Banter with the barber, a once-over with the clippers and a dollop of hair gel are usually on the cards when heading for a trim. But at one long-established premises in Southwell, people heading in for a quick short, back and sides could be getting more than they bargained for.
Punters at McCarroll's Barbers and Bar, as the name suggests, can enjoy a cool pint or a refreshing cocktail as they sit back in the barber's chair. Paul McCarroll, 48, first began operating a bar at the shop once run by his father in 2018.
Mr McCarroll says that this side of the business soon "took off" and customers can now enjoy a drink whilst getting their hair trimmed both in the day and later on in the evening. For those with an appointment before 12pm, they can instead enjoy a range of coffees and other hot drinks.
READ MORE: Major new restaurant set to open on Nottingham street
Such is the success of the business that Paul McCarroll has now applied to Newark and Sherwood District Council to make some changes which would mean that the bar can open later. It comes amid a refurbishment of the premises ahead of a planned re-launch in October.
Paul McCarroll said: "It was just a case of thinking outside the box and I believe that we were actually the first business in the East Midlands to be doing this when we started. The customers seem to love it and we've got this app where they can book themselves a drink that will be ready and waiting for them when they arrive for their appointment.
"I think most people, especially in the local area, know about both sides of the business now, but we do still occasionally get people coming in just expecting a barber shop. They walk in and go, 'oh my god, you've got a bar in here.'"
McCarroll's first opened on Queen Street in Southwell in 1971 and was owned by Paul's father, David McCarroll, 72. Despite the success of the business, Paul McCarroll says that his father was a little apprehensive about the idea at first.
He said: "I bought the business from my father 20 years ago and when I first told him about setting up a bar in the shop, I do remember him not being very convinced about it. But then he came in one day, looked at the amount of people in and just said, 'son, you were right.'"
As well as the premises in Southwell, David McCarroll opened a shop in Burton Joyce in 1992, which is now run by his daughter Angela Robertson. After seeing the initial success of her brother's business, Angela also began operating a bar element at the Burton Joyce shop in November 2019.
David McCarroll said: "I soon saw that this was going to be a good idea and it's an example of making the most out of your overheads. Bills are going up so much and you can't always keep the prices up with them, so having another side to the business is really helpful.
"I could have never imagined that there would be bars in both the Southwell and Burton Joyce shops when I first started, but business is always changing. When I first started in 1971, a haircut was 20p for children and 25p for an adult, so that's obviously one of the biggest differences.
"The fashions change as well because people used to bring in pictures of the football stars who they wanted to look like, but a lot of people now want to look like one of the Peaky Blinders characters. It's very much a short, back and sides job and at one time we'd probably call that a basin cut, but now it seems to be the trend.
"There are always changes but I do enjoy seeing how popular the bar element seems to be with people. It's just something a bit quirky and I think a lot of businesses are having to think up similar things at the moment."
Paul McCarroll had initially applied to move the barber shop to another location and have the King Street premises purely as a micropub. But after a last minute change with the vendor of that location, another application was made to make some changes at King Street.
If approved, the changes would allow McCarroll's to open later on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening, extending the closure from 9.30 until 11.30. The requirement for the barber and bar elements of the business to be operating at the same time would also be removed, meaning that McCarroll's could operate solely as a bar later at night.
The plans were submitted to Newark and Sherwood District Council and a decision should hopefully be made when McCarroll's fully reopens in October. Paul McCarroll added: "We're also hoping to do some food options when we launch again in October.
"We'll not be doing cooked meals or anything, but things like cheeseboards and sharing platters. It's really exciting and hairdressing is an occupation that's very much about the customer interaction and chattiness, so having a bar sits alongside it really well."
READ MORE:
- 'Couple of grand lost' as 'reckless' driver's motorbike seized
- Relief over plans to demolish 'eyesore' former primary school
- Praise for new plan to tackle 'dodgy stuff' happening at park
- Girl in hospital after crash outside Nottinghamshire school
- Hopes voiced as wait goes on for redevelopment of historic building
