The Shop: Small Town Comfy With Cutting Edge

Three months ago Dustin Clark opened The Shop at 139 Kentucky Street based on the old school model of barbershop as community hang out.

You know the place. It used to be home to Bici Sport bike shop, which moved down a couple of doors. The shop is right across from . Look for the killer antique barbershop chairs in the windows and  the chessboard set up outside on a small table with folding chairs tucked under the awning.

The chessboard was inspired by the squares and parks of Italy. When Clark lived abroad he loved the way Europeans used public spaces to relax and get to know one another.

“I thought it would be nice if people have to wait a few minutes, to give them options. They can hang out inside the shop, read, watch TV or they can play a game of chess. I also thought I might get better at it,” said Clark.

Inspired by a string of similarly styled barber shops called Rudy’s in the Seattle area, The Shop prides itself on reasonably priced services ($10 for a buzz cut, $25 for a cut) and a no appointments rule.

The unisex hair salon vibe is laid back and hip. The décor includes amazing metal art sculptures and assemblages that were created by Dustin’s older brother Kevin, who is getting ready to open a new restaurant in San Francisco, called Per Diem.

“My brother and I grew up in Novato so we knew we liked Petaluma. When we decided to open a barbershop, we really wanted to avoid any shopping center or mall space. We wanted to be right downtown. And we wanted to be part of the downtown community,” said Clark.

In addition to Clark, Christina Mirko and Eleni Weber also juggle scissors and clients at The Shop.

To create opportunities for more people to check out The Shop, Clark is planning a couple of fun evening events this fall. This Saturday from 8 to midnight The Shop will host an “Ink & Drinks” tattoo party featuring artists from Aces over Eights that could include Cody Holyoak, Jimmy Bruce, Jared Powell, Wes Anderson or Jake Yarnal. Aces over Eights is located at 130 American Alley. Coming up soon, The Shop will also be a stop on a local pub-crawl.

“Local businesses have to stick together, so we thought it would be fun to set up in a barber shop for the night and just show people what we can do,” said Cody Holyoak, a tattoo artist with Aces over Eights.

It’s doubtful that anyone will be sleeved in scissors or cover their back with a sepia rendering of an antique barbershop chair, Holyoak said. But he felt it was a fun non-threatening environment for people to check out future tattooing opportunities. A “Meet the Artists” sort of event.

“Since we opened we’ve been referring people to Aces over Eights. Even if you don’t want to get a tattoo, just stop in and check everything out,” said Clark.

Do you know a new Petaluma business that deserves mention? Email Patch editor karina@patch.com