As the door opened, a slightly dim room appeared. There were a couple men in the front, dressed in smocks, drinking whiskey and awaiting to be called for their appointment. Some men were in the far distant either resting in the lounge, getting their hair washed and cut, or geting their shoes shined. To the right, was a receptionist who asked “Good Afternoon, how can I help you”. At that moment I thought to myself, this is no ordinary barbershop.
John Allans is a men’s grooming club that was founded in 1988 in the Financial District of New York City. The Founder, John Allan, founded the clubs upon the idea of creating a place for men where they could feel comfortable, relaxed and turn what many viewed as a chore into a desirable experience To create this atmosphere, the club offers a range of services, such as: haircut, manicure, pedicure, facials, shaves, massages, shoe shine. If that is not enough, there are the amenities: fully stocked bars, lounge areas, plasma tv’s, theater rooms, parties and event space. The clubs are driven by their membership where clients pay an annual fee to receives all their full service (scalp massage shampoo, conditioning treatment, hot towel, haircut, manicure and shoe shine) appointments at no additional charge.
For the convenience of their members, there are 6 locations: Downtown (NYC), Midtown (NYC), Tribeca (NYC), Saks Fifth Ave (NYC), Toronto and Chicago. With the success of their current clubs, they are expanding to the west coast by early next year to Los Angeles and San Francisco. With impeccable customer service, grooming skills and hospitality, it’s no wonder why men are willing to pay for membership Members also have the option of coming to the club to take a break from the day and relax in the lounge without having to get services.
Not only can you get a haircut, but you can get your next big business deal, all in the comfort of your club. The members range from Wall Street Execs to rockers and everything in between. The clubs have a roster of well known celebrities and high profile clients such as David Yurman, owner of the the jewelry company with his namesake.
Membership starts at $750 for a year at one location and $850 for the universal membership to go to all of the locations. After breaking it down with all of the services, you will end up saving money, gaining great personal & business relationships and help giving back. John Allans has a commitment to giving back and supporting charitable organizations by hosting fundraisers at the clubs. A great example of this is when John Allans raised $250K to build a home for a family in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. I like to call is “Clubbing with a Purpose”. For the gentleman out there who may not want the membership, you can purchase the full service package for $68 each visit.
The saying goes, “Membership has its privileges“, with John Allans this is a very accurate statement. Check out John Allans online for more information at www.johnallans.com.
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-Phaon Spurlock, The Southern Gentleman
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