Manuel Veloria
As you walk in, you’ll hear the buzzing sound of the shavers. Then, there’s the same old wait in line until the next available seat opens up, leaving you with a choice between reading the outdated stacks of magazines on the table or simply waiting until you hear someone say, “Next.”
It’s like this in most barbershops nowadays, boring and tedious like a fast-food restaurant where customers come and go.
But two Pierce College alumni took a different approach to the barbershop industry by opening a sports-themed barbershop.
The two innovative entrepreneurs are Richie and Marina Waisberg, who opened the first SportClips Haircuts in the San Fernando Valley on Sept. 28.
“We’re the first ones to open SportClips Haircuts in the San Fernando area,” said Richie. “I’m really excited about this, to be the first to open this new, innovative barbershop in the Valley.”
SportsClips Haircuts is a chain of new sports-themed barbershops geared toward people who are sports enthusiasts.
The shop is located at 8850 Tampa Ave., inside the Northridge Costco Center.
“This shop is basically geared towards people who enjoy sports,” said Richie. “It’s where you can have a good time watching the sports you like while getting groomed.”
The moment you walk in, you’ll see a register inside a batting cage, just like the one ones you see in baseball arenas.
Then, you’ll have the choice of selecting what kind of services you want from what they offer.
“We offer three different kinds of services. There is the Jr. Varsity, and then Varsity, and last but not the least, the MVP haircut,” said Marina. “It gives customers such pleasure and satisfactions after going in the store. Since we opened, we already have 20 returning customers.”
After you’ve chosen the kind of service you desire, you’ll be given a ticket-like coupon with your seat, row and aisle number, just like the ones you get when watching an L.A. Lakers or Dodgers game.
“Customers will be given (a) ticket which contains their seat and aisle number, which kind of … breaks the norm of an old fashioned barbershop,” exclaimed Richie. “It’s just like watching a Dodgers game, plus the haircut.”
The shop has the environment of being in a sports field, whether it’s in the batting cage swinging for a home-run, or running towards the goal on a soccer field.
“It’s just basically a sports atmosphere in here aim for sports fans. There’s big screen televisions everywhere playing the sports fans be fond of,” said Richie. “It’s nothing else you’ve seen in the Valley, it’s unique and original.”
Also, every item in the store is sports related.
The moment customers are seated for a haircut, they’ll be having an experience of a sports player walking into the locker rooms.
Small lockers are placed by the mirror, containing the hairstylist needs to groom the person.
As you go in further inside, the shampoo area imitates a shower-like area you’ll find in locker-rooms in gyms and stadiums with.
The shop’s color schemes are red, white, black and green just as the colors seen when entering a football or soccer stadium.
“Our colors represent how a football stadium or any sports arena would be like,” said Marina. “By just looking at the floor, it’s color green. It represents of how a soccer field would be like.”
Above all sports memorabilia are also offered at the store. You’ll find your local sports team stickers, banners and collector’s items such as autographed pictures and jersey which are hanged on the wall.
“We not only sell hair-care product, but we also sell sports merchandise,” as marina points out the sports merchandise section. “Someone already bought a Reggie Bush memorabilia.”
Even though the shop has only been opened for two-months, its distinctiveness qualities are already attracting people, as Marina mentioned that more and more people are returning for the services and the atmosphere they feel.
“That place is great; I enjoyed getting my haircut at SportClips,” said Ramon Go, a student at Pierce who is one of the few who have experienced the shop’s sports vibe. “It didn’t even feel the awkwardness when I was getting my haircut; it just went by as I watch the Lakers go against the Suns.”