On New Year’s Day 10 years ago, Andrea Randall awoke to a world that would never sound the same.
Her head ached. The room spun. At the emergency room, doctors diagnosed an ear infection. Within five days, she was completely deaf in her right ear and struggling to keep her balance.
Weeks later, her left ear began to fail. Sounds grew muffled, as if she were underwater. She sought help from multiple clinics and specialists, but by the time an effective course of action was offered, it was too late. Specialists confirmed she had lost her inner ears and that her cochlea was severely damaged. Cochlear implants restored some sound, but not in a natural way.
“It’s like living in a boiler room where people are talking normally,” Randall said. “I have to lip read to understand.”
Noise made her work as a hairdresser nearly impossible. The constant chatter and blow dryers were overwhelming. During the pandemic, she spotted a vacant building: a salon on one side, a bookstore space on the other, with plenty of parking. The idea for Beauty, Beverages & Books — or B3 — began to take shape.
Inside B3, jewel-toned walls frame wingback chairs and hidden reading nooks. Decorative skulls — etched and painted — peek from shelves, a collection she had built over the years. The aesthetic draws inspiration from “Alice in Wonderland” but blends it with old-world bookstore charm.
The business model — part salon, part bookstore, part beverage bar — brought its own set of hurdles. Randall initially planned to offer cold drinks for customers to enjoy while browsing, but quickly learned about the complex web of beverage regulations, even for non-alcoholic drinks.
“Even without alcohol, there are all kinds of regulations and fees,” she said.
On top of beverage laws came salon regulations and retail building codes. No similar business model existed locally, leaving her to navigate the process without precedent.
Her events follow a simple philosophy: create what she would personally enjoy. She has hosted clothing pop-ups, craft nights and “Book Immersion Therapy” sessions — a room filled with vintage books, a record player and a single armchair designed to give guests complete sensory escape. Community response has been enthusiastic, with attendees saying there is little else like it in Salem.
Randall’s short-term goal is to expand into the 3,000-square-foot house attached to B3, adding author readings, live music and low-cost “book to movie” nights. In the long term, she envisions a themed lodging business, “Books and Crannies,” with rooms styled around literary themes. Her 8-year-old daughter calls it “our bookstore” and often greets customers herself.
Randall admits the work is demanding, especially with health conditions that make hairdressing painful. “I’d rather die under a stack of books than behind a salon chair,” she said.
Randall is determined to prove that printed books still have a place in today’s world. “When the world ends, electronics will be gone,” she said. “The books will still be here.” She hopes Beauty, Beverages & Books becomes a stop for anyone looking to slow down, browse, and enjoy a space that values conversation as much as quiet. Whether it’s for a haircut, a new read, or simply a change of pace, she says there’s room for everyone at B3.
