NEWS
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Make your next haircut an experience to savour , courtesy of barbers-with-a-difference , Head Quarters
magine a barbershop where you can enjoy a great haircut in a stateof-the-art grooming chair while enjoying exclusive products and a stylish interior – and even the chance to pull yourself a pint or make a coffee in a dedicated lounge .
That ’ s exactly what ’ s on offer at the first three salons of Head Quarters Barbers & Beverages .
Middlesbrough , Darlington and Bishop Auckland are the chosen locations for the metro-style barbershops opening on April 12 , which promise to shake up the styling experience and create a wealth of jobs .
HQ is the brainchild of Mike Racz , of Racz Group , the face behind some of our area ’ s best-loved franchises – Domino ’ s , Costa Coffee and Anytime Fitness – in association with Richard Bland , a former director and shareholder of Saks Hair and Beauty .
“ Head Quarters was born from the frustration Mike felt following a trip to get a haircut pre-lockdown ,” Stockton-born Richard explained . “ The whole experience left him feeling underwhelmed and Mike , being Mike , decided he wanted to do something about it .”
Not having any experience in the barbering sector , Mike put some feelers out and was eventually introduced by a mutual friend to Richard – who had fortuitously just moved back to the North-East .
Richard and Mike soon discovered that they shared a vision , and quickly aligned Mike ’ s ideas and business plan with Richard ’ s industry experience to bring barbering kicking and screaming into the 21st century .
Richard explained : “ HQ takes the best parts of a traditional barbershop experience and blends them with modern touches such as the bar area , great lighting , full-length mirrors and TVs in the windows , which work in realtime , updating every 60 seconds and announcing to passers-by when the next appointment is available .
“ A Head Quarters app has also been created for customers to book and manage appointments with ease , as well
as getting notifications of new offers .”
In addition to the cleverly designed , cutting edge environment , clients can indulge in an exclusive range of products designed specifically for Head Quarters .
“ Many barbers rely on certain high street products or have a white label own range which is essentially the same products with a different label ,” explains Richard , who is managing director across all three stores .
“ Head Quarters has its own unique line created by a contact of mine in Dubai , which are sulphate-free and feature Oud , the Arabian fragrance for men .
“ Currently we have five styling products , a shampoo and a scalp tonic , but we plan to extend the range into personal grooming products eventually .”
With the care and consideration which has gone into developing the HQ shops , choosing to site them next door to established Domino ’ s and Greggs stores seems like a strange choice , but Richard believes it ’ s a concept that will work .
“ We are not the cheapest barbers , but we are not the most expensive either , and that doesn ’ t mean we can ’ t offer a really special experience to people from all walks of life . We want to appeal to a wide cross-section of people of all ages and to become a part of the community .
“ Why shouldn ’ t the people of Teesside enjoy a great haircut in a fantastic environment with great staff who enjoy banter ?”
HQ also welcomes women , a fact Richard is keen to underline .
“ While barbers have been traditionally a male-dominated place , we are living in 2021 ,” he said . “ Ladies are more than welcome to get their hair cut with us too !”
The new salons – which will hopefully be the precursors to a nationwide rollout of Head Quarters stores in three to four years – will be open 12 hours a day , seven days a week and will initially provide 10 jobs in each store – offering conversion courses for hairdressers who wish to add barbering as a skill and who may choose to work for HQ .
“ Hairdressing has been hit really badly
by Covid ,” said Richard . “ I know of many stylists from high-end unisex salons who expect to be challenged even when lockdown is lifted because their clientele may not be comfortable returning to a shop .
“ For those people , HQ will be offering a conversion course , which is basically a fast-track course to a barbering qualification . While hairdressers will know the basics , there is a different skill to clippering and scissor work , which we will teach .”
Richard is also keen to encourage apprentices .
“ Working for Head Quarters is about a career , not just a job ,” he explained . “ We want passionate young people who want to learn their trade in a cool environment and progress up the ladder .
“ Because Mike is so switched on to new technology , marketing and media , this is not going to be just another hair job . We have the infrastructure surrounding us to make this a really cool place to be .”
Of his new venture , Mike said : “ We looked at all the frustrations customers face when going to the barbers , and how we could make Head Quarters different . Our mission is to bring one of the oldest professions into the 21st century by introducing new technology across the board , from booking systems to the shop floor .
“ We have booking available via our app , with live waiting times which can be seen as you drive past – so you will always know when the next barber is free – along with a freshly pulled beer or a coffee on arrival . We want customers to feel at home – it ’ s our living room and you are always welcome .”
Book your appointment and get £ 5 off – head-quarters . co . uk – or download the booking app from the app store : Head Quarters .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 115