Not in the mood to chat? A San Francisco barbershop has a solution
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Barbershops are known as places for getting a haircut and socializing.
"We got the barbershop talk, all the gossip, the drama of the town, whats ever is on the news," said Anthony Larrasquitu, owner of Beyond the Pale Barbershop in San Francisco's Mission District.
"We're not only just barbers but we're like therapists too," said barber Tee Coop. "We're the place where you can come and tell all your secrets."
But sometimes you just need peace and quiet. So Beyond the Pale offers a "silent mode" haircut for those times when you're not in the mood to engage in small talk or any talk for that matter.
MORE: SF launches 'Vacant to Vibrant' program to fill downtown vacancies with pop-up shops
"The barbershop can be an intimidating environment for the first time coming in so it's more so about the comfortability of the client," Larrasquitu said.
You tell your barber what cut you want and then, it's pretty much silence except for the sound of the clippers.
You get a free beer if you choose the silent mode.
Tino Barrera does it sometimes.
MORE: Behind the scissors: The story of how Santa Clara University's cross-country team photos went viral
"If you just come from work and you're just super exhausted just from your day, if you had a bunch of meetings and you just kind of just want to de-stress, it just gives you that time for just that peace and tranquility," Barrera said.
Larrasquitu said they just opened a store front in that location about three months ago and that about 10 to 15 percent of customers choose the silent mode haircut but that it's gaining popularity.
Clients need to specify they want the silent mode haircut when they book appointments online. Sometimes it's not only clients that need it, but the barbers too.
"There are times where I'm all talked out and it's like what hey, kind of haircut do you want, cool let's do it," Coop said.
MORE: Hair designer restores people's hair to help them restore their own lives
"We're talking 10 to 12 hours a day," Larrasquitu said. "Sometimes we don't feel like talking either so it's a little break and it's also another way for us to get more in tune with the art and the craft and just focus on that."
By the way, you still get the beer even if you don't choose the silent mode.
If you're on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live
