HandleBar Men’s Salon, White Plains
White Plains resident Ariel Orruel explained last week how HandleBar Men’s Salon, which opened in the city in November, got its name.
“HandleBar refers to how people grow their moustache style,” Orruel said. “We work with hair and facial hair. And it’s a play on words considering its handlebar. We have a small bar in the corner where we serve drinks.”
HandleBar, which occupies a space that had been vacant for a long while, features exposed brick and wood. “We wanted to go for a more rustic, very raw look,” Orruel said. The facility also has three large screen televisions for clients to watch while they are receiving services.
A variety of services are offered at HandleBar. “We do everything from haircuts to beard trims to very traditional hot towel shaves, which a lot of people don’t offer any more,” Orruel said. “A lot of barber shops are more in and out these days so we wanted to provide more of a take your time type of service.”
There is an advantage for using hot towels in a shave, Orruel said. “It’s as close to the grain as you can get,” he said. “The hot towel definitely helps soften up the skin so that the blade just glides really easily off of the face. We use high end products like pre-shave oils and aftershave balms so there’s no irritation so guys walk out feeling good. ”
All haircuts provided at HandleBar include a hair wash “to make sure they walk out of here as clean as they did coming in,” Orruel said. Hair styling products are sold at HandleBar, he said.
Many of the new business’ clients come from the White Plains area, Orruel said. He and his fellow barbers and stylists at HandleBar have worked in the area for a few years and their customers have followed them to the new business, Orruel said. “Right off the bat we were busy,” he said.
The Court Street location is a plus for HandleBar, Orruel said. “You want to be in the downtown for a business like this to get walk in traffic and to get noticed,” he said.
While reservations are not required, they are recommended a day before if possible, Orruel said.
Orruel said HandleBar has been successful because of the attention to detail done by its barber/stylists. “We take our time doing what we do. We consider what we do an art,” he said. “We consider what we do our passion. So I think that reflects on our work and I think that our clients notice those things.”
“We consider this our home,” Orruel said. “We want our clients to feel like they’re at home when they’re here.”
Handlebar Men’s Salon is located at 23 Court St. in White Plains. For more information call
914-893-0029 or visit https://www.handlebarsalon.com/. The business also has a Facebook page.
