The luxury salon, on Carshalton High Street, was awarded the 'One to Watch' honour at the sixth annual Red Ribbon Awards, held at the Globe Theatre in London and attended by more than 300 guests from a broad range of companies and sectors.
After presenting the accolade, judges said: “The team at Frank Di Lusso has a true commitment to quality, innovation and customer satisfaction.
“The business buzzes with personality and for such a young company they have many schemes and programmes to develop the future generations and ensure skills for the future. “From the minute you walk in to the moment you leave, the team show genuine care and attentiveness to ensure every visit is a joy.”
Business owner Frank Cappalonga transformed the former pound shop into his dream salon with financial support from his mother-in-law. His father helped with the full scale refurbishment and Frank’s wife Charlie was in charge of interior design.
Frank now runs the business with support from Manager Stevie Killgallon and Assistant Manager Michelle Le, both of whom he trained at a south west London salon and who accompanied him to the ceremony.
Frank said: “It’s never easy to start a new business from scratch, but we saw a gap in the market in Sutton for a high-end luxury salon with services at affordable prices so we decided to bite the bullet and go for it.
“Thankfully, the gamble has really paid off. More than 90 per cent of our clients have returned more than once, we have employed two more team members, and now a panel of experienced business people have rated us the ‘One to Watch’.”
He added: “After 12 months of hard work from the whole team and invaluable support from all of our families, we are just thrilled to have been recognised with a national accolade.
“The judges told us they had hundreds of entries, so we are truly honoured to have been chosen as the best.”
Last year, Frank Di Lusso won the Tom Brake Independent Shop Of The Year award voted for by local residents, and last month the business, which attracts custom from across London and Surrey, was given a Customer Service award from software review firm Phorest, in recognition of a consistently high volume of five star reviews.
Their latest success is the first time they have entered a UK-wide awards event. The Red Ribbon awards, which are hosted by Family Business Place, were developed to honour the most exciting and innovative family businesses across the UK.
Director of Family Business Place, Amalia Brightley-Gillott, said: “Family businesses are the lifeblood of the British economy and the beating heart of our local communities, employing one in three people.
“Despite their impressive contribution they are often modest about publicising their achievements which is why we founded these awards. This year’s winners are a treasure trove of incredible companies who all excel in their field and are true beacons of British commerce.”