Westley’s Owner Aims to Be Best Barber in Palm Harbor

No doubt, Westley Allbritten, the owner of in Palm Harbor is a confident man. 

The 27-year-old opened his shop in the Key West Center Plaza on the corner of Alternate 19 and Alderman Road four months ago, and he is already claiming to be the best barber in the area. 

According to the Tarpon High graduate, the years he spent in the cutthroat Tampa barbershop scene helped hone his skills and gave him an unlimited amount of confidence in his abilities. 

“I learned from some of the best barbers in that area," he relates. "I’m an okay barber in Tampa. I’m the best barber in Palm Harbor.” 

Coming Home 

Allbritten grew up in Palm Harbor and worked for his parent’s roofing company after high school before getting bit by the barber bug when he was 23. 

After attending barber school, he opened Cigar City Barbershop on Armenia Avenue in Tampa. He quickly realized he had to perform at a high level if he was going to be able to make it in an area teeming with talented barbers and demanding clients.

“Where my shop was located, there were like five other shops within a couple blocks radius,” he says. “There was a lot of competition out there. You had to learn how to cut to survive.” 

The desire to open a shop in Palm Harbor, where he had a built-in base of supporters and more opportunities to grow, led him to his current location, a prime spot in a high traffic area right next door to the popular bar and restaurant, . 

“My parents and all my friends had been telling me I needed to come back home. I live off of Alderman on the other side of (US) 19, so I knew this was a popular spot and I’d have no trouble bringing people in.” 

Worth the Price

Albritten says he is doing better numbers in three months in this location than he did in three years in Tampa, partly obecause of the roots he has in the area, but also due to the fact that he knows how to cut hair to the desires of his clients. 

"We fix other people's haircuts. I spend more time fixing cuts than I do doing my own."

In addition to traditional cuts, Westley and his two barbers specialize in fades, razor edging and shave designs that are extremely popular with younger clients.

Although they are a bit pricier than most shops, Westley's does offer $7 cuts every Wednesday for students, seniors, military personnel and teachers. As a result, Allbritten says his customer base ranges in age from early 20s to late 40s, with some seniors and kids as well. 

Allbritten also believes people don’t mind paying a little more if they're getting a quality cut; it's something he promises to deliver to everyone who walks through the door.

Confident, Not Cocky

Since relocating to his hometown, Allbritten admits he's been delivering challenges to other area shops to step their game up or risk losing their customers to the new barber on the block.

"I've been talking a lot of trash on Facebook, telling other shop owners if they can cut hair better than us, they need to prove it."

“We’re not your typical Palm Harbor barber shop. Nobody cuts hair like we do," he states.

"I don’t want anyone walking out of my shop with a bad haircut, because that makes me look bad.” 

Westley's Barbershop

• Address: 2706 Alt. 19 Suite 106
• Phone: 727-683-9091
• Hours: Tue - Sat: 9:30am - 6pm; Mon. by appointment only; Sun: closed.