- Sep 20, 2006
- 8,982
- 50
- 86
CARLSBAD ? Sports and haircuts: The combination is the concept behind Sport Clips, a nationwide hair salon franchise targeting men and boys that recently made its San Diego County debut in Carlsbad.
Sport Clips cuts hair in a locker room-style atmosphere decorated with sports memorabilia, including Chargers and Padres banners. The hairstylists dress like referees, complete with black-and-white striped shirts, and each station is outfitted with a small TV tuned to sports programming.
The front desk looks like an equipment cage, and a big-screen TV and sports magazines provide entertainment in the waiting area.
The Carlsbad shop opened Nov. 3.
The first Sport Clips opened in Texas in 1995, and there are now 383 stores in 33 states, said Ron Chamberlain, owner of the Carlsbad Sport Clips.
Sport Clips has gone from opening one store a month to multiple stores every week, according to the company's Web site.
Chamberlain said 45 Sport Clips stores will open in San Diego County over the next six years, including locations in Vista, San Marcos and Del Mar.
Brad Whitt owns six Sport Clips stores in the Midwest, one of which he said is in the top 15 of all the Sport Clips across the country.
The store handles about 500 customers each week, Whitt said, adding that he believes the franchise is successful because it's unusual and designed for men.
Encinitas resident Richard Swoy, 64, said he tried Sport Clips because he liked the male-oriented sports theme.
Swoy said he's paid $50 for a haircut in the past, but he's never had a salon experience like the one he had for $22 last month at the Carlsbad Sport Clips.
Swoy opted for the ?MVP,? which starts with a quick haircut, followed by a shampoo with a two-minute scalp massage and a hot towel facial massage, then concludes with leave-in conditioner and a shoulder and neck massage.
?It's a great experience,? Swoy said.
Pat Connolly of Carlsbad left Sport Clips recently with a huge grin after receiving the ?MVP.?
?I'm not really a sports guy. I just come in for the service that you get ... plus the tingly shampoo,? said Connolly, 56. ?I like the atmosphere, but really I like the special attention and I feel good when it's done.?
Sport Clips is marketed toward men and boys, but Chamberlain said one or two women come in every day for haircuts.
?We just don't style or color their hair,? he said. ?Guys don't like the smell of hair dye.?
for pics, go to http://www.sportclips.com/ and click on Photo Gallery
Sport Clips cuts hair in a locker room-style atmosphere decorated with sports memorabilia, including Chargers and Padres banners. The hairstylists dress like referees, complete with black-and-white striped shirts, and each station is outfitted with a small TV tuned to sports programming.
The front desk looks like an equipment cage, and a big-screen TV and sports magazines provide entertainment in the waiting area.
The Carlsbad shop opened Nov. 3.
The first Sport Clips opened in Texas in 1995, and there are now 383 stores in 33 states, said Ron Chamberlain, owner of the Carlsbad Sport Clips.
Sport Clips has gone from opening one store a month to multiple stores every week, according to the company's Web site.
Chamberlain said 45 Sport Clips stores will open in San Diego County over the next six years, including locations in Vista, San Marcos and Del Mar.
Brad Whitt owns six Sport Clips stores in the Midwest, one of which he said is in the top 15 of all the Sport Clips across the country.
The store handles about 500 customers each week, Whitt said, adding that he believes the franchise is successful because it's unusual and designed for men.
Encinitas resident Richard Swoy, 64, said he tried Sport Clips because he liked the male-oriented sports theme.
Swoy said he's paid $50 for a haircut in the past, but he's never had a salon experience like the one he had for $22 last month at the Carlsbad Sport Clips.
Swoy opted for the ?MVP,? which starts with a quick haircut, followed by a shampoo with a two-minute scalp massage and a hot towel facial massage, then concludes with leave-in conditioner and a shoulder and neck massage.
?It's a great experience,? Swoy said.
Pat Connolly of Carlsbad left Sport Clips recently with a huge grin after receiving the ?MVP.?
?I'm not really a sports guy. I just come in for the service that you get ... plus the tingly shampoo,? said Connolly, 56. ?I like the atmosphere, but really I like the special attention and I feel good when it's done.?
Sport Clips is marketed toward men and boys, but Chamberlain said one or two women come in every day for haircuts.
?We just don't style or color their hair,? he said. ?Guys don't like the smell of hair dye.?
for pics, go to http://www.sportclips.com/ and click on Photo Gallery
Facebook
Twitter