Stephen “Alex” Iacobacci vividly remembers the day when his career took a huge turn.

As the current owner of Avanti Salon on Newbury Street in Boston, Iacobacci recalled the salon’s original owner, Sally Drinkwater, telling staff the business was shutting down one fateful day in the 1990s.

“We came to work one day, and she (Drinkwater) said, ‘Pack your stuff. We have to close today.’” Iacobacci recalled in an interview with MassLive. “And that’s what happened. And we were all outside with our garbage bags full of stuff.”

Little did Iacobacci know, but he would go from standing jobless on a city street to owning one of the most successful and oldest salons in Boston.

With endless determination — and many nights sifting through paperwork on the salon’s floor — the seasoned hairdresser and businessman was able to revive Avanti and help it reach its 50th anniversary this year.

“For any business to reach 50 years is an accomplishment — but for a salon in the ever-evolving world of fashion and beauty, it’s extraordinary,” said Iacobacci, who has led Avanti for more than 20 years. “Originally from Boston’s Little Italy, the North End, I’m proud to have been part of Avanti’s journey and even more proud of the community we’ve built.”

Founded in 1975, Avanti Salon was originally located a couple of blocks up from its current location at 20 Newbury St. The salon later moved to 11 Newbury St., which was where Iacobacci first joined as an assistant.

In about two years, he went from sweeping hair off the floor to helping clients look their best as a hairdresser. But his hair-styling career suddenly stalled after Avanti went bankrupt roughly 30 years ago.

Luckily, another salon bought Avanti, helped it out of bankruptcy and kept the original name. At that point, Iacobacci said the salon “went through a transition where everybody left” because they didn’t want to work under the new owners.

He stayed, however, and worked his way up to a manager. Eventually, the hairdresser who owned the salon died of leukemia, and Iacobacci was asked if he wanted to buy Avanti.

“So I’m like, ‘OK, I guess it’s time I grow up,’” he recalled. “I still did not know how to run a salon. The aspect of paying payroll and all that kind of stuff, I had no clue what that was like. So I bought the salon. I took a mortgage out of my house and bought the salon.”

Similar to managing Avanti, Iacobacci taught himself a lot about owning a salon. He used to have to make the tough decisions of paying for hot water, electricity or taxes versus hiring a receptionist or paying staff.

“I had no clue what I was doing,” he recalled. “Just because you’re a busy hairdresser, doesn’t mean you can own a business … So you learn a lot.”

Despite his lack of experience, Iacobacci wanted to keep Drinkwater’s dream alive and preserve Avanti’s legacy.

“I felt like I owed it to her to keep it going, and that’s why I kept it going,” he said.

Iacobacci’s success in bringing Avanti to what it is now did not come overnight. In fact, it took a decade.

He initially felt the pressure of keeping the salon afloat and would “just hire anybody” to get clients in chairs. This resulted in the young owner having to deal with “all kinds of personalities.” He felt that ultimately, they were hindering Avanti’s growth rather than contributing to it.

“It was rough because you have to deal with the egos. You deal with every hairdresser that thinks they’re a movie star because they have two clients,” Iacobacci said. “So it took me about 10 years to realize I need to hire people that I like to be around.”

Avanti has grown tremendously under Iacobacci, who brought the salon to its third and current location after it needed a bigger space. Avanti has been at 20 Newbury St. for 12 years and even saw a sort of rebirth during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We used to just work, say, Wednesday through Saturday, 12 hours a day. And I think that when COVID hit, we had to do split shifts. So I have more hairdressers than chairs because of COVID,” Iacobacci said. “So, it’s grown so much. And I think it’s grown because I’ve given them the freedom to have a life, like, they don’t have to be here. I’m not on top of them.”

Iacobacci now employs about 30 stylists and has 20 chairs, making Avanti one of the largest salons on Newbury Street. It has been a launchpad for some of the industry’s most talented stylists, many of whom have gone on to open successful salons of their own and have had celebrity clients. One of these stylists is Nancy Walsh, who joined Avanti in the 1990s and built an impressive career working with elite clientele.

“Avanti has always been more than just a salon — it’s been a home and a creative hub,” Walsh said in a written statement. “I’ve had the honor of styling the New England Patriots cheerleaders, competitors for USA Gymnastics and even Tipper Gore when she visited Boston during Al Gore’s presidential campaign. It’s been an incredible journey, and I’ve been lucky to share it with this team.”

Avanti has also maintained a significant portion of its original clientele, dating back to when Drinkwater owned the salon.

“Even a couple of days ago, I had a lady in here that used to go to the original owner when she used to work at a different salon,” Iacobacci said, adding that the woman’s children also get their hair done at Avanti.

“That’s what we do. We still have a lot of people that [have] come here for a long time,” the owner added.

Instilled by Drinkwater since the very beginning, Avanti has also maintained a long-time commitment to giving back to the community by supporting local and national causes. Most notably, the salon has participated in HairCares, founded by Drinkwater. The Newbury Street initiative involves salons supporting individuals and families affected by HIV.

When asked if he thinks Drinkwater — who is now enjoying her retirement in California — would be proud of the current state of Avanti, Iacobacci replied, “She’s definitely proud. I think she’s proud of where it is and how far it’s come and that it’s still around.”

Iacobacci hopes one of his employees will take over the salon as he focuses on his next chapter. The owner, who recently turned 61, is building a life for himself and his husband in Mexico, so he’d ideally want to step down as Avanti’s head honcho in the future.

“I really don’t want to just sell it to just anybody, and I don’t have to,” he said. “So we’re just trying to find a way to keep it going.”

Avanti Salon is located on the fourth floor of 20 Newbury St. The salon is open seven days a week. Hours vary by day.

Services include coloring, precision hair cutting, extensions, perms and more. Prices vary per service.