JEROMESVILLE — The traditional barbershop experience is making a comeback in Jeromesville.
It’s the vision owner Tony Hoover has for his new business, The Last Gentlemen’s Barbershop, where classic cuts, straight-razor shaves and conversation are all part of the experience.
Hoover soft-opened The Last Gentlemen’s Barbershop on June 1 at 8 N. High St. in Jeromesville.
The barbershop held its ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday with Ashland Mayor Matt Miller and residents present to celebrate the opening.
Hoover was born and raised in Ashland. He said returning to the area and opening his own business has been a long-term goal.
“I’m trying to bring back that authentic barbershop feel,”Hoover said. “It’s mostly about the conversation as much as it is about the haircut.”
The shop’s name captures Hoover’s vision for the shop. He wants to make his customers feel like this is where the last of the gentlemen gather. The goal is this is a place where customers can slow down to enjoy the shave and the conversation.
Hoover specializes in gentleman’s cuts and straight-razor shaves, with an emphasis on styles inspired by the 1930s and 1940s.
He also welcomes customers of all ages.
The shop will include a children’s area with books and activities to keep younger customers occupied while they wait or get their hair cut. Hoover also plans to add murals to the area.
Customers do not need an appointment. Walk-ins are accepted, including during special evening hours from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
A haircut costs $25, haircut and beard trim costs $35 and a haircut and full shave costs $40.
“I just want to keep everything as cheap as possible,” Hoover said.
Hoover hopes The Last Gentleman’s Barbershop creates a place that feels different from a modern haircut chain and people will stay and chat.
On the second Monday of each month, Hoover provides free haircuts for three veterans at the American Legion. He also hopes to eventually offer scheduled house calls for people who cannot easily leave home for medical reasons.
“It’s just trying to reach out to who we can connect with,” Hoover said. “I just love what I do.”
The business occupies a space that has housed a barbershop before. Hoover said the location was previously home to Tom Welch’s Citadel Barbershop, which operated for years before Welch retired from the military.
A later barber shop, Russell Cuts, closed about a year ago before Hoover took over the space.
Hoover was worried that his old customers wouldn’t follow him, but they did.
“The scary part was, we could put as much paint as we want on the walls, but that’s not going to make a business,” Hoover said. “Taking that first step and just being like, ‘Oh, is this going to work?'”
The community helped make the transition easier.
Hoover said people have volunteered their time to help paint and prepare the shop as customers come and go throughout the day.
He hopes to eventually add another barber for a two-chair shop. For now, he is focused on building the business and finding the right person to join him.
“It may take a little longer than a regular barber,” Hoover said. “But it’s the experience that counts.”
