New Barbershop Opens in Former Location of Orange Tree

While gloomy forecasts on the prospects of small businesses are common in the current economic environment, the owner of a new South Orange Avenue barbershop/salon is thankful that his industry is recession-proof.

"If you lose your job, you're trying to find another job—you've got to look good to get that job," said Douglas Thompson, 29, a Maplewood native and 1998 Columbia High School graduate who currently lives in Hillside and goes by "Fresh."

At its old location at 111 South Orange Ave., Lucky 7 Expressions—which opened on Thursday in the former home of The Orange Tree at 10 W. South Orange Ave. and has Wi-Fi, a flat-screen TV and two Mac computers for patrons' use—catered only to men, but it's now unisex. Appointments and walk-ins are accepted, and the business currently employs three barbers and a stylist. It also sells a small selection of men's sneakers.

Thompson says they left their old location on March 31 and were drawn to the new storefront because of its large windows overlooking South Orange Avenue. A barber with 13 years of experience at establishments including the former A Head of Our Time and BurJazz, he also wanted to stay in South Orange.

"It's a diverse area, not to mention this is where I grew up," said Thompson, who has a business partner, Marcus Hill. "This is my world here."