Meet Jordan Bartholomew of Badabing Barbershop and Shave Parlor in Salem

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Bartholomew.

Jordan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I grew up in East Boston, and my first exposure to the hair industry was through my mum. She owned a hair salon (Lords and Ladys) in Revere and every Saturday from the age of 9 on I found myself there (mainly to make sure I stayed out of trouble.) Whether it was sweeping floors and answering phones to helping with keeping track of inventory, I knew from a young age I was quite the fan of this atmosphere. When I was 13 my mum asked if I wanted to learn to learn how to cut hair and I started by cutting a few of my friends to get the practice, I immediately fell in love with what would be my craft.

After graduating high school I went to school for Civil Engineering and quickly learned that I would much rather be working with my hands then overlooking blue prints. Right after July 4th in 2009 I signed up at New England Hair Academy for their barber program and ultimately took the first steps in who I am today. I would be walking into a room full of strangers only to find a few good friends (and many acquaintances) who I still keep in contact with today. After completing the barber program (and continuing with night classes in college) I ended up joining the Cosmetology program to round out my education.

I had worked in both the Corporate Barbershop (Floyds 99 Barbershop) and Mom and Pop shops before ultimately opening my own shop in 2016 at the age of 25. Learning the proper way to run a Barbershop (and how not to) were some of the very valuable lessons I took away from my time working behind the chair, as well as more licensed, skilled professionals whom I made lifelong friendships with (and even hired a few.)

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?
Having a barbershop in a tourist town like historical Salem, Ma certainly has plenty of drawbacks as well as many perks. Around October isn’t necessarily the easiest to bring in our regulars, but it certainly allows us to welcome a whole new audience to come in. Whether if it’s for a quick clean-up while your wife checks out the candle shop or a nice hot-steamed shave on a rainy October morning that helps shake off the weather, the Badabing prides itself on being there for your tonsorial needs. Having tourists come back year after year and making sure they stop by the shop has to be one of the more rewarding parts of my job. Knowing that somebody is going out of their way, or even planning a cut around their vacation, always puts a smile on our faces.

Finding someone that you can be around 60+ hours in a week is quite the struggle, especially in a barbershop. The process of finding someone who’s trustworthy and has strong values and respect for their craft is often a daunting one, but when you find that dynamic it makes working that much better. Anyone can learn how to cut hair, but not everyone can make a client feel like they’re the only one that matters for 25/30 minutes. The ability to make someone walk out a little bit taller after a haircut is truly a skill, and every barber at the Badabing will make you feel like the boss we know you are.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Badabing Barbershop and Shave Parlor – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
The Badabing Barbershop and Shave Parlor pride us on being “Old School.” If you think you’re getting out of that chair in 15 minutes you will be in for a rude awakening. Every haircut ends with a straight razor outline shave and a splash of our homemade aftershave to wake you back up after finding yourself in a state of true relaxation. We pride ourselves on our haircuts, the fruits of our crafts. Our razor work is what truly separates us from the rest of the pack. Our Hot Steam Shave is truly the crown-jewel of the Shop: two hot towels to open the pores whilst a steady stream of steam on the face allows our razors to be no match for the toughest beards. It’s all the benefits of going to the spa without the cucumbers on the eyes. Call your boss and tell ‘me you’ll be late coming back from lunch, it truly is an experience. Coming to our new location we will also be offering a shoe shine, just like in the old Copley Square barbershops back in the old days.

The Badabing prides us on maintaining a tight knit relationship with our clients, as well as keeping an organic growth by being “word of mouth.” If you’re a 2-to-3 week type of customer, there’s a good chance when you come back you’ll be sitting next to the same customer when you were in the chair. Our clients truly become family. I have relationships with my customers that end up being longer than their relationships with their partners! The Barber truly holds all of the secrets.
We also like to pride ourselves on our topical music choices: Doo-Wop Wednesdays, Ska-N-Reggae Friday’s, and Sinatra Saturday’s to name a few.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
In the last two years the Badabing has outgrown our current home. Located 300 steps away on Washington Street (underneath the City Hall Annex) the ‘Bing will be relocating! With this new location and plenty of exposure, The Badabing will certainly be the place to go for all of your tonsorial needs-and did I mention the Shoe Shine? Who knows, maybe a product line is in the works too.

No matter how big the growth, the Badabing Barbershop and Shave Parlor will never sacrifice quality for quantity. Having a client come to the shop is the equivalent to inviting someone into our home, and we will treat you like our guest. In short, we cut hair, not corners.

Contact Info:

• Address: 96 Washington Street
  Salem, Ma 01970
  (Shooting for July/August)
  1 East India Square Ste. 114
  Salem Ma 01970 (Current address)
• Phone: 19785945948
• Instagram: TheBingShopNShave
• Facebook: Badabingbarbershop978

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