BY KADIE VICK
THE LAFAYETTE SUN
LAFAYETTE —
Anthony’s Barber Shop offers local men a traditional barber shop experience using traditional techniques and an emphasis on community.
“We try to stick with a lot of the traditional techniques, as far as old school techniques of cutting hair, we also want to offer a place where guys could come in and hang out,” said Owner Anthony Holloway.
Holloway said he enjoys when his customers use his barber shop as a way to network and enjoy the company of other customers.
“I look at people in my barber shop, and they’re all just talking and laughing, sharing stories and things,” he said. “When I see that, it makes me feel like I’m doing something right. I have people coming in and I want them to be able to make themselves at home; it’s a huge deal to me.”
As customers continue to visit Anthony’s Barber Shop, they have the opportunity to become part of a community. Holloway said he has seen many of his customers connect, find jobs and build relationships.
“The people that come in, they all know each other, and they’ll catch up and see how the other customers are doing,” he said. “I’ve seen people come in and network and get jobs through talking to each other, and they will introduce somebody who may be in the same field or the same line of work as somebody else, and link numbers and network with each other. I’ve seen a lot of that.”
As a local business, Holloway said he enjoys giving back to the community when he can and engaging in community events.
“We work with the community and enjoy being involved with different events like the Back-to-School-Bash and other things,” he said. “Sometimes, we can give people free haircuts if we feel somebody needs a free haircut.”
Holloway said he has also seen his customers’ generosity to others in the community through paying it forward to those who may be in need.
“I keep having clients come in and say that they want to pay for somebody’s haircut today to help someone who might need it, and they will pay double, and that way I can pass that blessing on somebody else,” he said.
Anthony’s Barber Shop is not the only place locals can find traditional men’s haircutting techniques; Holloway owns a second barber shop in Lanett called the Barber Shack. Information for both businesses can be found on Facebook.
Holloway said that he has felt greatly supported by the community and sees his relationships with his clients as a family.
“There is just kind of a relationship that you kind of feel as a barber with your clients, they’re more than just clients, it really is, almost like an extended family,” he said.
