Birds Barbershop
Birds Barbershop is an independently owned brand of barbershops founded in Austin, Texas. The first shop was opened in 2006 by Jayson Rapaport and Michael Portman with a goal of affordable salon quality for both men and women in a casual, rock club environment. The shops are sponsored by Shiner Beer and every customer gets a beer with a cut, upon request.
History
After Michael Portman quit his job at Disney and moved to Austin, he met up with lifelong friend Jayson Rapaport who had recently left a career as a Wall Street trader. They conceived of Birds as an alternative to salons and chain cutteries after Portman asked Rapaport for a recommendation on where to get his hair cut. Each of their five local shops is built around a large-scale mural by a local artist and features a stage for live music. Portman and Rapaport named it Birds as a direct appeal to women, who they felt were an essential ingredient to any party.
Awards
- One of America's 52 Best Salons - Elle Magazine, July 2008
- Best Barbershop - Austin Chronicle, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
- Best Hair Cut for Kids - Austin Chronicle, 2007, 2008, 2009
- Best in the Beauty Business - Austin Monthly
- Best Beauty Salon - Austin A List, 2007
Past in-store performers
- Bishop Allen, 2007
- Dizzee Rascal, 2008
- Lykke Li, 2008
- Sons and Daughters, 2008
- Cut Off Your Hands, 2009
- NASA, 2009
- King Khan & The Shrines, 2009
External links
- Official website
- Hair Apparent — Newsweek, May 2006
- Web networking boom blasts into the workplace — Reuters, August 2007
- Your A-List: Best Beauty Salon — Austin360.com, November 21, 2007
- Best of Austin, 2008 — Austin Chronicle, 2008
- Best of Austin, 2007 — Austin Chronicle, 2007
- Best of Austin, 2006 — Austin Chronicle, 2006