircuts for children and toddlers. It features a full line of toys, with eco-friendly options and a focus on educational products that help enhance infant development, including brands such as “Learning Resources” and “Lamaze.”
“My store is designed to put both children and their parents at ease,” said Jannello, a mother of four. “Those first haircuts can be extremely nerve-wracking, but we’ve incorporated fun toys and themes to help with the haircutting process.”
Jannello, a resident of Middle Village, has been in the toy business for more than seven years. Surrounded by many schools, she noticed a growing children’s population but no specialty places for families to go.
“It’s time children in Queens are opened up to the same things they have in Manhattan,” Jannello said. “My goal is to incorporate products that allow kids and parents to step outside the box and not just go along with stuff they see on TV.”
Atlas Park Development Director Damon Hemmerdinger said that the addition of Frankie’s Playce continues to add to the center’s uniqueness.
“Frankie’s Playce is a truly unique combination of product and service,” he said. “Nowhere else in Queens can you find such an interactive haircuttery with fun and inspirational toys for young children. Undeniably, the addition of Frankie’s store will help us meet the growing demand for products targeted at the younger market.”
Frankie’s Playce already plans to give back to the community with what it has in excess - hair.
Jannello is working with local parishes to promote Locks of Love, an organization that through the donations of hair provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss.
Already, she has recruited a handful of local schoolchildren from the Sacred Heart parish who have been growing their hair out and plan to donate their locks in the coming weeks.