By Ben McCarthy
The sight of a fully stocked bar upon entering Leawood’s most interesting barbershop still comes as a surprise to many of its first time visitors.
No worries: It’s all legal (and very regulated) inside Hammer & Nails Grooming for Guys, which opened last October inside the Camelot Court Shopping Center.
A bartender will fix a client a glass of his choosing before being seated for any number of grooming services.
Customers might just be coming in for a trim, or perhaps a manicure, but they’ll all be offered an adult beverage of their choosing to complete the experience. For those opting to become a member of the fast growing franchise, the drink is complementary.
General Manager Savvy Scarlett says their whisky and bourbon selection is unmatched in the area, and they are the only Hammer & Nails location in the country with beers on tap, including Bohemian Pilsner from Martin City Brewing Company.
“That was my baby – I come from managing restaurants and bars,” Scarlett said. “We fought to have beers on tap, and we will have that [at future locations in the area] moving forward.”
Owner Chris Lahna hired Scarlett to serve as general manager based on her experience as district manager for four Scissors and Scotch locations in the market (a similar competitor to Hammer & Nails). Together they created a barbershop that would feel more like a club for guys (albeit one that is also open to female customers).
Inside, men select from a variety of services including beard grooming, pedicures and facial treatments. All of the services are available to any ”Average Joe” wandering in off the street. But the goal is to transition customers into one of several membership categories.
At $72 a month, the Classic Club membership offers two “classic” services (i.e. shave, cut, manicure) per month. The Clube Luxe offers members unlimited visits and services for $449 a month. Lahna says she has had tremendous reception to this package.
“Our members tell us it’s one of the most luxurious experiences they’ve ever had,” Lahna said. “It’s really designed to help guys take care of everything – they get access to everything on the menu.”
That menu includes a classic face treatment, premium beard grooming, essential tea tree pedicures, luxe 24k hand care and much more.
Lahna has divided the former Jhon Josephsons Salon into two rooms: one for barbers to perform their services, and a “hand & foot” room where cosmetologists will handle the other services, such as facial services and waxing (eye brows, ears, and the nose only). Although the most popular services remain the premium haircuts and beard trimming, Scarlett sees more men receptive to routine hand and foot care.
“These are premium pedicures and manicures that not only provide a luxury experience,” Scarlett said. “It’s providing them the kind of maintenance to keep them away from future visits to a podiatrist.”
Lahna and Scarlett both note that they’ve had to change the terminology around services like these to make them more palatable to a male audience. Lahna has found that men tend to respond more favorably to discussions of “hand and foot care,” and Scarlett is direct with the do’s and don’ts when communicating the services.
“Just don’t call them ‘mani’s’ or ‘pedi’s’,” she says.
Founded in 2017 by Hollywood screenwriter Michael Elliott, Hammer & Nails has grown to over 50 locations nationwide. Elliott went on Shark Tank asking for a $200,000 investment in exchange for 20% of the company, but was rejected by all of the “Sharks.”
For more information on walk-in services or memberships, contact leawood@hngrooming.com, or visit http://www.hammerandnailsgrooming.com.