The barber shop, that neighborhood institution where men and boys go to get spruced up, discuss sports and politics and share local scuttlebutts started declining in the 1970s — a trend which until very recently seemed irreversible. Some credit it to the popularity of “Mad Men,” an AMC series set in the 1950s when men wore fedoras, cuff links and minimal facial hair. A study by the Bureau of Labor Statics a few years ago predicted that the profession would grow by about 13 percent in the next decade.
I’ve been noticing lately that the barber is making a comeback. One recently opened in the Northpoint Mall and just under a year ago Goettee’s Barber Shop debuted in Forsyth County near the huge Windermere community.
I dropped by Goettee’s Barber and Shave a couple of weeks ago to find client Henry Inglesby sitting in owner Heather Goettee’s chair getting a trim. Henry likes the atmosphere and feels as though he gets more custom service than he might receive at a one-size-fits-all unisex shop. As Henry sees it, “They might as well put a bowl on your head and cut around it.”
Real barber shops even smell different. No awful hair perm smells, only the pleasant aroma of Pinaud’s Clubman products which barbers have been using for generations. Reminds me a lot of my childhood barber (all the kids in the neighborhood called him Mike the Scalper) who actually gave a good haircut, and also knew pretty much everything going on around town.
Heather, a former flight attendant, learned the barber trade from her dad, a Charleston barber with over 50 years experience. Heather said she knew there was a niche for her tonsorial services and has built a strong loyal clientele. Besides her, she has another barber working there and is looking to hire a third. That’s a good thing, because on the day I visited two chairs were full, and two people were waiting.
Just as barbershops are meant to be, there are no appointments at Goettee’s, its first come first serve. So, if they’re busy, grab a Sports Illustrated or the AJC off the rack, or practice your stroke on the putting green while you wait.
Brendan Desmond, who is on his third visit, said he likes having the same person cutting his hair every time. Truthfully, he said, “up the road is cheaper but I’d rather come here.” Desmond said he had been to a barber years ago noting you don’t get that kind of service at a chain operated business.
Barbers do things you can’t get at the other shops - the shave with special lather, hot towels and straight razors that make a guy feel really well groomed. That’s one reason it’s become such a popular pre-wedding item for grooms and groomsmen.
It appears the time proven formula of individualized service, a little dab of nostalgia and walk-in convenience combine to make the resurgence of barber shops a growing trend in the metro.
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