Enjoy a top-notch haircut, great conversation and a cold beer at this Rose Ave barbershop.
By Sam Catanzaro
A barbershop used to be a gathering place. A spot where people came together to talk about the news, the big game, their family, enjoy a drink and leave with a fresh haircut and a clean shave. Today, getting a haircut is a different experience. Whether it is at a luxurious hair salon or a cheap chain, it is usually more about the haircut and less about the whiskey and conversation.
Service & Supply, a barbershop on Rose Avenue in Venice, is attempting to bring back this part of the haircut experience, all while providing a quality, contemporary haircut. Upon arriving, one is offered a complimentary beer, kombucha, or cold brew and soon will feel inclined to begin chatting with the patrons and barbers.
“We’ve always kept a few cold beers in the fridge for the end of our workday. After a while, clients started to bring in beers for the shop and it became a regular thing, so we decided to keep the fridge stocked,” said Alex Chavez the owner and Master Barber of Service & Supply.
Chavez says that keeping the fridge stocked “helps to enhance the social aspect of the shop” something that keeps customers coming back again and again.
“It’s something that is very important to us but also something that has to be genuine and organic,” Chavez said. “Our clients come from all different walks of life and work in so many different fields but everyone gets the same great experience when they walk in our doors.”
Also keeping people coming back is the quality of the haircut Service & Supply provides. Chavez and all the barbers aim to give long-lasting cuts tailored to clients based on their head shape, texture and density of hair, desired style and lifestyle. In addition, a haircut at Service & Supply is great for people who need a doo that can be rocked both on and off the clock.
“I like to tailor the cut to each client. No matter how much two haircuts might look alike, they never are,” Chavez said. “I also like to make sure that the haircut is versatile, something you can wear to work then shake up a bit for an impromptu date.”
To make sure a haircut will last, Chavez and the barbers at Service & Supply make sure to educate clients about how to take care of their hair to get the most out of their cut.
“It’s also very important that your hair continues to look good as it grows. Educating our clients is a key part in understanding what haircut & product is best for you and your lifestyle,” Chavez said.
In addition, Service & Supply offers complimentary perimeter shaves in between haircuts. Most clients will come in for this maintenance cut two to three weeks after the initial cut. This makes a haircut last at least six weeks, which according to Chavez, is longer than many cuts will last.
Offering more than just haircuts, Chavez and the barbers at Service & Supply will also trim your beard and give you a proper hot towel straight razor face shave. And like any proper barbershop experience, every haircut at Service & Supply is capped off with a hot towel, nape shave and rinse.
Service & Supply opened in July 2015, on Lincoln Boulevard by Sunset Avenue. When given the opportunity to expand into their current location on Rose Avenue, Chavez says it was a no-brainer given the prime location of the space. Service & Supply has now settled into the neighborhood, and given the reception they have received, will likely be here for quite some time.
“We love feeling like we’re a part of the neighborhood. Many partnerships and friendships have come about inside of the barber shop,” Chavez said. “We are lucky to have made the connections we have over the years. Venice has been good to us.”
For more information about Service & Supply or to book an appointment, visit their website at https://www.serviceandsupply.us. They can also be found on Instagram @serviceandsupply.
