Hansen: Cutting behavior in the barbershop

There is an infamous but funny “Seinfeld” character called “The Soup Nazi.” He intimidates his clients by demanding that they order and behave in a certain way while waiting in line or else he will yell, “No soup for you!”

Welcome to the modern barbershop experience — at some shops, anyway.

Gone is the candy jar and bespectacled, white-haired barber. Instead, we have cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon and a tatted, bearded dude who looks like an extra on “Breaking Bad.”

Over the last few years, barbershops have flourished because of a resurgence in retro styles, and along the way, deep divisions have developed.

Many shops remain accessible to all clients, but some lean toward hard-edge lifestyles by playing profanity-laden hip hop or showing R-rated TV while you wait. Some make no bones about the fact that women are not allowed. These male-only barbers can rub some people the wrong way. Nonetheless, the lines at these shops remain long.

“I definitely understand the personalities of different shops out there that cater to a certain type of clientele,” said Luis Lopez, owner of Orange County Barbers Parlor in Huntington Beach.

Lopez opened his shop on Main Street almost a year and a half ago. Given his location and family-oriented business, he steers clear of the hardcore barbershop elements.

Instead, he caters to “a regular person that doesn’t want to go into a shop and feel threatened by what’s on TV or offended by the type of music,” he said. “There are definitely shops out there that to some people it’s offensive. They walk in there and they have drug paraphernalia or violence on TV or cursing, so depending on the area you live, you will have those types of shops.”

Roughly, there are three different types of barbershops today: the exclusive, edgier shop; the metro or hipster shop; and the traditional, family-friendly barber who tries to put a modern twist on the experience.

In other words, many of them are serving alcohol, giving straight razor shaves and decorating the place like some kind of man cave.

“Going into it, my philosophy is you treat a client with respect,” Lopez said. “You want that client to be like a friend, where they are comfortable and feel welcome. Everyone who comes through that door is greeted right away. It’s our home. They can enjoy a nice drink while they wait, watch some TV. It’s like a hangout place.”

Lopez, 41, is new to the industry and admits he wants to focus on the positive. It’s a second career for him, and he has the chance to make a new life for himself and his four children.

“I couldn’t be that person who sat in a cubicle all day,” he said. “I felt I needed to find something that would be creative and fun for me.”

After graduating from a local barber college and spending time learning the ropes at a Seal Beach shop, he broke out on his own along with a partner, Estella Ramos.

“We want to be known for doing good things, helping the community out and providing a good service to people in a family environment,” he said. “Unfortunately, you get the bad with the good in any industry. We hope that the good overpowers the bad.”

The bad can be described vividly with a simple search on Yelp. As with any personal service, there are common complaints: I had to wait too long, or so-and-so gave me a bad haircut, or the hours were inconvenient.

What’s not common is reading about misogynistic behavior.

What’s not common is an atmosphere of contempt for clients with no desire to change. The stories of appalling customer service are too numerous to call anomalies.

Again, Lopez is quick to point out that the bad apples don’t represent all shops by any means.

“We allow women in our shop,” he said. “We are definitely family-oriented. Our barber industry has a long history. And in any industry, you will have some negatives, but there are a lot of great shops out there.”

It’s clear there are differences among the shops, and Lopez has embraced an inclusive, open-door policy for his clients to help them feel comfortable.

Perhaps more shops will take his lead.

In the meantime, if you’re wondering what cut is hot, ironically it’s still the “gentleman’s haircut.”

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DAVID HANSEN is a writer and Laguna Beach resident. He can be reached at [email protected].