Barbershops offer more than haircuts - KansasCity.com
Time was, if a man felt the need to spruce up, he’d head downtown to the local barber. </p><p>The place was easy to spot along a street full of apothecaries, five-and-dimes, clothing shops and grocery stores. It was neatly punctuated with a red, white and blue barber pole — an exclamation point inviting men to come in, unwind and swap stories about the comings and goings of the townspeople.</p><p>When the ladies in the nearby beauty salon swapped such stories, well … that was gossip, pure and simple. But the men waiting their turn for a haircut and shave put a different spin on the buzz happening within those walls. They were there to relax, catch up on the news and have a few laughs.</p><p>In many ways, things haven’t changed much, says Joey Thomas, owner of Joey Cuts Barber Salon, near 39th Street and Indiana Avenue. Sure, few American barbershops sport that quintessential barber pole anymore, and your favorite shop is probably tucked into a strip mall these days.</p><p>But the basics are still the same, Thomas and other area barbers say.</p><p>“People walk in here expecting to walk out looking great, and we’ll make sure that happens,” Thomas says. “But they’re really looking for more than that. They want to hang out with their friends, they want to laugh and they want relax.”</p><p>Because leisure time is coveted these days, it helps to create an environment that encourages people to kick back a little, say the businesspeople who have made a go of running independent shops. </p><p>“Chains want you in and out,” says Ron Mayer, owner of Sole Patch Barbershop in Prairie Village. “We don’t mind if you hang out for a while and enjoy yourself.”</p><p>To help foster this sense of camaraderie, Sole Patch features a “man cave” downstairs where music lovers can listen to some tunes or pick up one of several guitars and make music of their own. </p><p>Other entrepreneurs, like Purple Label Barbershop’s DeJuan Bonds (barber to many of Kansas City’s top athletes), provide cushy leather seating areas, big-screen TVs, free beverages and high-speed Internet access. </p><p>Find a man who’s proud of his hairstyle or carefully groomed beard, and you’ll probably be talking to someone who will point you to one of the dozens of fine barbershops scattered around the area. Today we’re presenting a sampler of these shops. </p><p>No need to worry that the good old days are long gone, by the way. One owner told us that a traditional barbershop, complete with barber pole, is like a good hairstyle: If it looks good and makes you feel good, there’s no reason to mess with success.</p><p><span class="subhead">‘Like a neighborhood bar’</span></p><p> <span class="bold">The Men’s Locker Room, Lee’s Summit</span></p><p>Relax in a comfortable chair, or even rest on a barstool in the corner of the room. </p><p>Now close your eyes and listen up. Hear the satisfying thump of cue against ball? The swish of a dart destined for a bull’s-eye? The chatter of fans facing a big-screen, rooting for their team to win?</p><p>No, you’re not in a sports bar. You’ll have to replace your vision of beer and margaritas with coffee and soda.</p><p>But that warm feeling of a neighborhood gathering place is what the Men’s Locker Room is all about.</p><p>On a recent weekday afternoon, a barber coaxes a squirming toddler into staying still, two men and their barbers debate the merits of a football coach, and a teenager considers his next shot at the pool table.</p><p>It’s a typical day, says Bobby Baker, who opened the shop in October 2007.</p><p>“It’s everything you’ll find at an old-time barbershop, and then some,” Baker says. “Life is hectic these days, and what free time people have should be enjoyed.”</p><p>It’s unlikely, in fact, that a client could get bored while waiting for a styling pro to call him over to one of five chairs.</p><p>But it’s not the pool table, the dartboard, the free snacks or even the big-screen TVs that really set the place apart, Baker says.</p><p>It’s the service.</p><p>“Our haircuts take 20 minutes or longer, because we’ll be precise,” he says. “And our stylists are proficient at cutting any kind of hair. In fact, our clientele is truly diverse. About half of our customers are white, half are African-American.”</p><p>The barbershop, says the 44-year-old former investment banker, showcases its success when it’s filled with good conversation and laughter.</p><p>“People who know us don’t expect to just come in and leave,” he says. “This place is noisy when it’s busy. A lot of times, you’ll hear just one conversation going across the entire room, with everyone chiming in, including the women who bring their boys in.</p><p>“It’s really like a neighborhood bar.” </p><p> <span class="bold">Brookside Barber Shop, Kansas City</span></p><p>If it’s not the oldest barbershop in town, it’s pretty close, says Brookside Barber Shop owner Suzanne Noland.</p><p>This place, which sports an iconic barber pole at the entrance, has been in business since 1919, and it still sits nestled in a charming shopping and dining district.</p><p>“It’s seen a lot of history,” says Noland, who has owned the shop since 1989. “I’ve had many seniors who have been getting their hair cut here since they were toddlers. One man in his 90s used to come in and tell me what this area was like long ago. That was pretty amazing.”</p><p>Four of six chairs are filled at midday on a Wednesday, and Noland, 57, says business is likely to pick up more after the kids get out of school. </p><p>“This place vibrates,” Noland says with a quick laugh. “There are days when I have to put earplugs in. It’s a true small-town barbershop. Everyone knows everyone else.”</p><p>Indeed, as preteens and teens start to filter in, people call out to Noland, clearly a fixture in the community.</p><p>“Hey, Suzanne,” says one young mother, holding up a wide-eyed baby. “Can you just trim the wispy hair around her face?”</p><p>The barber agrees to the quick fix, and the mom is quickly on her way.</p><p>“It’s not me that makes this barbershop; it’s Brookside,” Noland says. </p><p>Over the gentle hum of razors, an older man with thinning white hair tells his young stylist about his neighbor, who he fears is drinking too much. Another barber chats about the weather with a young man who has requested “a number two on the sides, tapered at the top.”