SHOREWOOD, Wis. — When you think of a classic barber shop, you might picture men in big chairs, getting their hair cut or maybe even a shave. The art of barbering is an old tradition but is still alive and well.
Nick’s Barber Shop, in Shorewood, Wis., is one of those shops that has stood the test of time. It’s been around for over six decades and still has loyal customers.
“Everybody feels comfortable here when they come in, we know them by name, we know what they have done, we know their families, they know your families,” said Peter Balistrieri, former owner of Nick’s Barber Shop. “A lot has to do with the longevity of working.”
Balistrieri looks at his craft as an art.
“If you’re artistic and you have an eye for haircuts, it’s a form of sculpturing, if you will, and it’s your trade, it’s your business, like any other trade,” he said.
Balistrieri has worked at the Shorewood shop since 1969. Back then, Nick D’Amato was the owner. Balistrieri bought the business from D’Amato in the early 90s.
Now, history is repeating itself as Balistrieri has passed the torch to his longtime employee, Roman Kontarovich.
Kontarovich came to the United States from Belarus in 1993. He worked as a machinist in Milwaukee until he switched in the early 2000s to the barbering industry.
He started working for Balistrieri in 2008 and purchased the business 10 years later.
Kontarovich said it wasn’t easy to get started, but it was worth the hard work and patience it took to build his regular customers.
“It takes time, it takes a longtime,” Kontarovich recalled.
“I remember myself, I’m sitting here in the barbershop, and I’d sit here, and I get one or two people in the day, that’s what I did,” he said. “After 20 years here, I am booked, you know, but this takes time.”
Kontarovich and his mentor are in it for the long haul. They both believe in hard work and community.
“You kind of grow old together […] and that’s a good thing, because we’re here to talk about it,” said Balistrieri.
For a link to the store’s website, click here.