A Zionsville barber shop owner is confident his new venture will help men rediscover how to “feel good about themselves” by simplifying their grooming needs.
Edwin Veguilla, 31, has been in the hair care industry for 12 years and last year decided to start a business different from other offerings in Zionsville.
Veguilla said he struggled to find a great haircut in town for years. The search inspired him to open his own barber shop. He also was inspired by his own personal battles with health, including a liver transplant and being a cancer survivor. But he wanted to do more than offer a quality haircut.
He wanted to build a lifestyle brand.
“That was something in the forefront of my mind,” Veguilla said. “What could we build that could combat some of the issues that people live with day to day? And the idea was kind of born from that.”
On Oct. 24, Veguilla expects that vision will come to fruition when Razor Roar Wellness Barber Lounge celebrates its soft opening in Zionsville at 7161 Whitestown Pkwy.
“The whole concept is that it’s not just a barbershop, it’s a wellness experience,” Boone County Chamber Executive Director Diane Schultz said.
Razor Roar Wellness Barber Lounge, whose name is meant to denote the feeling customers have after a great haircut, that of a powerful lion, aims to simplify men’s grooming and lifestyle needs, Veguilla said.
The barber lounge will offer a line of vitamin C supplements and products designed to promote skin and hair health. Veguilla said the line could help men, in particular, because of their tendency to avoid skin-care routines and hair-care products.
“I think that we as men forget constantly to really take care of ourselves, and I wanted to create an environment that you feel really great. You feel sexy,” Veguilla said. “We are men, and we should feel good about ourselves.”
At the barber lounge, customers will receive advice for creating regular skin and hair routines and learn about healthy lifestyle choices. Veguilla said a customer’s skin and hair are chief concerns because they provide the foundation for a good haircut.
“No one has really tapped into that portion to really maximize the haircut with those products,” Veguilla said. “If you don’t take care of the things that you put into your body, then we can’t maximize the results we can give you at the barber lounge. I think in our society, it has become OK for women to do it, but it has never really been socially acceptable for men because it is perceived as you are being high maintenance. The reality is, we should spend time on ourselves, too. We should pamper ourselves.”
Veguilla believes his business can make lasting changes for not only his clients’ hair, but also their daily lives.
“There is a big difference between a quality haircut,” Veguilla said. “Not all haircuts are created equal. To do a good haircut, it’s craftsmanship. It’s old world. It takes time to really shape a good, bespoke haircut. A lot of men don’t realize that it makes a huge difference in their image and their self-esteem when they get the best possible haircut they can get.”
Pandemic delays
Razor Roar Wellness Barber Lounge owner Edwin Veguilla had anticipated opening the Zionsville location earlier in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed his plans. However, the delay ultimately allowed him to design a barber lounge to adhere to many COVID-19 mitigation practices recommended by health experts.
“I had to sit back and rethink the whole concept,” Edwin said. “I decided to build it completely custom to basically be COVID-proof.”
For example, stations are spaced more than 6 feet apart, and, in the lounge area, Veguilla opted for chairs instead of couches to allow for adequate spacing. The barber lounge also will offer its own hand sanitizer product. Veguilla said the COVID-19 pandemic, while tragic, emphasizes the importance of valuing health, which makes him optimistic about opening a wellness business during a pandemic.
Razor Roar has a Zionsville mailing address and is located in the Whitestown corporate limit.
