Shave and a Haircut -- Plus Beer

Drained from a long workday, Keith Petrin was in need of some quiet conversation, a soothing cocktail and a relaxing atmosphere. And the Capistrano Beach electric contractor knew just the place to go.

Hair of the Dog. His local pub? His favorite restaurant? Nope. His local barbershop.

“You have a pretty girl cutting your hair, a cocktail or a beer in your hand, and a bar as a waiting room,” Petrin said while sipping his trademark drink, raspberry vodka and 7-Up. “It seems like something that couldn’t happen.”

But in San Juan Capistrano’s historic district, it did. The brainchild of Nico Germann, a rock concert producer, Hair of the Dog sits next to the funky Swallows Inn, the town’s premier drinking establishment and gathering spot.

An old-fashioned single-chair shop, the only thing separating the barbershop from the bar is an antique wood door Germann purchased near Ensenada, Mexico. Unless someone in the barbershop is under 21, the door is usually open.

As far as Germann knows, he owns the only barbershop/bar in Orange County. Not surprisingly, the idea for Hair of the Dog was hatched at the Swallows Inn over several cocktails.

Germann noted to his friends that every business occupying the small space next to the Swallows had gone under: the head shop, the candy shop, the nut shop. So he bet Swallows owner Steve Nordeck and a few drinking companions that he could make a few dollars with a barber shop.

“I said, ‘I’ll knock a hole in the wall and we’ll serve drinks while we’re cutting hair,’ ” Germann said.

The next day, Nordeck reminded Germann about the business proposal. Before long, friends began asking Germann when his barbershop was opening.

After deliberating for weeks, Germann decided to honor his far-fetched bet. It took several months to gain city and state Alcoholic Beverage Control approval, but he finally opened Hair of the Dog in mid-2000.

Initially, the name threw some people off.

“We got a lot of people calling to get their dogs groomed,” said Linda Wade, one of the two barbers. “One day, a guy didn’t call before dropping in and he showed up with a couple dogs.”

For a while, the dogs nearly outnumbered the customers.

“We struggled,” Germann said. “I’d feel so bad, the girls would just sit around all day.”

But Germann said his shop’s fortunes began to change when he broke down and purchased an old-style barber pole.

“I think people thought we were still a nut shop until that pole started spinning around,” he said. “The pole got the word out and added to the atmosphere. It gave it that Mayberry feel.”

Three years later, the single-chair shop is finally turning a profit, attracting cowboys, city officials, GenXers, women and high school kids. As Hair of the Dog has evolved, it has become more of a salon/saloon than a barbershop/bar. Haircuts are $20. Single-edged shaves are $15 with a haircut on Fridays, Saturdays and special occasions.

“The straight edge shaves are basically facials to the younger guys,” said Wade, who uses a straight single-edge disposable razor, hot towels, foam and an aftershave balm that Germann calls “green death juice” because of its stinging effect.

Back massages, for $1 a minute, and shoeshines are available on request. The shop is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., but the hours are often extended if customers continue to wander in from the Swallows.

By now, regulars know the routine. Before plopping down in the barber’s chair, they can buy a pint of beer or a glass of wine next door and schlep it over. Or, they can order from Wade or Sara Parkinson, the other barber. First-timers often don’t wait around until their drinks are served.

“When I tell them they can have a beer or a mixed drink,” Parkinson said, “they usually get so excited they run over to the bar with their cape still on and they help themselves.”

Some customers get so comfortable, they stay long after the scissors are put away. Others belly up to a round wood table with their drink, watch some television, chat with the barber and never bother getting a haircut.

“People from the Swallows use this place as a hideout or a fort,” Parkinson said. “It’s sort of like a VIP room or a private club. Sometimes the party is better here than it is next door.”

Germann, who produces concerts for U2, Bruce Springsteen and the Rolling Stones, said he never dreamed the party would last this long.

“I thought it was a good joke and it would last a year or two,” he said. “I never thought it would cover itself with just one chair.”