Enter the John Hancock Barber Shop in Prescott and you can get much more than a haircut.
You could get a shave, have a beer and take part in a meaningful conversation with other men.
“The idea is to give a man a signature experience,” said owner Grant Quezada. “It’s a place for men to catch up and slow down a lot.”
That was the idea behind the John Hancock name. It was simple.
“It had to be something with a little bit of conviction in the name and be easy for people to remember,” he said.
And, Quezada wanted his shop to return to the time of Hancock when barbershops were a gathering place for men.
He describes his shop as “masculine” and “modern rustic.” The dominant colors are black and chrome, with black leather wing-backed chairs accented with rustic wood and steel color, with a huge American flag on the wall.
On the wall in a prominent place is a quote from G.K. Chesterson, a philosopher and journalist (1874-1936). “Tolerance is the virtue of a man without conviction.”
His philosophy might be colored by his time in the military.
“I started cutting hair 11 years ago as a hairdresser. I got bored and joined the Army. I did eight years in Fort Lewis in the Second Battalion, Special Ops and I’m still in the National Guard,” he said. “My last five years, I was a sniper.”
He did several deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan and now heads the sniper section for the Arizona National Guard.
He left active duty in the Army in 2014.
He and his wife, Veronica, decided to come home.
“[We thought,] ‘Let’s get back to our hometown and our parents are here,’” he said.
The couple has two boys, ages four and eight months.
He first thought he would go back into the hair salon business, but after a little research, he found there are 150 salons in Prescott and Prescott Valley.
“At the time, there were only 14 barber shops,” said Quezada, 32. “When I started looking, I found the same gentleman who was cutting my hair when I was five years old.”
He said one of the reasons is because there are no barber schools north of Phoenix.
“The next thing I want to do is open a barber college school so people can make a good living for themselves and their families.”
Quezada decided to open a modern barbershop that appeals to men of all ages.
He said he tries to provide an atmosphere where men can express themselves as men, understand what it means to be self-motivated and have integrity, direction and drive. “While getting a haircut, they can talk to older men.”
The shop opened two months ago and business is going great, he says.
“It’s the best haircut I’ve ever had,” said Maurice Brutinel of Prescott. “Every time I go, it is consistently good. The shop is very welcoming and I appreciate going there.”
Quezada plans to open a second location at the Elks Theater on Gurly Street in June. QCBN
By Patty McCormac
To find out more or to make an appointment at the John Hancock Barber Shop, call 928-541-1566 or visit the website at www.hancockbarbershop.com.