When Shannon Sawyer opened his Madison Square storefront in November, he knew he wanted it to be much more than just a barbershop and salon.
At 1151 Madison SE, Sawyer opened Jake’s Barber Salon in the same neighborhood he was raised in, and decorated the walls with framed photos of famous boxers – a tribute to his first love and former profession.
“I’m an ex-fighter myself; I fought pro in the ‘80s and I train fighters amateur boxing for The Golden Gloves,” says Sawyer, who, in the midst of a year-long hiatus from his other day job, hopes to get back into training within the next six months to a year once Jake’s Barber Salon has settled into the new digs.
At 1,000 square feet, Jake’s Barber Salon mixes the old-fashioned feel of a classic barbershop with a modern service roster. Sawyer handles the standard haircuts – $10 for kids and $13 for adults – and $20 hot towel shaves while the salon’s cosmetologist brings more contemporary styling to the mix, armed with the skill set to give customers trendier looks above the standard trim and shave.
“I was fortunate for the barber salon to happen,” Sawyer says. “I met with an old friend, Dave Allen, and he had a place that had two store fronts and one was available, and it was just by chance that it happened. It was a blessing.”
Sawyer worked with Allen in the past to rent space for the Grand Rapids-area coffee house he used to run and says he’s excited for the opportunity to bring new business to the neighborhood where he was raised.
“I’m familiar with the neighborhood and the people are familiar with me,” Sawyer says. ‘“It’s just like being home, opening up a business in your community that you’re from, where you hope to see the younger generation see what you're doing and want to do something, too.”
And though Jake’s Barber Salon is exactly what its name promises it will be, Sawyer sees so much more potential within its four, modest walls and has the heart to rise to the occasion.
“I want to try to be that meeting area, where people say, ‘We can go to Jake’s Barber Salon and he might know where to go to get free health insurance,’ or ‘Go to Jake’s Barber Salon if you need help with food or clothing or need something fixed in your home,’” Sawyer says. “Carpenters, doctors, lawyers - everybody comes to a barber shop - so if someone offers their services at a lower cost or for free, I would know about it and be able to connect those people together. That’s what I want; I want to be able to do that for the people in our community.”
Visit Jake’s Barber Salon on Facebook for more information and updates.
Written by Anya Zentmeyer, Development News Editor
Images courtesy of Shannon Sawyer
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