Barber Zone 2 in Mansfield a True Guys Spot

Jonathan Todaro has been working in and managing the Barber Zone 2 in Mansfield since it opened in November, and it’s the culmination of a dream of days gone by for him.

“I was actually really inspired by the 1950 vintage barber shop,” he said. “You know, the classic hot towel shaves, the traditional men’s tapered haircuts, it was the old school styles.”

Todaro said the Barber Zone 2, a second location for Taunton’s Barber Zone, ties to be exactly that. He said he wanted the shop to be a place of comradery for his customers, to come in, layback and just be guys.

“I think there’s been a lack of traditional family barber shops catered towards the modern man,” he said. “Guys can come in and be themselves. It definitely has that kind of Man Cave feeling.”

Todaro said he has nothing against the women’s salons cropping up, but he felt something was lost in the traditional barbershop.

“Everything today seems like it’s catered towards women,” he said. “There are very few places where men can go and talk about guy stuff. Though they are making a comeback.”

Todaro said his boss and owner Joseph Olonean opened his first location in 2008 in Taunton. He said Olonean was originally from Nigeria, where he also worked as a barber.

“He was barbering there for many years and once he had enough money, he decided to move to the U.S.,” he said. “He wanted to stick with his profession, and after years of working in other people’s barber shops, he decided to open his own.”

Todaro said there is an entire process for cutting someone’s hair that starts just as they walk in the room.

“You kind of gauge the client, you get a feel for them when they walk in the room,” he said.

Todaro said the cut usually has more to do with the actual personality of the person than the direction he receives, which he admits is very little.

“Most of the people who come in here aren’t sure of exactly what they want, they just know they want it to look good,” he said. “I try to interpret what they’re telling me and envision what the cut should look like in the final product.”

He added no one has exactly the same haircut, and everyone is different.

“No one has the same facial shape, hair density etc., you have to gauge their personality too,” he said. “Are they a routine wash up and go person, you know, get up, take a shower and push their hair to the side or do they spend a bit more time on it, hair gel and things like that.”

Todaro said he loves the old school feel of the classic men’s barbershop. He said the look and the feel lent itself to a bond between the customer and barber.

“When I’ve looked up different things about the vintage shops, it was really the décor, the antique advertising that really went along with the real personal relationships, it was like a real bond you built with your barber,” he said. “I know of a few older barbers from back in the day, and I love hearing the stories what it was like to be a barber 50 years ago. There was just something that really made me think that’s really cool and I want to be a part of it.”