New barber added at City Barber Shop

By Owen Boss

GARDNER — There’s a new face at City Barber Shop, which has been cutting hair in Gardner for more than 50 years, and he is excited to start the career his great-grandfather held many years ago. After two years of college, resident Jeff Wahl enrolled into Alexander Academy in Fitchburg to learn a new trade and after his first month as a barber he said it has been a really enjoyable experience. “I started about a month ago and this was something that I kind of fell into,” said Mr. Wahl. “But my great-grandfather worked as a barber so I’ve always had it in the back of my mind.” If you drove by the small barber shop on Marquette Street, you may mistake it for a small yellow house, but once inside, you would be instantly greeted with a hometown feel that Mr. Wahl said separates City Barber Shop from others in the area. “The atmosphere in here is just different from other places,” said Mr. Wahl. “We have a lot of families with kids coming in.” Owner Scott Cordeiro, who purchased the business from longtime barber Steven Landry, said the addition of a new barber came at a time when business was increasing. “We added a new barber because we have had enough business recently to do that, we have great clientele and we get so busy sometimes that people don’t want to sit around and wait for a haircut,” said Mr. Cordeiro. “I have known Jeff a long time and he came in looking for a new career and I told him he would be a great fit.” One of the reasons Mr. Cordeiro thinks business has been up is the hours the shop offers, which targets people who have to schedule their cuts around work. “We are open on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.” said Mr. Cordeiro. “Which is really convenient for people who work out of town and need a chance to get home from work before they can get their hair cut.” Although the small barber shop depends on a steady stream of local regulars, Mr. Cordeiro said their exceptional service draws customers from across the region. “We have a lot of regular customers but we also have people coming in from as far away as Phillipston, Leominster, Troy, Fitchburg and Templeton,” said Mr. Cordeiro. “And what keeps them coming back is a good atmosphere and great haircuts.” oboss@thegardnernews.com

Appeared on Page 3 on 8/1/2008 (Vol. 206 No. 181)