</p><p>Seven barbers are employed at Brookside Barber Shop, Noland says, and every one of them is skilled both in styling (“basic haircuts, no gimmicks is our focus”) and in exceptional customer service.</p><p>“We look for people with great personalities,” Noland says. “I want to hire people who are interesting, because they will then reflect the clients who come through these doors.”</p><p>Noland can’t imagine a career she’d love more.</p><p>“I look at my job like this: I have thousands of monthly 20-minute friends. It’s like catching up on everyone’s life a little bit every month.” </p><p><span class="subhead">‘I’ve been blessed’</p><p></span> <span class="bold">Joey Cuts Barber Salon, Kansas City</span></p><p>Visit the website for Joey Cuts, and a couple of things will pop out at you. Owner Joey Thomas is passionate about the people who work for him. And he’s even more passionate about the community he works in. It shows in the numerous charitable organizations he’s involved in. </p><p>Ask him about the Know Joey Foundation, and the 28-year-old business owner grins.</p><p>“We help teach young men entrepreneurial skills,” Thomas says. “I’ve made my share of mistakes, and if I’d had someone who could give me advice, I’d have been much better off.”</p><p>Those mistakes are in the past. Since opening in July 2008, Joey Cuts has become a fixture in the neighborhood, and Thomas plans to open another shop by summer.</p><p>Quintin Donley, who is in for a cut, has been coming to Joey Cuts since it opened.</p><p>“It’s just a great place to hang out, and it’s obvious that Joey and everyone here are passionate about what they do,” he says, running his hands over a cut that Thomas describes as “crispy.”</p><p>The passion that makes Thomas a great stylist, savvy business owner and humanitarian can all be credited to a single motivating factor. </p><p>“I asked God for a huge blessing when I started this, and he helped me along the way,” says Thomas, sporting his trademark locks. (“We don’t call them dreadlocks anymore,” he says with a smile. “There should be no dread in having locks.”)</p><p>“I’ve been blessed, and now it’s time for me to give back.”</p><p>He looks for talent, commitment, honesty and a “go-getter personality” in the people he hires, Thomas says. </p><p>“You make sure your team is trained and that your team is happy and motivated, and it will all work out,” he says, waving to a regular client who calls out to him from across the room.</p><p>A barber, he says with a laugh, plays many roles when he’s on the job.</p><p>“You’re a counselor, a lawyer, a mediator and heck, even a baby sitter now and then,” he says, his leg tapping the beat of an R&B tune that fills the shop. </p><p>Hair is by its nature a growing business, he says.</p><p>“I’m not in this to get rich and buy a fancy home or a fancy car,” Thomas says. “I’m in this to grow leaders, to grow jobs and to make an impact on the community. It’s a good thing hair grows, isn’t it?”</p><p><span class="subhead">Not your typical barbershop</p><p></span> <span class="bold">Sole Patch Barbershop, Prairie Village</span></p><p>On the wall heading from the Sole Patch Barbershop to its Guitar Lounge downstairs, visitors will spot a key to the philosophy of its owner.</p><p>It’s a poster of a Normal Rockwell painting of a barbershop quartet, which inspires the musical theme of this upscale barbershop. </p><p>Owner Ron Mayer was an investment banker when he decided to get out of the business in 2007. </p><p>“I really looked at what society needed and what I wanted, and I came up with this,” Mayer, 40, says. “I didn’t want my day to be filled fixing people’s problems. I wanted a happy, upbeat place. I wanted music to be part of that.”</p><p>The music room downstairs is a great place for clients to decompress and strum a guitar while waiting for a haircut or shave. It’s also popular, Mayer says, with groomsmen, who relax on the leather sofa and chairs, listen to music or watch sports on a big-screen TV while they prepare for the big event.</p><p>David Voysey wanders down to the lounge one weekday afternoon and gravitates to a new find hanging on the wall.</p><p>“Great, Ron, you have a 12-string,” he says, settling down to strum the instrument.</p><p>Voysey has been a loyal client of the Sole Patch since it opened in November 2007, and he brings his three sons for cuts, too.</p><p>“I really love the music aspect, and the people who cut here just put you at ease,” Voysey says. “We wanted something that was a little nicer than your average barbershop, and we found it here.”</p><p>The barbershop has earned plenty of press since its opening, including recent placement on the top 200 list in Salon Today.</p><p>Mayer himself is familiar with publicity; he made headlines in 2008 when he was chosen to compete on ABC’s “The Bachelorette.”</p><p>But he’s not interested in past achievements. He’s focused on continuing to build his business.</p><p>He leafs through a binder filled with clips of stories about upscale men’s salons popping up in major cities around the world.</p><p>“This business model is really taking off,” Mayer says. “We hire only the best stylists here, and when you hire the right people and offer the best services, the business really takes care of itself.”</p><p>Mayer drops the names of several athletes and other local celebrities who frequent Sole Patch.</p><p>“But it doesn’t really matter who walks in the door,” he says. “Once they’re in here, we make sure they’re happy.”
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I don't know What it is bout a haircut to me but it will always give at least one point on a scale of one to ten for me for you lol
Usually she is on point but today idk what's goin on. I jus want a haircut lol
Find a man who's proud of his hairstyle or carefully groomed beard, and you'll probably be talking to someone who will point you to one of the dozens of fine barbershops scattered around the area. Today we're presenting a sampler of these shops.
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