PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. – Men have been flocking to barbershops for centuries, for hair cuts and a lot more. Now a metro man is moving the traditional barbershop to a whole new level with
Sole Patch.
Ron Mayer calls Sole Patch “A reinvention of an old tradition.”
Walk through the doors of Sole Patch and you'll quickly notice this is no traditional barbershop. The upscale atmosphere offers a welcoming environment for guys of all backgrounds.
Mayer describes it as a place where guys can enjoy resort-style grooming at a reasonable price.
“Something where a business man, a high school athlete, a doctor, an attorney, could come. They’d feel comfortable in the environment,” Mayer said.
The hair cut is just the beginning. You'll find men's lifestyle advice on the best looks and styles. You’ll find pampering like the incredible hot towel shave guaranteed to make you a new man. And you’ll find non-traditional guy grooming options like the handshake manicure.
“What Sole Patch has developed into is a men's lifestyle company,” Mayer explained. “I realized in having conversations with the guys here that getting their hair cut is just the beginning of the conversation.”Sole Patch provides a great outlet for conversation and camaraderie in the
guitar lounge. A lover of music himself, Mayer traces the guitar lounge back to the days of the barbershop quartet.
“That's where music has its genesis in the barbershop,” Mayer said. “Norman Rockwell has a painting Shuffleton's Barbershop. And it's a two-man barbershop after hours with four guys in the back room jamming on string instruments.”
In building Sole Patch, Ron draws from his own background which includes an appearance this past spring as one of the suitors on reality TV's "The Bachelorette,” and a previous career in the financial world.
“I was an investment manager, hedge fund trader for 10 years,” Mayer said. “I'd gotten to the point where I wasn't being fulfilled.”
Finding his own fulfillment brings about a passion to lead other guys down that same path in life. If he can keep them in style along the way, Mayer says just do it with confidence.
“So if it's the long-haired hippie look, if it's the short athletic look, if it's the mustache or the goatee or the mullet, do it with confidence and wear it like you know how to wear it,” Mayer said.
Look for Sole Patch to expand in the coming years. There is an emerging line of clothing. Ron also has hopes of opening another six to eight locations round the Metro, with franchising opportunities along the way.
