New Palm Desert Salon Offers Free Haircuts with Donation to Local Charity

A new business coming to town this week is about all things male... while allowing a bit of pampering at the same time.

The salon "Sports Clips" is set to open this Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Desert Springs Marketplace on Cook Street and Country Club Drive.  It's one of 950+ franchises nationwide, which specialize in their "MVP" experience: a haircut, massaging shampoo, hot steamed towel treatment, and neck and shoulder massage.

“We were looking for different sites, and the Palm Desert area was well suited,” Owner Harry Gock tells Palm Desert Patch of his decision to open up shop locally.  

Gock-- who is currently and engineer for Apple-- decided he wanted to branch out of his usual realm and found out about this salon chain while travelling in Texas.

“I went to one of their stores, and it was just a great experience,” he said.  "What’s better than being in a relaxing environment, where sports are on TV everywhere you look, with well-trained stylists and no need for an appointment when it’s time for a haircut?"

Gock tells Patch he's hired 8 stylists and a manager to help run the place.

Giving Back with Free Haircuts

A Coachella Valley resident himself, Gock said he wanted to help give back to the community with his grand opening celebration.

To do so, he said Sports Clips will offer free haircuts to clients who donate $5 or more to The First Tee of the Coachella Valley, a local child development organization that "promotes character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf."

Those free haircuts will be provided on Dec. 1 and Dec. 2, all day.

Sport Clips in Palm Desert will be open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Gock said that he's in the process of opening up another location of Sports Clips in Palm Springs, and a colleague will be opening one up in La Quinta.  Both are slated for January openings if all goes well.

Some of the other features that the salon touts are: 

• Large, flat-screen televisions playing sports programming at each haircut station and in the lobby, along with reading materials
• Special lighting and massaging chairs in the shampoo area to promote relaxation  
• Male-focused hair care and styling products 

For more information, visit www.haircutmenpalmdesertca.com