It’s challenging to open a salon in Portland and successfully differentiate yourself from all the competition around the city. Over the past decade Portland has experienced growth in many higher-end services, haircuts included. June Juliano opened The Mensroom Salon and Lounge in 2004 and carved out a unique niche in the city by specializing in experiential haircuts, for men, along with a host of special touches to make men feel relaxed and at home the moment they walk through the door.
When you enter the salon, the first thing you notice is the entire right side of the space has rustic, exposed brick paired with maroon colors everywhere else. The salon chairs are leather, elegant and uniform. The staff greets you with an offer of water, tea, coffee or beer. Yes, I said beer. As you wait for your stylist to be ready to cut your hair you can sit in their super comfy sofa and unwind. Your choices of entertainment on the big-screen TV is either watching sports or playing video games like Xbox or PS4. There’s also a pool table ready for use as you walk in.
Just as you’re relaxed and halfway done with your beer, the stylist invites you over to their chair and it’s time for your haircut. The stylist asks what you’re looking for and based on your feedback may suggest a new look that you might want to try. It’s similar to a higher-end salon catering to women where you book your appointments ahead of time and normally see the same stylist. The advantage to this approach is that over time that stylist gets to know your personal look and style, which helps them give you a better, more personalized haircut every visit. In that regard, not only does the Mensroom offer this type of approach to the stylist/client relationship, but it also provides an overall superb experience, tailored to what a man enjoys.
Before the stylist takes scissors and/or clippers to your hair, they offer a scalp massage with multiple scents to choose from. Once your hair has been shampooed, it’s time for your haircut. As a finishing touch, the stylists then shaves your neck with a straight razor and applies the scented aftershave balm of your choice.
In addition to the Mensroom, June also owns all of the Acapello Salons throughout southern Maine. Both the Mensroom and Acapello offer a comprehensive product line from Aveda as well as high-end brands like The Art of Shaving. In addition, the Mensroom also offers straight-razor shaving using products from Art of Shaving.
The Mensroom offers gift sets for shaving and hair products, as well as gift cards. If you shopping for someone this holiday season who likes to invest time and energy on looking good, we can’t think of a better present than the gift of good grooming.