Weymouth barber shop owner hopes zoning relief that will allow them to use outside banner again

 Business owner hopes to get Weymouth officials to change laws to allow banners…

Weymouth zoning law restricts local barber shop’s signage; owners told to remove outdoor ‘barber shop’ banner

 WEYMOUTH, MA, ISSUED MARCH 23, 2014…Each morning, a few minutes before 9 a.m., Weymouth resident Shay Bernardi, one of the three barbers at Judi’s Barber Shop at 1216 Washington Street (Route 53) walks to the edge of the parking lot and sets up their colorful, 12’ vertical banner which advertises that the barber shop is open for business. And each night when the shop closes, either she or her niece, Judi Quatrale, who is the founder and owner of the shop, takes the banner down and brings it inside.

 For the time that they have used the banner as a form of advertising, it has provided great visibility and serves as a visual reminder to passers-by that the shop is open.

 “For most small businesses, finding a cost-effective way to market is critical,” Judi said. “The banner has been one of our best sources of advertising. People see it and it reminds them that we are here, and for the time that we have used the banner, our walk-in traffic has been significantly higher.” She added, “We don’t live in a world where people plan their haircuts far in advance, and seeing a sign like this is often a way that someone may have 25 or 30 minutes in his day and will stop in for a haircut that he might otherwise not have done.”

 The banner has been great for their business. But that is all about to change. They were told this week that the banner does not conform to the town’s bylaws and they can no longer use it outside.

 They anticipate that this action by the town will seriously cut into their walk-in traffic. The shop is part of a small group of businesses with signs over their doors, but the sign is not visible to the person driving by.

 Shay noted, “If you go across the town line to Hingham or to some other towns, you’ll see these kinds of banners. We are hoping that Weymouth’s officials will change the bylaw and allow banners of this type to be used to help small businesses like this one.”

 Their barber shop has three barbers on the team: Judi Quatrale, Shay Bernardi and Andrea Howe.

 Judi Quatrale, also a Weymouth resident, said that she hopes telling the local officials of the importance of these banners will inspire them to change the bylaw to help local businesses. “We are all in this together,” she said. “Businesses are a strong part of the community support, we help pay taxes, provide jobs and contribute to the well-being of the community. We hope that Weymouth officials will recognize this and do what they can to help us all out.”

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