Here's the Key to Fostering Community The Blind Barber is more than just a chill place to get your hair cut, a shave and hang out while sipping on a coffee or cocktail.
By Jason Fell
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Jeff Laub, Adam Kirsch and Josh Boyd founded the Blind Barber five years ago, but they didn't want to go the traditional route. Instead, the created a barbershop for men fused with a café and lounge. The result is a chill place to get your hair cut, a shave and hang out while sipping on a coffee or cocktail.
Today, the pair has three locations (two in New York City, one in Los Angeles) as well as a men's grooming product line available online and in stores like Barneys New York.
For Laub -- a beauty school and law school dropout -- a critical element of Blind Barber's momentum is the company's ability to foster community. "We can give great haircuts and we can serve great coffee and drinks, but ... it's the personalities that make this business what it is," he says. "Not only the guests that come in but also the employees who work here."
It's about creating a bond between the two. It's not unheard of to see their hair stylists mingling with guests at the bar and vise versa. They also try to keep it light on social media and come up with fun contests and events with other lifestyle brands.
"We do it for ourselves just to keep it fun for us," Laub says. "It's not just about making money. It's about putting out an amazing product. An amazing product is something we have to enjoy first."
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