Tacoma's Mattice Beauty Supply: A Story of Survival, Community, and Defying the Odds
“While every Saturday and Sunday you will find so many…women of color in beauty supply stores, we rarely own them,” - Mattice Hoyt, owner and operator of Mattice Beauty Supply (Photo courtesy of Intentionalist)
By Mead Gill - #SupportBlackBusiness
Through the doors of a quant yellow storefront in Tacoma sits Mattice Hoyt, the owner and operator of Mattice Beauty Supply. Opened in 2020, Mattice Beauty Supply filled an enormous gap in the Tacoma community as the only Black-owned beauty supply store in Tacoma. Defined by her selfless commitment to helping people, Hoyt has run her business through cancer treatment and financial hardship with pure positivity, laughter, and an enthusiastic community backing her up.
A Product for Every Hair Type
Committed to providing hair care and beauty treatments for all hair types and needs, Hoyt sells wigs, braids, cosmetics, and other products primarily made by women of color. She currently sells products from 23 Black businesses, 10 of which are local to Pierce County, and another two in King County.
“The beauty industry is a huge industry for Black women,” she emphasized. “And while every Saturday and Sunday you will find so many…women of color in beauty supply stores, we rarely own them.”
Hoyt prices merchandise between customers at her storefront in Tacoma. (Photo courtesy of Hoyt)
An Inspiring Story of Survival
After undergoing cancer treatment and losing her hair years before starting her business, Hoyt struggled to find the right wig in a run-of-the-mill beauty supply store. Entering the store instigated intense insecurity and discomfort from an underlying racial tension and a lack of adequate service for her needs. “One of the most traumatic experiences of having cancer was literally just trying to figure out a way to be in my own skin,” she said.
With motivational words of support from her husband, Hoyt began putting every dime she earned toward opening her own beauty supply store to create the service she wished she had in her time of need. After six years, Mattice Beauty Supply officially opened in 2020, immediately thrown into the debilitating pandemic economy on top of the typical hardships of a first-year business.
One day that same year, another woman who had recently been diagnosed with cancer walked into the store and immediately burst into tears. Without hesitation, Hoyt locked the doors of the store, sat her down, and helped find her the perfect wig in an environment that allowed vulnerability. “That was when I knew I was solidified in what I was doing,” she said.
Creating a Space for Black Women to Just Be
Hoyt recalled that through her childhood, the Black women in her family were adamant about hating their visits to the beauty supply store. A trip to buy a simple product often found them followed through the aisles by employees assuming they were stealing— a shameful experience Hoyt was more than ready to reclaim.
“Black women, we rarely have places to just be,” she said, determined to make Mattice Beauty Supply a space where Black women feel the freedom to hang out, laugh, and talk about real things without the fear of external judgement. One loyal customer once told her, “You’re like a siren. I’ll come in and I won’t realize it’s nighttime until I look out the window.”
Hoyt styles and cares for the wigs at Mattice Beauty Supply. (Photo courtesy of Hoyt)
The Community Conference Room
On top of her diverse line of beauty products, Hoyt rents a conference room connected to the store where local artists, creatives, and small business owners host interactive workshops and events. What started as a place for Hoyt to teach braiding transformed into a platform for people to share their skills and passions with a new audience, ranging from classes on cooking, sewing, home buyer ownership, making kimchi, and more.
The conference room is a space for all people of all races to partake in new activities and skills without judgement. It is Hoyt’s way of dismantling the mindset that hobbies are societally divided by race.
“Maybe the reason why us as Black folks feel like these are white activities is because whenever we're doing it, we're doing it in white spaces,” she said. Hoyt hosts at least five classes a month for all ages offered on a sliding scale or for free to remain accessible to as many people as possible. Now customers go to Mattice Beauty Supply to experience something new, and maybe leave with a new wig and a smile, she said.
Recovering from the Pandemic
Six years of hard work projected Mattice Beauty Supply to officially open in March 2020. But after the pandemic struck soon after signing her lease, Hoyt was forced to pay rent through months of lockdown with no income, finally opening for business in December of the same year.
Three months later, Hoyt was forced to close the store again after a cancer recurrence, leading to both her legs being amputated in March 2021. Four years later, she is still battling medical bills and loans she took on through unprecedented circumstances, and has been a target of multiple robberies due to running the store essentially by herself in a motorized wheelchair.
Despite the obstacles, Hoyt speaks with extreme positivity and an infectious sense of humor, an attitude she attributed to nearly losing her life to cancer. “Life isn’t real,” she said with a laugh. “I obviously lost my legs, I'm running a store, and Trump is president. Nothing's real."
Hoyt receives an award from the City of Tacoma with an award in recognition of her dedication for National Small Business Week in 2024.
The Unofficial Mayor of Tacoma
Outside of the store, Hoyt attends every city council meeting for City of Tacoma and breaks down the meetings in layman’s terms on her social media, deeming her the title of Unofficial Mayor of Tacoma by her community.
An advocate and humanitarian, Hoyt serves on the board of the YWCA of Pierce County and was recently awarded the Women’s Business Center Washington Client of the Year Award. Additionally she is a 2025-26 recipient of the City of Tacoma’s Artist Initiative Program, cementing her as an invaluable voice of the people.
Hoyt’s service-oriented role in local administration lends itself to Mattice Beauty Supply, where her priority has always been building deep relationships and working in customers’ best interests, even at the expense of maximizing profit. “I participate in capitalism, but I'm not a slave to it,” she said.
Preserving a Community Necessity
The network that Hoyt has built through her service and spirit has resulted in impressive support from those who love and appreciate her. One customer and friend started a GoFundMe with a simple intention: “Let’s make sure Mattice knows Tacoma has her back — just like she’s always had ours,” the fund’s description stated.
With a league of support behind her, Hoyt is putting her energy into grant applications and community events to help keep her business and conference room alive and thriving. She encourages anyone to stop by Mattice Beauty Supply for a product, an upcoming event, or a good chat.
“At least three times a week, I am reminded of why I'm doing this,” she said. “It's like, girl, you got to keep doing this because you will be missed.”
3906 South 12th Street
Tacoma, WA 98045
Instagram: @mattice_beauty_supply
Linktree: matticebeauty
Donate to help support Mattice’s mission and lift the financial load here.
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