As a child, choosing where to get a haircut was often a task left for parents to decide. But, when students come to college, they are often forced to make the decision between waiting for a trip home for a haircut or finding a new stylist to turn to.
Some might ask friends to chop their locks; however, those wishing to leave their hair to the professionals can look to several Uptown businesses to replace their hometown hair spots.
Don & Steve's Barber Shop, 40 W. Union St.
When the space below Bromley Hall became available in 1967, Don Shingler was quick to set up shop. He opened up Don & Steve’s Barber Shop that year, starting a father-son business that remains strong 44 years later.
“My dad was a barber on the other end of town when Bromley Hall was being built,” said Steve Shingler, Don’s son and current owner of the shop. “He had worked with a lot of students before, and when the spot first became available, he took it right up.”
Don has since passed his trade to Steve, who has done his best to keep the barbershop looking as it did when it opened.
Throughout its history, little has changed in the shop. Everything inside, from the barber chairs to the cash register, dates back to when the shop first opened.
“It’s been kind of an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ kind of thing,” Steve said.
Decor is not the only aspect of the barbershop that Steve prefers to keep simple: Since he and his father started the business, they have paid for only one advertisement, preferring to let the haircut speak for itself.
“I want the haircut to be the advertisement,” Steve said. “When someone walks out of my shop, the first thing someone on the street is going to notice is their haircut.”
Steve said students and faculty account for about 90 percent of his business during the school year. When students leave for break, Steve said an increase in available parking attracts more local clients.
Attractions Hair and Tanning Salon, 19 N. Court St.
For more than 30 years, Attractions Hair and Tanning Salon has held a strong reputation for providing a variety of hair and beauty services.
Roger Wells, a stylist at Attractions for more than 25 years, said he thinks one of the key differences between Attractions and other salons throughout the country is the dedication its stylists have for Athens.
“At a lot of salons, you’ll have stylists who will move around every six months or so,” Wells said. “Usually, somebody will come here, like working here and like the atmosphere. It has the stability that builds a good clientele.”
All 17 stylists at Attractions are self-employed and have their own set of prices. Despite this, Wells said he thinks Attractions is one of the best-run businesses in Athens.
For customers who are looking for other beauty services, Attractions offers tanning beds, a facial room and pedicures.
Although Attractions stocks the most up-to-date supplies, the salon still bears a vintage vibe, which Wells attributes to the fact that the shop is built with bricks from the original building before it was remodeled.
The Chop Shop, 20 S. Court St.
Before Isaiah Dupler opened The Chop Shop in 2008, Ohio University President Roderick McDavis would travel as far as Columbus or Parkersburg, W.Va., in search of a barber.
When the shop opened, however, Dupler’s knack for catering to the hair-care needs of African-Americans caught McDavis’ attention.
“It’s a bad assumption that African-American hair is easy to cut,” said Becky Watts, chief of staff to McDavis. “It involves a very special skill and people that are trained to work with it.”
Although McDavis no longer frequents the barbershop, Watts said he still respects it.
“President McDavis has always been a supporter of The Chop Shop,” Watts said.
In addition to catering to the unique needs of African-Americans, The Chop Shop features a distinctive atmosphere to that of its hair-care contemporaries.
Rather than metal chairs for clients to wait in, the shop is furnished with leather couches and a PlayStation for customers to enjoy before and after receiving a trim.
The Chop Shop was not Dupler’s first attempt at hair entrepreneurship in Athens. In 2004, Dupler opened Varsity Barber Shop, but after facing financial problems, Dupler moved his business across the street and established The Chop Shop.
“I’m glad I was able to bring the same customers to my new shop without paying for as much overhead,” Dupler said.
Smart's Barber Shop, 23 W. Washington St.
David Smart, co-owner of Smart’s Barber Shop, never planned on going into the hair business.
“I was looking for a way to help pay for me to finish college,” Smart said. “I ended up enjoying doing hair so much that I didn’t finish my college degree.”
In the late 1960s, Smart and his friend Fritz Bookman decided to introduce the idea of a unisex hair shop to Athens. Bookman opened Attractions, where Smart was the manager until he decided to open up his own salon with his wife in 1986.
Though the sign in the front door advertises Smart’s salon as a barbershop, Smart said that there is an even split between male and female clients.
“Right now, we’re an atypical family hair salon,” Smart said. “We do everything except facials, makeup and nails.”
Smart’s Barber Shop features furniture and equipment that once belonged to the Berry Hotel in Athens, with some of the items dating back to the late 1800s. The shop’s decor plays into a personal interest of Smart.
“I’ve been collecting (antique barber memorabilia) off and on,” Smart said. “Curiosity just hit me.”
After more than four decades in the business, Smart still has a passion for his trade, something he attributes to the people he meets every day.
“My main interest in this business is getting to just hang around and talk to people,” Smart said. “I’ve never had a dull day in my life.”
ap338210@ohiou.edu
