When Aaron Smith was a child, he got his hair cut at Arnone’s Lawrenceville Hairstyling.
Now, Smith is a barber and has purchased the business from Joe Arnone, who opened it in 1963. The shop will now be known as Lawrenceville Men’s Hairstyling.
Smith has worked as a barber for seven years at two shops.
“I knew it was probably about my time to try and find a shop of my own,” he said.
He contacted Arnone to express his desire to buy the business if Arnone decided to sell. Arnone told Smith he wasn’t ready to sell the business, but contacted him a few months later and said he had reconsidered.
Smith bought the business on June 15, and started the very next day.
Since purchasing the shop, Smith has made some changes to the interior. The walls have been painted a different color, new ceiling lights have been installed, and Smith has adorned the walls with photographs of his favorite baseball team, the Philadelphia Phillies.
Smith has also added his own personal touches to the services provided. He has decided to include a hot neck shave with every haircut.
Lawrenceville Men’s Hairstyling offers haircuts for men and boys. Haircuts are $18, and a wash and cut is $25. Smith said his price for a wash and cut is lower than the prices of other local barber shops.
Other services offered by Lawrenceville Men’s Hairstyling include hot towel face shaves, straight-edge razor shaves on the head, shape-ups, and hairstyling and shave.
When Smith first bought the business, Arnone remained at the shop to help make the transition as painless as possible.
“It went smooth, very smooth,” Arnone said. “I stayed for a little while full time to introduce customers, and then I took a vacation, and then chose to come back on a part-time basis.”
Arnone works at the shop on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 pm, and Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Smith received his training at Empire Beauty School. He said that his time working in barber shops in Hamilton was beneficial as he honed his craft.
Smith said the location of Lawrenceville Men’s Hairstyling is convenient and accessible for customers, and offers adequate parking. He said he looks forward to working in the current location for a long time.
Smith said his favorite part of being a barber is getting to share conversation and jokes with his customers.
“You get to talk to different people about different subjects. It’s almost like you’re their therapist when you’re talking to them,” Smith said.
Lawrenceville Men’s Hairstyling is open Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 pm, and on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Starting Nov. 1, it will also be open Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The shop currently accepts payment by cash or check. For more information, call (609) 896-1260.
