Meet the Grant Winners: Sharon and Tacha of Puttin’ on the Ritz Salon

At The Granary, we believe building community means investing in the people and businesses that already make Milton special.

That’s why The Granary partnered with Milton Main Street Board to fund its Small Business Grant Program, providing $10,000 to help local businesses complete meaningful projects and continue growing alongside the town.

As part of our Meet the Grant Winners series, we’re introducing you to the people behind the selected businesses—including the mother-daughter team behind Puttin’ on the Ritz Salon.

Taking a Leap of Faith

Tacha Vandeck and her mother, Sharon Borden, purchased Puttin’ on the Ritz in October 2025, stepping into business ownership for the first time.

“Neither of us had owned a business before,” Sharon shared. “We just took a leap of faith and said, ‘Let’s do this.’”

The decision was personal for their family. After moving from Washington, D.C., Tacha continued driving back to her high-end salon in the city three weekends each month. Purchasing Puttin’ on the Ritz gave her the opportunity to build something closer to home and gave Sharon peace of mind knowing her daughter was no longer spending so much time on the road.

Since then, the pair has worked together to learn the ins and outs of ownership while building relationships with the salon’s staff, clients and surrounding Milton community.

Turning a Grant into Measurable Growth

Tacha and Sharon learned about the Milton Main Street Street Small Business Grant Program through the salon’s receptionist. At the time, they were already interviewing vendors to create a new website for the business.

“We looked at it and said, ‘We’re in the right business district, we’re a small business and this might work,’” Sharon recalled.

The timing couldn’t have been better. After purchasing the salon, the website was the final major capital project they needed to complete. They submitted their application and were selected to receive funding through the Granary-sponsored program. Today, the new Puttin’ on the Ritz website is already making a noticeable difference.

“The website has been very successful,” Sharon said. “We get hits on it all day long.”

Customers are using the website to learn about the salon, call the business and book appointments online. Sharon’s granddaughter, who works at the front desk, tracks the salon’s daily and monthly numbers to measure the website’s impact.

The results are clear: both customer traffic and revenue have increased.

Creating a Place Where People Feel at Home

For Tacha and Sharon, running a salon is about much more than providing services. It’s about building personal relationships and creating a space where clients know they will be welcomed and cared for.

“Community means sharing the best with each other and creating a safe, welcoming space,” Sharon explained. “That’s definitely what we wanted with this salon.”

Tacha echoed that sentiment, describing community as feeling comfortable with the salon’s staff and clients and ensuring customers know the team will be there to take care of them.

That welcoming atmosphere can be felt in the everyday moments inside the salon. One community member even brings cookies for everyone each Wednesday, encouraging clients to sit down, enjoy a cup of coffee and stay awhile.

It’s a simple tradition, but one that perfectly reflects what Tacha and Sharon want Puttin’ on the Ritz to be: a place where people feel comfortable, connected and at home.

Finding Community in Milton

After living in Washington, D.C., Sharon has embraced Milton’s small-town atmosphere and the relationships she has formed here.

She can walk across the street and be greeted by people she knows through local boards, book clubs, and other community activities. Outside the salon, she enjoys swimming, gardening, birding, dining with friends and attending performances at the Milton Theatre.

“You just feel like this is really a hometown,” she said. “It’s different here. It really is different.”

Puttin’ on the Ritz is also finding ways to give back and participate in the community. The salon has supported local events and created opportunities for its staff to experience more of what Milton has to offer together.

Although both women recognize that Milton is growing, they’re excited about what’s on the horizon and the role their business can play in the town’s future.

Supporting the Businesses Growing With Milton

Tacha and Sharon’s story demonstrates the tangible difference a small-business grant can make.

With support from The Granary and Milton Main Street, Puttin’ on the Ritz completed an important project that is already helping the salon reach customers, simplify booking and increase revenue.

As The Granary grows, we want the local businesses that give Milton its character to have opportunities to grow alongside it. Supporting entrepreneurs like Tacha and Sharon is one way we can invest in the broader community we’re proud to become part of.

Congratulations to Tacha, Sharon and the entire Puttin’ on the Ritz team. We’re proud to support this new chapter for the salon—and thrilled to see its new website already making an impact.