Hazlet’s Newest Barber Shop Opens, Offering Luxury Unisex Cuts

HAZLET, NJ - Hazlet’s newest unisex barber shop opened its doors this month, offering luxury haircuts and “much more” inside a modern studio on Route 36.

Superiority Barbershop Studio (1440 Route 36) welcomed the neighborhood Friday into its ring light-illuminated shop with a ribbon cutting ceremony, champagne toast and even a DJ, per photos posted by the Hazlet Business Owners Association.

Owned and operated by fiancés Kresna Lee Cotto and Efrain "Efra" Carvajal - an esthetician and barber, respectively - Superiority Barbershop Studio offers services ranging from men and women’s haircuts to beard trims and even seniors and kids’ cuts. You can view full shop options and book appointments here.

“We’re a small family who had a dream and made it a reality,” Cotto said in a social media post announcing the grand opening. “My fiancé has been a barber for many years and it’s his passion to change the world one haircut at a time, I am an esthetician in the making … When you walk into our unisex barbershop our goal is to make sure you leave feeling good about yourself. We want to be the change you need, we want to be the motivation you need to continue living your day to day."

Related: Hazlet Family Opens Nostalgia-Tinged Home Beauty Salon

Cotto, of Matawan, told Patch that Superiority Barbershop Studio is the result of her lifelong dream to own a dedicated space to help the community around her, adding that both owners aim to give back to the neighborhood as much as possible. In fact, Efrain has already been working in the area for over 10 years, with the opening of the shop serving as a natural next step, according to Cotto.

"We have great ideas for the community, ideas of joining things for families in need to help out," Cotto said in an interview. "Once we had our daughter, we realized that our future is our kids, so we want [Superiority] to be a family environment. And [if we were] working for someone else, we wouldn't be able to do what we want to do. We can do it our own way."

Despite finally achieving her goal of owning her own shop, Cotto, originally of Puerto Rico and a self-proclaimed self-starter, says that the journey to success wasn't easy. The esthetician says she has been on her own since she was 14 years old and ultimately graduated from high school while working a day job at a dental office.

"I made it happen by myself," Cotto said. "My community is going to become my family. I went through a lot, and I want [people] to know that if they have a vision, if they have a dream ... they can make it happen. They just have to stick by the vision they have.

Cotto's visions for the future of Superiority Barbershop Studio are limitless, with intentions to turn the brand into a franchise.

"We're just so excited," Cotto said. "My finance loves to help, he has a great heart, and we did all this together."

The barber shop, which sits in the former location of a Subway sandwich store, also features throne-line barber’s chairs, a photoshoot background wall, custom merchandise and a Supreme streetwear display case.

You can view a full interior shot of the studio here.

Superiority Barbershop Studio is open Tuesday through Sunday. The shop is closed Mondays.