Loyal’s Barbershop at 204 West Magnolia celebrates its Grand Opening today and opens for regular business hours tomorrow. Owner Nick Kitsos (pictured here with his son Finn) has worked very quickly since getting his certificate of occupancy only a week ago. You can learn more about Nick and his journey here. Six stations are ready for business in the shop inside the commercial space at Mews II.
Initially, you’ll find Nick cutting hair alone. “It’s really important to me to hire barbers as I need them, so I don’t ask them to pay me rent when I don’t have customers to give them.” He’s got barbers committed to chairs, but he wants to make sure adequate demand is there before they begin. He hopes and thinks it will be very soon.
He said the barbers operate independently, though they will have a joint scheduling system. He said this lets them work as many hours as they want and allows them to take time off as they need it. He said it will likely make less money for him, but he feels it is fair. He also thinks this is what he would have wanted.
Regular hours will be 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Friday, and from 10:00 pm to 2:00 pm on Saturday. He said he will be closed on Sunday, at least initially. When you drop in he’ll have local beer and a bourbon bar to offer along with a nice cut. You can make an appointment via their Facebook page or their Instagram. They will also be using the Booksy App or you can call 865-253-7731.
The Grand Opening will be tonight from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. He’ll have local beers. He said he’s tried to do interviews at local breweries in order to work while learning about local beer culture. He’ll also have cookies and cupcakes from Magpies, as well as other snacks. He will give away door prizes like gift certificates and hair products. He wants people to come in and see the shop and introduce himself and he’s excited to get started. Come in and enjoy his “Great Vibes and Excellent Service.”
*Additional Editor’s Note: From 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm tomorrow a glorious celebration will be held in honor of Bob Dylan’s 81st birthday. A great line up of bands will play all Bob all night. It happens at Ijams. Be there if you can!