Nostalgia the secret to barbershop’s success, owner says
By Tracy Ouellette
Editor
It was just a little more than a year ago when single mother of three, Diane Lies, decided she wanted to open a barbershop.
The 45-year-old licensed barber and cosmetologist from Walworth said she hadn’t cut hair in a couple of years, but wanted to get back into it because she saw how the industry was fading.
“I saw the barbers getting older. They were retiring. They were dying off. I wanted to make sure it was still available,” Lies said.
Lies, who had mentored under Delavan barber Ron Tesch at Ron’s Barber Shop about five years ago, has been a barber/cosmetologist for 24 years and said she didn’t want to see the loss of something so dear to her.
“It’s such a nostalgic thing,” she said. “It’s something passed down from generation to generation and it’s disappearing and I wanted to change that.”
Lies said it wasn’t long after she made the decision to open a new barbershop that one of her friends suggested she consider East Troy for the location. Not long after that, another friend sent her a picture of the Barr Building on the downtown square.
The Barr Building was rebuilt in 2014 after the former barbershop and apartments were heavily damaged in an April 26, 2013, fire which destroyed the corner building at 2877 Main St.
“It happened so fast,” Lies said. “One day I said ‘I’m going to open a barbershop’ and three months later I was here.
“After losing the barbershop on the square, there was a need for one here,” she continued. “It’s a great little space right on the square. It’s so easy and convenient.”
Lies said there wasn’t much down time from when she set up the shop and opened the door until the clients began filling her books.
“I had maybe one to two weeks where it was a little slow, but after that it just took off,” she said.
In the 10 months since The Shave Shop opened, Lies went from having no clientele to having more than 700 customers who frequent her establishment.
“I’ve been so blessed,” she said. “I’m so happy I chose East Troy. When they lost their barber there was a hole, when that pole started turning outside, they were so happy I was here.”
Lies said she had a lot of clients in the area, but she also had many clients who travel quite a distance to come to her shop.
“I have clients from Kenosha, Milwaukee, Clinton – I have one woman who drives five hours to come here,” she said.
The Shave Shop serves women and children, too. And while Lies doesn’t have many women on the books, she does see quite a few children.
“I have grandpas right down to the grandkids in families,” she said. “They like the nostalgia of it. They remember going to the barber with their dad or grandpa and they want to have that.”
Lies said she thinks one of the driving factors in her success is that people nowadays are looking for ways to unwind and relax. They want to take time away from electronic devices and remember the uncomplicated days of their childhood.
“I schedule a full half hour for each of my clients so they don’t fell rushed,” she said. “I think sometimes they get uncomfortable when others are in the shop with them and I want them to have this time to themselves.
“Every one gets the full service,” she continued. “I have the hot towels, give them massaging shampoos, a neck massage, it’s all about helping them relax – it’s an experience.”
Lies said she wants everyone who comes through her doors to know her shop is a place where they can slow down, disconnect and just relax for a while. “When you can take the time with them, you get to know every bit of them, you become part of their lives.”
And Lies, who runs the shop by herself, said as much as she gives her clients, they give her back so much more.
“They take care of me, and I’m so grateful for it. They bring me gifts like mustache-shaped earrings and old-fashioned razors to display. One customer even gave me an iPad,” she said. “Everyone asks if I’m going to add on another chair and barber and I tell them no. I’m not here to get rich; I’m here to be happy. And I am – so happy.
“I have a sign in my shop that reads, Enter as Strangers – Leave as Friends, and it’s so true. I care about them so much. I love learning about their lives. I love my job.”
The Shave Shop is at 2885 Main St. on the downtown square in East Troy. Hours of operation are Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
For more information or to make an appointment, call (262) 684-5390, go to www.theshaveshop.com or find the shop on Facebook.
