October 3, 2018
Minority & Small Business Week
Page 9
Barber Opens
Retro Shop
Business
start follows
a passion for
nostalgic
D anny p eterson
t he p ortlanD o bserver
A local barbershop is bring-
ing old school cool to the way
they cut men’s hair. Classic
Men in southwest Portland is
a retro–style barbershop that
delivers modern and traditional
cuts in a nostalgic atmosphere.
Started by Franklin Whatley,
who is originally from Cleve-
land, Ohio, the seasoned barber
noticed a shortage of “barber
nostalgia” at many shops—the
classic stripped poles, badger
hair shave brushes, and over-
all vibe of debonair was slow-
ly disappearing from modern
day men’s grooming establish-
ments.
That’s when he discovered
his niche and opened the shop
back in 2016, providing men
with a range of traditional and
modern barber services in a
suave and relaxing setting.
Whatley, 37, told the Port-
land Observer that an interest
in haircutting came only nat-
ural to him, coming from a
large family where he was the
youngest of seven barbers.
“Three of my uncles owned
barbershops. It was always a
fun place, it was always some-
thing I looked up to,” Whatley
said.
Wishing to duplicate the
nostalgic feel of Will’s Bar-
bershop in Cleveland that one
by
of his uncles owned, which he
worked at for five years, What-
ley created his own version in
Classic Men.
Terrell Brandon, retired
NBA all-star who played for
the Cleveland Cavaliers, used
to frequent Whatley’s fami-
ly barbershop back in Ohio.
Brandon, who is from Port-
land, become a family friend
and has known Whatley since
he was 11.
Brandon went on to open up
his own barbershop in Portland
on Northeast Alberta Street and
enlisted Whatley to work there,
where he honed his skills over
the next decade cutting men’s
hair.
Whatley went on to teach at
Beau Monde Academy of Cos-
metology from 2010 to 2012. He
would eventually enlist three of
his star pupils, Ahmad Lewis,
Taryn Jones, and Isiah Simpson,
to help him run his shop.
“I tell you man, those guys
are great. I love working with
them. It’s like working with
friends,” Whatley said. “My
business doesn’t run without
them, they’re the back bone of
it,” he added.
The camaraderie is one sig-
nature feature of the shop,
Whatley said, where inside
jokes amongst his employees,
like throwing a “penalty flags”
in jest for something out of line
said in a conversation, leaves a
big impression on customers.
“Classic men barber shop
is the kind of place that is not
easily forgotten. You’re going
to think about it for a couple of
days,” Whatley said.
When asked what advice he
Classic Men in southwest Portland is a barbershop that brings a retro flavor to getting your hair cut.
Taryn Jones (left), owner Franklin Whatley, and Ahmad Lewis use a relaxing, yet fun and camarade-
rie-filled atmosphere to service men getting modern and classic ‘dos.
had for up and coming entre-
preneurs, Whatley warned they
should be ready to lose and
learn from it.
Opening his shop was some-
thing Whatley described as the
hardest thing he’s ever done
and emphasized passion as a
major driving force.
“You probably got to want
it more than you want to
breathe,” Whatley said. “You
have to persevere,” he added.
For fresh cuts and a cool at-
mosphere, check out Classic
Men Barbershop at 8735 S.W.
Canyon Lane or visit classic-
menpdx.com for more info.