A BARBER who has spent two decades perfecting haircuts in Rainford will soon launch a second shop after a planned modern refurb.
Coming from a family of hairdressers, Tom Connolly was offered a job at the Men's Room on Church Road, Rainford, twenty years ago and hasn't looked back since.
Learning his trade in skin fades, tapers, and short back and sides, Tom took over the business around 16 years ago and joked that he and the team are building a hairdressing "empire" as they look forward to launching their second shop in Billinge in the coming weeks.
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Speaking about the business and its expansion, Tom said: "I've always had the idea in the back of my mind to try and open a second shop, although it is a difficult industry to do it in.
"Billinge is a place that I've had my eye on because it is quite similar to Rainford, and we have flourished in Rainford.
"After hearing through the grapevine that a unit was available, I thought it was the perfect place for its catchment area and somewhere we could get involved in the community as we do in Rainford."
With Tom at the helm, the close-knit team has cemented the Men's Room as a vibrant and popular shop in Rainford, where three generations of customers feel comfortable enough to return and keep themselves looking fresh.
The team has also gotten involved in several community projects over the years, such as charity head shaves to raise money for PPE during the pandemic or to raise awareness of issues like suicide prevention.
So despite the challenges that come with the industry, such as the surge of social media competition, the Men's Room team feels that now is the perfect time to expand the business.
With the Billinge refurbishment planned to take place over the next month, the idea is to decorate the new unit in a similar vein to the Rainford shop but with a modern twist and newer equipment.
Tom, originally from Liverpool, added: "I've been lucky enough to work in the Men's Room for 20 years and have a great, close-knit team around me.
"Everyone's been curious and excited about the new shop, and I thought I'm not getting any younger, so now is the time to start building our Empire!"
For more information about the Men's Room, you can find their website here, with a QR code for bookings below.
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