when high point barber shop First opening its doors in 2014, shows like “Peaky Blinders” and war movies like “Fury,” which featured male protagonists with high-and-tight skin fades, have changed the hairstyles of many in Richmond. Decided. Co-founder David Foster has seen trends change rapidly since then, but attributes the store’s success to its commitment to the industry’s historically high standards.
“For us, it’s about staying true to the classics that we know, but also taking what we see from Hollywood and fashion and how that applies to the average person. It’s also about being able to adapt to what you find,” Foster says.
This fall, High Point Barbershop celebrates 10 years of traditional shortcuts and grooming and looks back on its decade of growth since its start with three chairs in its Meadow Street location in Fan.
“I became a barber because I thought it was a great place to work,” Foster says. “We liked the concept of being able to infiltrate ourselves into the community and have interesting conversations with different types of people, but we never imagined this kind of business that we built. It happened.”
Jared Galloway, the first employee and eventual partner at the barbershop’s newest location on Three Chopt Road, notes that the brand immediately filled the demand for short cuts in Richmond. .
“Demand was very high. … We had Ross Trimmer from Sure Hand Signs hand-paint the words ‘Walk-in Welcome, Reservation Guaranteed’ in gold leaf on the windows. Within a week or so, we started chipping away at that “walk-in” part just because the demand was insane. ”
Due to longer wait times and a need for more space, it expanded to Scotts Addition in 2017 and, after delays due to the pandemic, opened in the West End in 2021.
In another growth-oriented move, Foster and his team are expanding beyond the walls of brick-and-mortar stores with a line of skin and hair care products, including hair oils, beard oils, styling creams, and, more recently, shampoos and conditioners. I did. under the brand high point original. “We tested it, tried it in stores, made sure our customers liked it, made sure our staff liked it, and then we started producing it,” Foster says. Products are available for purchase online and in stores.
Looking ahead to the next decade, High Point management is aiming for a different kind of growth that supports the local barber industry. “We’ve never had a problem with customers, customer acceptance. Our problem is finding enough barbers,” Galloway says.
The lack of professionals in the industry prompted the brand’s leadership to plan its next venture: an academy to train new barbers. Once open, the goal is to bring trainees back to High Point stores and other locations in the area. “This is a concept that we are actively working on right now,” Foster added. “It’s still in the planning stages, but I’m really looking forward to it.”
For now, Foster and his crew are most driven by the community that has supported them from the beginning. “There is no better place in Richmond to support small businesses, pop-ups and local brands looking to break out of the big box mindset,” he says. “That’s a big part of what makes Richmond special.”
Source: Shopping & Style – richmondmagazine.com
