This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2005, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Bethany Prince was cutting her boyfriend's hair last summer near his parent's pool, and she just happened to be wearing a bikini.

"It all started as a big joke," said Prince, the 24-year-old owner of Bikini Cuts in Sandy. "That was on a Saturday. By Monday, we had rented the salon, and we were cutting hair."

Prince, who now has a second location in West Jordan, had been thinking about a career in the beauty industry; suddenly, she's found herself in the political limelight.

The young entrepreneur, her partner and boyfriend Mike Fuller, and a third, silent partner plan to open several more stores in Utah. "The biggest problem we're having," said Prince, "is that people have been threatened and don't want to lease to us."

Bikini Cuts' Sandy location, the first of the current two, was the object of vocal protests and continues to receive threatening and harassing phone calls.

"You just learn to be thick-skinned," said stylist Melanie Harper. "I'm OK with it because I know I'm a good person and don't really care what people think."

"It's interesting that people call here and say some of the things they do. They never identify themselves," said receptionist Natalie Sartor of Draper, who says she came to Bikini Cuts last year after most of the political firestorm had died down.

"This isn't an especially sexy place," she said. "It's just a beach atmosphere, fun, relaxed. All we do is cut hair. I think about 20 percent of our clientele is women and kids."

Chelsea Armstrong has been with Bikini Cuts for four months. "I love it," she said. "It's so laid back here, a lot less pressure than other places I've worked. We have a great atmosphere."

Armstrong recently was putting the finishing touches on customer Brian Crane's haircut. "This is my first time in, but, I'll come back," he said. "I like the haircut. I like the relaxed and friendly atmosphere."

Prince and her associates hope to offer franchises eventually. "But you wouldn't believe what's involved in that," she said. "We are just going to focus on our own stores in Utah for a while. We'll see what happens then."

"I just want people to know that we're not doing anything weird," Prince said. "We're focused on great haircuts, that's all."