Altrincham’s huge barber shop with its own bar, beauty salon and weekend DJ sets

A unique space opens in Trafford which will bring together a bar, barbers, a hairdressing salon and a beauty salon under one roof.

Owner Andrew Sharples hopes Beards and Brows on George Street in Altrincham becomes a safe and inclusive space for “everyone” to enjoy their hair and beauty treatments while spending time together in a fun space.

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“This is totally new ground for me,” Andrew, 44, told MEN.

“It’s a wonderful idea that I had and it’s something I’ve been working on for quite some time now.

“I have a Masters in Organizational Psychology, I worked in HR for large organizations.

“It might not be the background you associate with someone opening this kind of place, but my story revolves around helping people work together and get the most out of each other. others.

“I’ve always been concerned with the synergy of things and I guess that’s how it ties into it all.

“It’s about these different businesses coming together and cohabiting in one space without worrying about taking clients and really supporting each other. “

Andrew says the idea for Beards and Eyebrows came to him when he was with an ex-girlfriend and they both decided to have their hair done together.

As expected, one of their haircuts took less time than the others.

He explains, “It took me 25 minutes to get my hair cut, but for my girlfriend it took four hours and all afternoon.

“Back then, there really wasn’t a way to make it a shared experience that we both could enjoy.”

Since then, Andrew has spent the last three years refining his business idea.

He had originally planned for a location near the universities, but plans failed and he stumbled across the site in Altrincham during the first lockdown.

“Everything is going to be housed in a fantastic three-story building,” he says.

“It used to be a haberdashery, music school and office, so we had to completely renovate and rearrange it to make it suitable.

As Andrew began to make plans for construction work, the country was once again quarantined and questioned its business plans.

“I thought we would have a hard time not being able to open for a very long time and I was worried that people would not come back to the main street, but it turned out that all of this was unfounded and I worried about bad things.

“The real difficulty we had was not being able to find craftsmen or materials. It suddenly became this incredible challenge of getting plaster and wood.

“We were initially hoping to be open in March, but we have faced huge delays because we cannot get people to do the work in the world we live in right now. “

Andrew says he realizes that starting a business during the pandemic presents its own challenges, but he says he’s confident in what he’s offering people.

“Obviously it was a huge risk to start a business without knowing what was going to happen in the world, let alone the industry,” he laughs.

“There are people who think it was a bold move, but sometimes you have to go with those things and carry on with the faith you have in the business.

“I think people are going to like this and I think it will really bring people together.”

Along with a hair salon, barbers and beauty salon, there will also be a bar where local DJs will perform during the weekends.

But, Andrew insists, business is all about hair and beauty.

“Those who sign up on our system will be able to purchase drinks from the bar, which will function as a membership club.

“We want to create a cool and young vibe, so we’ll be listening to house music in the evening and a DJ will come for a few hours.

“If you come during these evenings, you can get your hair done, your makeup done, have a few drinks and go into town for the rest of your evening.”

He hopes the space will also become a welcoming place for trans and non-binary people and others who might think the traditional salon or barber space isn’t inclusive enough for them.

“I think the hairdressing and beauty industry has generated a kind of segregation,” he explains.

“It creates environments based on what we know or think people want without really considering how others may be feeling.

“We tried to create something that moved away from that. Our barbers have brick walls and it looks a little masculine, but we have a beauty space and I want the men to feel comfortable going there and getting some treatments or botox.

“I would like to say that we have created a more inclusive and non-judgmental space.

“We will try to do everything possible to avoid stereotypes and barriers that people face.

“I want everyone to feel like he can come here.”

Beards and Brows is scheduled to open in October. You can find more information here and they are also looking for a number of beauty and hair styling companies to get involved.

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