A local barber who’s been styling and cutting hair for more than a decade is returning to his roots. Bryan Austin has made hundreds of clients look good at two different barbershops in Clarksville over the past decade, Austin said he’s ready to return to his hometown of Henrietta and give back to the community that’s given him so much. He opened his new Hometown Barbershop on Jan. 14. He saw old friends and made new ones on that busy first day.
Austin worked as a beer delivery man for several years until a work-related injury made him rethink his career. He entered barber school in 2007 and one year later was ready to get into the hair business, working at Eastgate and later Bo’s. Anywhere from 800 to 1200 customers would come through the doors looking for a good haircut. While Austin enjoyed the quick pace, he said it was time to help bring back life to the small town where he grew up. Austin thanks his landlords, John and Kristy Dowling at HBR Lumber, as well as his parents, James and Rosemary Austin, for helping him on his new business venture.
He has set up shop on the heavily traveled Highway 12, in a farming area known for tobacco, cattle, corn, and growth, and just about 10-15 minutes by car from Sango and Ashland City. Hometown Barbershop is located just a couple doors down from a local restaurant and across the street from a beauty shop. “It doesn’t bother me at all, because what I offer customers is different. We have an old school barbershop vibe with chairs set up for folks to chat. It’s great to hear about the big game or the next big crop coming in,” Austin said. He added that he’s glad to serve a wide variety of clients, whether they’re farmers, construction workers, students, or someone just passing through the community.
Austin said he’s currently doing walk-ins only at his new business and he’s catering his schedule to help fit his customers’ lives. “I’m open on Monday’s, which most barbershops aren’t. I also have evening hours throughout the week and mornings on Saturday, because I want to make it convenient for people to get in and get their haircuts,” he said.
Hometown Barbershop is at 4200 Highway 12 North, Ashland City, Tenn. You can phone Austin at 615-685-3166, or check out the shop’s Facebook page at https://m.facebook.com/Hometown-barbershoop-100219111515737/.
