Tucked into an unassuming plaza on Lasalle Boulevard is Sudbury's newest, and one of very few, barbershops.
Hemlock Barbers was opened on July 25 by Brad Gloster and Mylene Thibeault. The couple have each been cutting hair in Sudbury for more than two years, and the timing was right for them to branch out into the men's hair cutting world.
"There's definitely a need for this right now and this is something that Brad has been talking about doing for a long time," said Thibeault.
Hemlock is a barber shop that specializes in the specific grooming needs of men, something that isn't all that common in Greater Sudbury.
"The barber shops around town are few and far between," said Gloster. "The ones that are in Sudbury have been here for years and years and those guys are starting to retire now, so the timing was right for us to get out there."
The shop is a walk-in, cash-only operation, decked out in modern retro decor with two barber's chairs and the essentials for any man to get their hair looking its best.
"We wanted to keep it to walk-in only because we're providing services that don't really take a lot of time, so there's not much need to make an appointment," said Thibeault. "A haircut takes between 15 to 20 minutes so even if both chairs are occupied when you come in, you can sit down, chat, read a magazine or watch tv."
For Thibeault, there's a variety of reasons that she has made the jump into men's hair cutting after years of working in unisex salons.
"The Sudbury market is much more saturated with stylists and hair salons than it is with barbers and barber shops," said Thibeault.
"Even though it's just the two of us we can still serve a large number of people because there's no two or three hour jobs for hair colouring and things like that. Also men tend to not be as picky about their hair as women, except Brad, he's very particular with his hair."
There is one exception for bookings, and that's for weddings. A party of groomsmen can block off a four hour window to have the entire party shaped up and looking good for the big day.
Prices at Hemlock range from $10 for a standard buzz cut to $18 for a specific style like a shag cut or a fade. Junior cuts are $13 for kids six and under, and for $18 you can get a hot towel shave.
"I think we're one of the only places in Sudbury that does a hot towel shave," said Gloster.
Thibeault adds that the prices are very fair and that you're getting a specialized barber treatment for the price you'd pay at most unisex hair salon chains.
Hemlock Barbers is located at 976 Lasalle Blvd. and is open Monday to Friday from noon to 8 p.m. and on weekends from noon to 6 p.m.
For more, check out their Facebook page.
