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Olde Towne East has been maturing as a residential neighborhood for decades, and the past few years have also seen a rise in new commercial businesses, with bakeries, restaurants and bars setting up and thriving. In 2012, Old Familiar Barbershop will be making their way to Parsons Avenue, across the street from Carabar. This new venture will focus on old-school barber services, but is being launched with a new-school funding method: anyone who ponies up $500 in advance to help get the business off the ground will be treated to a lifetime of birthday haircuts and shaves, and will get their name embedded on the wall of the shop.
We recently spoke to Old Familiar Barber Shop owner Kenji Prince to find out more.
Q: What sort of services will Old Familiar offer to customers?
A: The services at Old Familiar are a standard barber shop variety. Barbers are not reinventing the wheel, even though some shops make it seem they are. We are not bringing anything back from the dead by resurrecting the straight razor shave, because it never died. We will cut your hair, shave your face, and hopefully give you a few laughs along they way. Services will be done our way, the way we like to have them done to us.
Q: What types of products will the store sell?
A: I bring in products I would use myself, but have difficulty in finding them locally. I was the first person to bring Layrite Pomade, my favorite, to Columbus and have opened a few accounts for them around town. I am getting local mustache wax to go with the Cowboy Comb from Sacramento. Josh is a sales representative for the Xotics brand, and he is bringing it in with him. I want the products to reflect the style we like in here.
Q: Do you feel that there’s a need for your unique type of barber shop in Olde Towne East, or in Columbus as a whole?
A: Of course, I would not be doing it if I felt there was no need. I need a place to go get my haircut and my face shaved, hopefully I am not the only one dissatisfied with my options.
Q: So why should customers switch from their existing barber shop to yours?
A: I do not want guys to leave their barber. I want guys that go to cosmetology salons dressed up to look like barber shops to come see us. I want the guys that are tired of getting their haircut in a place that is uncomfortable and uptight. Only a barber can put a straight razor blade on your skin to shave your face and neck.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about the “Familiar for Life” program?
A: Someone who has contributed to the shop so much that they are Familiar For Life gets to be forever a part of the shop, and I am forever indebted to them. It is my honor to forever take care of these men that have taken care of me in the beginning.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Old Familiar Barber Shop will legally marry you and your loved one in our shop! We would love for you to get your groomsman shaved up, then bring the ol’ lady in for a real hoot of a ceremony. Walk out feeling cleaned up and tied down all in one place!
To find out more about the business behind the barber shop, read The Metropreneur Article “Old Familiar Barber Shop coming to Olde Towne East in 2012″.
To learn more about Old Familiar Barber Shop, visit OldFamiliarBarberShop.com.
All Photos by Adam Lowe Photography.
I have experienced the pitfalls of ‘lifetime deals’ several times – so no 500 bones from me. I do think it is nice to have an old timey barbershop on Parsons and think it seems a good fit with Carabar across the street. I think it could be a big hit, especially with the hipsters in the area.
As a new comer to Olde Towne and a big fan of all the amazing things going on in Olde Towne, this is wonderful news and I plan to patronize – maybe even with 500 clams – sounds like a great value and service. I grew up in Boston and Olde Towne East reminds me of the historic South end – great architrecture, hip, cool and new shops. Glad to see it happening….
I’ve known Kenji since I was maybe 12. Awesome dude and I wish him the best of luck. OTE represent!
I’m still waiting for this to open. Does anyone know whether or not it has opened yet? It wasn’t as of last week…
Here’s an update as of Jan 30:
[i]Old Familiar Barbershop
Do we have an update now? I really wish they were open… I need to get another hair cut and I’d prefer to avoid the drive to North Campus again. Still very interested in getting my hair cut here.
EDIT: I just checked out their Facebook. It seems they’re getting inspections and what not right now. I bet they’ll open sometime next month…
The last update I heard (via Facebook) is that their plumbing passed inspection on Feb 16. Not sure how much longer it will take, but hopefully will be open soon! ;)
They are open for business!
Best haircut of my life, hands down.
Pics or it didn’t happen! ;)
Well in addition to the haircut, it’s definitely the experience that makes it. You walk in and they have Pandora playing some old school Jazz/Blues. The barbers are dressed in slacks, dress shirts and ties. Everyone’s joking and laughing.
I told Kenji how I usually have it cut but told him I wanted to change it a bit and find a better way. He listened, walked me through what he could do and went at it. Tells me at the end he’s almost done and just needs to clean the neck line and around my ears. Dude whips out a mug and brush, lathers my neck and gets the straight razor out. So yeah, hands down just awesome experience, great cut.
Nice!
I think the only thing that would make it better would be a coffee/bar in the back corner. I know they have a deluxe shave that includes french press coffee but given the space/atmosphere that those 2 have created there would be something very cool about getting a Scotch or Manhattan while waiting or getting the cut.
Special for firefighters happening on Sunday, May 6!
Old Familiar Barbershop
FREE HAIRCUTS! You think its starting to get hot? Try wearing PPEs all day knockin down fires. Now thats hot! Sunday May 6th at Old Familiar Barber Shop,
FireMan Appreciation Day! Free haircuts for any FIREFIGHTER with their state card! Open 10-4pm. Call 614.223.1325 for appointment, or just walk in!