Almost nine-years ago (as of September 29th) two buddies opened up a barber shop not too far up the road from Downtown Cary. A Better Man’s Barbershop has been cutting hair, trimming beards, talking sports and more over in the Arboretum (Weston Parkway and Harrison), and have now expanded to include a new location right in the heart of Downtown Cary.
“I was always the guy with clippers in school giving away free haircuts,” said Steve Layman of ABMB.
The new location is located at the renovated West Chatham Village (312 W Chatham Street).
“My best friend and business partner thought how can we hang out, talk sports, provide a service to our community and cut some hair. We went to barber school and the rest is history.”
There is a revitalization boom happening in Downtown Cary and Steve and the team at ABMB knew they wanted to be a part of it even if that meant opening a new location just a few miles from their flagship shop.
“It’s crazy that we’re so close to our other location, but we just knew we wanted to be down here and this will be so convenient for folks in Downtown Cary. You’ll be able to walk this strip from one end of Downtown Cary to the other, stop in for a haircut, maybe have a beer, and then keep on moving. We just love to see the growth down here,” added Steve, an die-hard Ohio sports fan including the Ohio State Buckeyes and Cleveland Browns.
That’s part of the draw for A Better Man’s Barber Shop, a place for their customers to come in and get a great cut while enjoying some fellowship and community, and they do it all on the honor system. Cash only and no numbered tickets. You have to keep track of your spot in line.
“We are a little different. We do the traditional straight razor hot lather, and it’s a barber shop, right? So, you’re going to hear some things but also learn some life lessons. You’re not just a number here, we like to know families and generations. All of our guys have been very consistent and you get to know our barbers on your journey in life,” said Steve.
Steve told us the new location will be open five-days a week, to start, with the possibility of Saturdays as well in the future.