Meet Erik Zaiatz of Bostonian Barber Shop

Today we’d like to introduce you to Erik Zaiatz.

Erik, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I wanted to open up a shop that my grandfather would have been proud of. A traditional old school barber shop with a modern twist.

Bostonian had been in the works for about a decade. My Grandfather was a barber for over 60 years. He cut 4 generations of some families. I remember what it was like hanging out there when I was younger. Seeing him interact with his customers and hearing all the stories. Even the smell. The aftershave and the talc powder. I just loved being there. And there really wasn’t anything like that around here.

We opened up our first location back in 2014. I had been talking with our barber Matt about wanting to open up a shop. My sister Kayla was a hairdresser and I convinced her to go back to barber school. Once they were both onboard I decided to go for it.

We built the shop in the old Bostonian Shoe Factory on the south shore in Whitman. The space had been empty for about decade. I did the buildout myself with some help from my father and uncle. My father actually restored all our chairs. They are from 1910 and he completely restored them to what they looked like back then.

We kind of made a big splash right out of the gate. Like our shop, our barber’s attention to detail is ridiculous. They take their time weather it’s a haircut, shave, beard trim or trying out a new style you’ve never had before. They’re going to make sure you’re leaving happy every time. Being one of the only shops around doing hot towel/hot lather straight razor head and face shaves quickly created some buzz.

With that buzz we quickly started getting people driving to us from the city and western mass, the cape and Rhode Island. The waits grew to about 2-3 hour most days. We actually just added a 5th and 6th station.

About a year in I knew we needed to expand into the city. Especially the Fenway neighborhood as there wasn’t really anything around there. Just steps from Fenway Park on Van Ness St. We really lucked out and got the perfect location. Being in one of Steve Samuels building and knowing the plans they have for the neighborhood we couldn’t be more excited. I truly believe we have the best barbers in the city working at the new location. It has the same look and feel as the other location. It’s basically the first shop on steroids. I did the build out again with my uncle and my father restored all the chairs.

The neighborhood was very welcoming to us right from the gate and we couldn’t be more thankful. I couldn’t be happier with the way things have been going and I’m very excited for the future of the company.

Wasn’t anything like us around here.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Business wise, we have been very lucky and fortunate to have had the success we had right out of the gate both times. As far as struggles or bumps in the road, the biggest difficulties I’ve seen has been the build outs. Being a carpenter and having friends in different trades, I wasn’t scared to tackle it. It was just a lot of work. Especially the Fenway location. It was a complete buildout with Hvac and electrical and plumbing and all that. So manhunt the job was a little much. On top of the shops buildout. Many months of long hours try to get it finished. It was all worth it in the end.

I guess another struggle I had was actually running the business at first. Not having any previous experience owning or operating a business or schooling. It was tough. But I managed to get the hang of it pretty quickly.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Well, we’re a traditional old school barber shop. We specialize is Gentleman cut, fades, pompadours, beard trims/shapes and hot towel/hot lather straight razor shaves.

I think what sets us apart from a lot of shops and one of the things I’m most proud of is the shop itself and the atmosphere we created. There really isn’t anything like that around here. The other things is obviously the work that we put out. The attention to detail every barber shows is not like any other. A lot of shops are about the numbers and to get the next person in the seat. We take our time and make sure you’re leaving happy every single time. The fact that some days we could have a 2-3 hour wait and people sit and wait speaks to.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was kind of lost. I had many interests and hobbies. But had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. I was a spaz. I played hockey, went to punk rock shows and rode BMX bikes. The music thing actually turned into some cool opportunities for me. Right after high school I toured with bands around the country for many years. I loved it but life on the road was not great. I missed my friends & family so I hung it up. I wanted the be an actor for a while until I realized I was not good… I then got into construction. Fast forward about 8 years and here we are.

Contact Info:

• Locations: – 92 Van Ness St Boston, MA
  – 7 Marble St. Whitman, MA
• Website: Bostonianbarbershop.com
• Phone: 857-317-2894
• Email: bostonianbarbershop@gmail.com
• Instagram: @BostonianBarberShop
• Facebook: Bostonian Barber Shop – Fenway & Bostonian Barber Shop – Whitman
• Twitter: @Bostonianbarber

Image Credit:
Erik Zaiatz & Zac Wolf