Throwback barbershop opens in Mariemont

This weekend marked the grand opening of Roosters Men’s Grooming Center in Mariemont. It’s the chain’s second location in the Cincinnati area—the Mason location has been open for just over a year; Dub Nelson and his wife, Lisa, own both.
 
“We have three adult sons who were frustrated with where they were getting their hair cut,” Nelson says. “When I retired from Fidelity, I came cross the Roosters concept, which offers a great experience, and thought, ‘Why not?’”

The first Roosters location was opened in Lapeer, Mich., in 1999. Joe Grondin, Roosters' founder, wanted to re-establish the traditional barbershop of the 1960s. Today, there are Roosters locations in 19 states.
 
Roosters offers five different haircut options for men: the Young Men’s Cut, for those under the age of 15; the Student Cut, for ages 15 to just graduated from college; the Roosters Club Cut, for those out of college but under the age of 65; the Senior Cut, for those 65 and older; and the Hero’s Cut, which is the full Roosters Club Cut at a discounted price for members of the military, policemen and firemen.
 
And Roosters doesn’t just cut hair. They also offer shaving and waxing services, camouflage color to hide gray hair, manicures and shoe buffing. All of the haircuts except the kids’ cut come with hot towels and a light scalp massage during shampooing.
 
“It’s a very relaxing environment,” says Nelson. “Some guys that come in right after lunch fall asleep in the chair.”
 
During the grand opening, the Nelson donated money to the Mariemont Civic Center to provide scholarships for children who can’t afford to go to preschool.
 
The Nelsons have lived in Cincinnati for about eight years. They have always thought Mariemont was very community-oriented and wanted to be part of that. “We want Roosters to be a great partner in the community, providing community sponsorships and making Mariemont a great place to work and live,” Nelson says.
 
Nelson also wants a trip to Roosters to be a family outing, a place where fathers and sons can come in and get their hair cut, and bond, at the same time.
 
By Caitlin Koenig
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