Shop Around: Barber brings shop to Five Points

Joe Michaelis hopes his new business revives what he considers a lost art in the South — the art of barbering.

"I've always been in the hair business since I got out of high school," said Michaelis, who previously created and owned Image Makers Salon in Columbia before selling it seven years ago. "To be able to open up a throwback barbershop focused on the art of cutting men's hair is just a great opportunity and offers something that's been missing across the country for some time now."

The result of Michaelis' goal is Southern Gentleman's Barbering Co., which opened last month at 613 Harden St. in Five Points.

A standard $26 haircut in one of the shop's old-school barber chairs comes with a hot lather neck shave and a shoulder massage. Cocktails and coffee are complementary with service, as is use of the shop's back room "man cave" that features a 65-inch high-def TV featuring the sports event of the hour. Patrons can also request a gentleman's shave, complete with a straight razor and lotion, and can even get their shoes shined for $8 (boots are extra).

"Cutting men's hair has taken a back seat across the country," Michelis said. "The new cosmetology schools and books spend so little time teaching how to cut men's hair. We want to make getting a haircut more of an enjoyable experience and just have a place where men feel welcome and can hang out."