Shave and a haircut ? $100.
Ouch. But hold on ? that includes much more than a warm towel and a little off the ears. How about a relaxing massage, a good cigar and a shoe shine that would make a sergeant proud? That?s just about the cost of the royal treatment at The Quintessential Gentleman in downtown Baltimore. Started by Craig Martin in 2005, the business has found an upscale niche.
“It was a huge risk,” said Martin, 35, who pumped his life?s savings ? $300,000 ? into the venture. “But I wanted to build something I really like with the things I really like ? a bar, cigars, a pool table, good shaves and the mahogany look. It was a risk I was willing to take in order to do something that I love. I wanted to bring the barber back as a respected profession.”
Martin isn?t alone. Small, service-oriented businesses have become more and more popular for entrepreneurs. The recipe for success, however, remains the same for any startup: quality service.
“In any business, customer service is the key,” said Stephen D. Umberger, district director for the Baltimore office of the U.S. Small Business Administration. “Especially in a small business where you have a more localized clientele, repeat business is very important. You need a quality product, quality customer service, the right pricing and consistency.”
For Sam Lamantia Jr., owner of Gentlemen?s Gentlemen in Parkville, his business has been successful back to the days of the Baltimore Colts. A caretaker for Tom Matte?s hair and an award-winner in the field of hair replacement, Lamantia established his roots by modernizing his business as the industry moved forward.
“Hairstyling has really changed the barbershop,” Lamantia, 69, said. “But it still has the ambiance of being a meeting place for men.”
In fact, Lamantia even has an outstanding offer to one of his most loyal customers.
“I?ve offered one man free haircuts ? and a free hairpiece ? when he turns 100 years old,” he said. “He?ll be 98 this year. When you turn 100 in my place, everything is free.”
But that doesn?t mean his shop is a hangout for retirees.
“We have young people coming in, too,” Lamantia said.
Elysha Krupp contributed to this story.
