Vancouver Barber Company began when Noah Contreras realized he wanted to work in an environment where he could thrive and feel excited about coming to work every day. He hadn’t found that with any of his previous jobs, so he took matters into his own hands, enrolled in barber school and started making plans to open his own business. In January 2016, Vancouver Barber Company opened its doors and since then, the modern barbershop has been providing top-notch services to residents around town.
Located in the heart of downtown (1409 Broadway), Vancouver Barber Company prides itself on offering clean haircuts, smooth shaves and great times.
“I know a lot of people love what we do and express that Vancouver needed a shop like this,” said Contreras. “I wouldn’t say we specialize in any one thing in particular because we strive to be perfectionists in everything barber-related. One thing that we do that not a lot of barbershops do around town, is a hot towel straight razor shave. There are only a handful of places you can get a shave done, and we are one of them.”
During Vancouver Barber Company’s first 18 months of business, growth has been steady. Contreras has six barbers working at the shop and traffic has increased enough that he plans on bringing on another barber soon. Each barber works as an independent contractor, and Contreras believes this is a win-win.
“I want good barbers to make what they are worth in this industry and not have to give some greedy shop owner 50 percent-plus of their revenue,” he said.
As a result of the company’s growth, plans are already in the works to have the storefront remodeled. Inside the shop, some minor renovations will take place, including adding another workstation for a new barber.
The planned tenant improvements will fit right in with the flurry of development happening around the shop’s locale – a fact that Contreras celebrates.
“When I thought about opening a barbershop, there was really only one spot I wanted to be in, and that was downtown,” he said. “My barbershop is pretty centrally-located between uptown and downtown and having one more place that is reputable and fun just adds to the rumblings of how much downtown Vancouver is changing. Add enough unique businesses, and you have something pretty special.”
While location is important, building community relationships is one of Vancouver Barber Company’s primary focuses. Contreras shared that one day, he was busy in the shop and an older gentleman walked in and left quite the impression.
“He walked directly up to me and reminded me that I liked lava lamps as a kid,” he recalled. “Right when he said that, I knew he knew me, and I looked at him closely. He was Mr. P., my 5th grade teacher and one of my favorites. I hadn’t seen him since 1995. He had seen my name in the newspaper and he came in and told me about an antique barber chair he had from the 1930s. Now, that very chair is sitting in my barbershop.”
For Contreras, relationships like these are a major key to maintaining growth and a positive reputation in a competitive market.
“Our passion is for making people look and feel great,” he said. “As long as we keep doing what we’ve been doing, the future is as bright as we want it to be.”
