For a long time, we accepted frustration as part of salon life. We worked around tools instead of expecting them to work for us. One of the biggest daily pain points was the traditional rolling color tray. It followed us through years behind the chair, and every stylist we knew had the same complaints. After decades of dealing with it, we finally realized that just because something has always been done a certain way does not mean it is the best way.

Why Traditional Rolling Trays Were Constantly in the Way

Our salon has cement floors with mats at every station. That setup alone makes rolling trays difficult. In order to have our tray within reach, one wheel would climb onto the mat while the other stayed on the floor, causing the tray to tilt. Hair would get wrapped around the wheels no matter how often we cleaned. The tray inevitably never stayed close enough, and every adjustment felt like an interruption.

During a busy day, those interruptions matter. They pull your focus away from the client. They slow down services. They add unnecessary stress. We worked like this for years because it felt normal, but it never felt good.

The Tray That Changed How We Thought About Workflow

When Jenel lived in Colorado, she worked in a salon that had a tray attached to the chair. That tray moved with the client and stayed exactly where it was needed. It did not fight the floor or the mats. It was not perfect, but it showed us what was possible.

When Jenel moved back to Minnesota, she kept saying she could not do hair without that tray. So we brought about a dozen into our salon. Eventually though, as the years went on, they began to wear out. In an attempt to replace them, it became apparent that they no longer existed. We tried to find them. We called the old salon owner from Colorado. We searched everywhere. They simply were no longer available.

Deciding to Build What We Could Not Buy

That moment forced a decision. We could keep working around the problem, or we could try to fix it ourselves. We chose to build. We partnered with a local manufacturer in Alexandria so we could stay hands-on throughout the process.

We tested prototypes in real services. We adjusted attachment points, inventing a damage-free clamp to safely attach to any stylist chair on the market. We paid attention to how the tray felt during foiling, coloring, and cutting. The Quick Tray came together through real trial and error behind the chair.

Why the Quick Tray Changed Our Day

By attaching directly to the chair, the Quick Tray eliminated wheels completely. No tipping. No hair buildup. No chasing the tray across the floor. Everything stayed stable and close, which saved time and mental energy.

The Quick Tray exists because we were tired of fighting a tool we used every day. We did not reinvent something for fun. We solved a problem we lived with for decades.