While old school in concept, Grand River Barber Company makes the cut with modern technique and style.
Shortly after the Fourth of July, the East Lansing barbershop moved a quarter mile east on the city's downtown strip. General Manager and Barber Wayne Weigel says the search for a new space was prompted by the impending Center City District Development, but was something the four-year-old shop had been debating for a year or two.
"We had been thinking it was time for an upgrade, so it was just good timing," says Weigel. "We have a more conventional barber shop layout now. It's more spacious, the A/C works better, and it just looks really nice, upscale and comfortable."
Weigel and staff moved in late June to the former location of Velvet: A Candy Store at 507 Grand River Ave. The crew loved the space immediately. Black-and-white checkerboard flooring provided a barbershop vibe, while the ample square footage enabled the company to go from 6 to 12 chairs.
At 2,400 square feet, the new location on the avenue is more than double the size of the previous 1,100-square foot upstairs location. That, says Weigel, allows plenty of room for the five full-time and one part-time barber to serve customers—the majority being MSU students.
Grand River Barber Company fills the demand for urban cuts, but can also style and cut hair in traditional styles.
"We're among the few in this area providing a detailed, modern hair style for men," says Weigel. "We're not just getting hair shorter, we're giving the customer something very detailed."
Founder Grant Foley opened Grand River Barber Company in 2013, followed by a second shop in his hometown of Allen Park in 2015. The shop focuses on providing up-to-date, contemporary styles, and on creating an atmosphere similar to an old-fashioned shop.
"We want to be more than a barber shop," says Weigel. "We want to be a staple of East Lansing. So when you think of MSU, you think of Grand River Barber Company as a place where guys not only get a good style, they come in to hang with the guys at the barber shop."
Source: Wayne Weigel, Barber and General Manager, Grand River Barber Company
Writer: Ann Kammerer, News Editor
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