Hair or There: Barbers on Fourth Reports Smooth Transition to New Location

When a longtime customer of Vicki Griffin's Barbers on Fourth recently came into the shop's new storefront at 124 E. Fourth St. for a cut, Griffin said he didn't even realize he was sitting in the business' new location.

Indeed, it wasn't much of a move. Two months ago, the business shifted two doors down from its previous downtown Rochester location at 118 E. Fourth St. in a space inside the same building formerly occupied by several other salons. 

For customers, the new location might feel familiar with the same crew of barbers just a close shave from the shop's previous spot, but for Griffin and her crew, the new location offers more space, which she says facilitates better service.

Barbers on Fourth was able to add a fourth barber's chair, and work has begun to create a separate shave area in the rear of the building, Griffin said.

Griffin, who has run Barbers on Fourth since 1999, said she has retained a consistent client base over the years, and her customers have followed her to the new location. On a Wednesday afternoon, a steady stream of regular clients entered the shop for their routine trim.

With plenty of haircut options in the greater Rochester area, Griffin says her shop's focus on service and is part of what keeps her customers coming back, even during last year's Main Street makeover that slowed business at many downtown storefronts.

"We enjoy having conversations with our customers," she said, noting the shop avoids taking the quicker, "drive-thru" approach that larger chain shops might use and instead creates a welcoming, comfortable atmosphere for the business' predominantly male clients who might feel out of their element going to a salon-type shop. 

Barbers on Fourth is located at 124 E. Fourth St. in downtown Rochester. Walk-ins are accepted and the business can be reached at (248) 651-9872. The shop is open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday. It is closed on Sunday and Monday.