Is It Time for a Back-to-School Trim?

North State Street is a busy street. Cars zoom by, trying to get from one point of the city – I-93, I-393, downtown, to the other – Penacook and West Concord. And if you aren’t paying attention while you whiz by, you will miss a lot, including the Concord Barber Shop.

On the short stretch between the Concord Fire Station Headquarters and the Blossom Hill Cemetery lies Richard Kelly’s shop. It’s a “man cave” of sorts – there’s a glass chest set, darts, a foosball table, and lounge chairs set up along the side to relax in, so while you’re waiting for your cut, you can kick back for a bit with a cold water and conversation.

Kelly dabbled in a lot of different businesses over the years including real estate, a horse farm, and an IT business. Then, he decided to get into barbering and opened his own shop about two years ago.

“It really was the opportunity,” he said. “I kept driving by this place and I thought, ‘What a great place for a shop.’ I had to seize the opportunity.”

When the Treasure Chest went out of business, he moved in.

Kelly said that everyone said the business would fail, because every other business had failed at that location. During the North State Street construction project, he almost did fail. In fact, he got hammered.

During testimony before the Concord City Council concerning the Main Street Complete Streets project hearing last year, Kelly testified about his experience with the construction outside his shop. A one point, business was off by about 90 percent from the previous months. Since that time though, things have bounced back.

Kelly said one of the things that the shop had that previous shops didn’t have at the location was, “Repeat customers … there’s only so many trophies someone can buy … how many times have you had to buy a used coffee table?”

And what about the “man cave” theme?

“I don’t know,” Kelly said, with a laugh. “Maybe because I don’t have one at home … It’s really a man cave constructed by the wife.“

Concord Barber Shop offers standard fare for a men’s barbershop – cuts and blades, buzzing, and hot shaves. A back-to-school special of $8 is running this week. Kelly also offers Sunday hours, through Labor Day.

The Concord Barber Shop is located at 193 N. State St.