French InspiredFrench ChicFrench FlairFrench SalonFrench SittingroomsBando FrenchFrench TouchesClub FrenchSpace FrenchForwardPerfect colors in this room, soft yet still some color, and the trim on the sofa...My first brush with the hipster barbers of Vancouver happened a couple of years ago. I won’t name names or identify the shop, but after a 30-minute wait and 40 minutes in the chair, I left looking only slightly less scruffy than I did walking in and $40 lighter in the pocket.After the experience, I resumed making the trip across town to Kerrisdale, and the Economy Barber Shop where I’ve had my hair cut for years. Dino Arvanitis has owned the shop for 36 years. He turns 70 next month, and has been barbering for 50 of those years. Mr. Arvanitis remembers being at barber school in Greece on the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated. He spent two years in the Greek Army where he cut hair in Cyprus before immigrating to Canada.At Economy Barber Shop, there are no appointments. There are five vintage leather barber chairs – Mr. Arvanitis is in chair one, closest to the window, next to his beloved songbird Jimmy, who chirps along to soft rock radio.
Haircuts are $16, tax included – cash only.I ask Mr. Arvanitis why he doesn’t charge more. He laughs and says: “We’ve got the name: Economy Barber Shop!”When I visited this week, the place had the feel of a business winding down. Three chairs were unstaffed, and two of the ancient cash registers were sitting side by side, out of commission. Mr. Arvanitis has posted the business for sale on Craigslist but insists that he has no intention of selling. “It was kind of a joke. I just wanted to see what it might be worth,” he says.Mr. Arvanitis says his family has been pressuring him to retire. He’s not ready – he loves riding his bicycle to work and opening the shop. “I feel like 55,” he says. “I like to come to work. The people come by and smile and wave.”When I ask him about the hipster barber phenomenon, I’m not sure that he gets what I’m talking about. “You know,” I prompt him. “Big beards, man-buns, hoops in their ears, tattoos.”“I don’t like people with tattoos,” he says.
“I mean, I don’t have anything against them, but it doesn’t look professional. If they’re good barbers and they do their job well, I don’t mind.”His business philosophy is simple: “You have to know what you’re doing and you have to be cheerful with the customers.”On his years as a barber, he says: “It’s a good business, you always have a job if you want to work. I have always enjoyed my Economy Barber Shop visits, but finally the trek across town became impractical, so I sought out a barber closer to home. Inevitably, I wound up at a hipster barbershop – a term Jeff Speers bristles at.He’s from Medicine Hat, Alta. He is considerably younger than Mr. Arvanitis, maybe half his age. Mr. Speers first learned to cut hair in Medicine Hat, then in B.C. before taking over a shop on Commercial Drive with some former colleagues. They renamed the place Jefferson’s Barbershop.Also, he would like you to know he plays guitar in a band called Those Things. They have a single coming out soon.
At Jefferson’s, action figures – especially rock and roll icons (still in their original packaging) – dominate the walls. There’s Joey Ramone and all of the members of Kiss hung between Beavis and Butthead skateboard decks. Other walls are decorated with coloured vinyl records and posters. Star Wars is a recurring theme. Standard haircuts are pricier here: $35 and up.“The hipster connotation tends to come with a bad attitude, which we try not to have here,” Mr. Speers says. “We try to welcome everyone. We want people to have a good time here and that’s kind of been working for us.”When I ask him about the new wave of hipster barbershops, Mr. Speers says that people are just finally figuring out that old trades are a good way to make a living.“You can move anywhere and you can do it,” he says. “There’s a great scene in Route 66 where the guy’s stranded and he’s a barber and he just starts giving shaves on the street to make a few bucks to get home. That’s something that really stuck with me.”
Mr. Speers talks about the effect a good haircut can have on a customer – how he can see their mood change in front of his eyes as the hair falls to the floor.As we’re talking, it occurs to me that Jeff Speers sounds a lot like Dino Arvanitis.They both settled on the most portable of trades. They both think experience is important before striking out on your own. They both know that keeping customers happy is the key to success. And they are both incredibly sincere.When I walked into Jefferson’s for the first time, I suppose I expected some snark, some attitude. I found the opposite.When Mr. Arvanitis does finally decide to pass his scissors along to the next generation, he’ll be happy to know they’re in good hands. He may even forgive the tattoos.Stephen Quinn is the host of On the Coast on CBC Radio One, 88.1 FM and 690 AM in Vancouver.If you are just thinking of designing your salon and are looking for new and exciting ideas, we will be happy to provide you with our knowledge of the latest styles and trends, and to work with you to develop the image you wish to create for your salon.
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