In the old days, men had two options for haircuts – a barber shop or a quick-cut place with large ‘80s photos on the wall. Now, Northshore men have a new place to go for all kinds of haircare: The 18|8 Fine Men’s Salon, located at 19122 Beardslee Blvd. in Bothell.
“What brought me to Bothell is the good demographics and the opportunity to serve a market that is currently under served in the high-end, male grooming/taking care of guys-space,” said Ron Barbera, president of LTT holdings Inc and 18|8 Men’s Salon. “Basically we’re after people who can appreciate, and are willing to pay for, quality and a service experience.”
The services offered at the 18|8 include anything at a salon, whether it’s a men’s or women’s salon.
“We have semi-private environments, so a guy can come in here and basically hang out for 45 minutes to an hour and a half, and feel good doing it,” Barbera said. “For the most part, we’re really centered on guys.”
While they would do women’s haircuts, if females want a short cut, the 18|8’s products, atmosphere and services all cater around the male hair-care experience.
Though, some of the services are more often seen in a female-centric salon and may scare off a few men – including services such as facials, nail treatments, waxing and ear-trimming services.
“We’re very specific on men’s haircuts, barbering, straight razor shaves, manicures, pedicures… the whole male grooming experience,” Barbera said.
For Barbera, his personal favorite service is the men’s shave because its like getting a 45-minute facial.
“You’re going to sit down and relax. You’re going to have hot towels on you most of the time you’re here and you’ll get a face massage,” Barbera said. “The first time I got one in this kind of environment, I didn’t want to get out of the chair. I just wanted to take a nap.”
Though their popular service may not be what they were expecting.
“Ear, nose waxing… We had a guy come in and get a full manicure and facial,” Barbera said. “Generally, besides haircuts, it’s been waxing services.”
One of the things the business does that sets it apart from the traditional barber shops are the robes near the front. Instead of leaving with hair clinging to clothing, the 18|8 offers robes so that men leave as itchy-free as they came in.
“There’s a sub element of men that have already figured out how to take care of themselves… Then there’s another subset of guys [whose] spouse/significant other/etc. tell them they need to come here,” Barbera said. “Those are a little more of a challenge ‘You do a what?’ For the most part it’s a positive reaction.”
Not only is the 18|8 changing the experience men have in salons, but it’s also about providing a future for their stylists and barbers.
“I had actually wanted to change careers, looking for employment outside of hair,” said Wendy Rutten, lead stylist at the 18|8. “I came across them, saw their videos on YouTube, and fell in love with the concept. Everyone cares about each other. Here, we take our time, we actually understand what the client wants and that makes the client feel welcome and relaxed.”
For Rutten, the desire to expand her own abilities and experience is also part of what drew her to the 18|8.
“It’s actually made me change my passion, it made me look at myself and see what I want to do,” Rutten said. “Just finding out what the client wants, learning from the client and seeing what their needs are is what’s pushing me into doing other things.”
The next big thing for Rutten is the shaving experience.
“I really want to learn how to do the straight razor shaves,” Rutten said. “Just finding out what the customer needs.”
