Thompson & Company Salon + Parlor has a very memorable motto, Community, Culture Couture.  The first word is Community.  There is a reason for that.  

At TCo, there’s a focus on family.  Not just the immediate family of employees and clientele, but the family of locals who make up our collective community. Salon owners Bobby and Kayla Thompson have felt a strong bond to the Iowa City area since they moved to town to attend college.  Now, having started both their business and family in this community, that bond is stronger than ever. 

Bobby sums it up succinctly, “Iowa City is just IT for us.  We love the energy from all the different backgrounds.  There’s never a shortage of things to do, whether with the family or in meeting up with some friends to relax.”  

That love for the community has led Bobby and Kayla into some deep and beneficial partnerships with area non-profit groups.  For instance, the entire Thompson & Company family serve as the official haircut crew at the annual UI Dance Marathon.  At an event raising money for kids battling cancer, the act of getting your head shaved in front of hundreds of your peers is a major act of solidarity.  It’s also an avenue for the salon to enhance their ability to donate hair for the creation of wigs…a “little extra” to help the kids feel more comfortable.

“For us as a team to be able to use our skills to help kids…it just makes me emotional.  I’m so proud to be involved with something so meaningful” summarizes Kayla.

The salon doesn’t stop there in helping area citizens exude the confidence that comes from looking your best.  Two additional benefactors of this outpouring of support are Tanager Place and Mayor’s Youth Empowerment Program (MYEP).  “We have developed the best of friendships through our quarterly trips to see the MYEP folks!  It’s awesome to be able to have such a positive impact on their day…sometimes we even pop into their places to work just to say ‘Hello’ and let them know we’re thinking of them” adds Salon Manager, Lauren Marck.

All this effort is part of what Bobby and Kayla set out to build when they opened TCo just over three years ago.  A recent award as the Volunteer Group of the Year by United Way of Eastern Iowa goes to show how committed the entire team is to this effort.   

To Bobby and Kayla, it’s simple, “It is ALL about community.  Without a thriving, fantastically awesome community, nothing else matters.  We’re just proud to be able to do our small part to make it a better place for all.”

Attention Voters! Locals Love Us is searching for stories of businesses that give back to the community by going above and beyond what is expected of them.

SOUND LIKE A BUSINESS THAT ONCE HELPED YOU OUT? WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT

The story could get published on the website! Not a writer? No worries, we'll edit it for you! Just give us the basics.