Orlando Rojas with wife Stephanie near the storefront for The Lodge Barbershop that is set to open in April.
“When the shops and restaurants start to open over the next few months,” smiled 28-year-old Orlando Rojas as he stood at the northeast corner of Northwood and Lakeside near his Lodge Barbershop storefront, “things will look very different.”
“There will be people out walking around. It will have a neighborhood feel with people out enjoying themselves. It’s turning out vey nice.
“Each shop owner is pouring a lot of work into their store to make their business,” Rojas added, “and Lakeside, special.”
He expects the Lodge to open in April.
Orlando Rojas and his barbers specialize in classic straight-razor shaves.
Today, Rojas and wife Stephanie (and two of their four children) are exchanging ideas on how the Lodge might contribute to the foot traffic on Lakeside’s sidewalks.
“We want to try some special promotions for Lakeside residents to encourage them to give our shop a try,” Rojas said.
“If they give us a try,” he insisted, “they’ll find barbers who enjoy people, whether they come for a cut, a shave, a shine, a game of pool, or just to hang out.”
He also has ideas on how the Lodge can become part of the sidewalk activity.
“If allowed, we’re thinking about positioning the shoe shine chair outside when the weather is nice.”
Inside, Rojas has designed the Lodge to feel “old school,” including dark wood furniture and stadium seating for the waiting area (he and Stephanie stained the seats themselves).
His hand-picked barbers are trained and licensed in the 14 distinct strokes of the classic straight-razor shave. They range in age from their twenties to their fifties.
The Lodge will share one element in common with the quick-cut stores: lots of televisions.
“We like to build relationships with our customers,” Rojas emphasized, “take our time, treat everyone like family.
The Lodge pool table sits in the middle of the shop, always ready for a game.
The pool table in the center of the store serves as an open invitation to anyone to come and shoot pool or shoot the bull. Prepare for some ribbing since all the barber chairs face the table.
Complimentary drinks are always made available for customers.
“We take our time to get a chance to visit and to make sure the customer is satisfied,” emphasized Rojas, who earned his barber’s license in 2007 at age 20.
By the age of 24, the Arlington Sam Houston graduate was opening his first store in Colleyville.
“Jimmy Archie believed in me when I opened in The Village at Colleyville,” Rojas said. “His faith in me played a big role in my success. Now I am excited to work with him here at Lakeside.
“This is going to be a lot of fun.”
More on Lakeside retailers:
Grab a paint brush and enjoy the fun at Bottle and Bottega
Engel & Völkers property shop to make DFW debut in Lakeside
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Richard Evans says
This place is one of those arrogant barber shop places which customers have to beg for service. Literally don’t expect any sort of normal customer service. When you walk in, not one of the barbers will say anything, and they don’t pay a receptionist. Normally you would expect a “hello, thanks for coming in. how can I help you?”Expect to sit there uncomfortably while the 3 barbers just take glances at you. It will be a strange experience, where you would expect it to be a front for an illegal business of some sort. After about 5 minutes, you will ask if you can get a haircut, and then the arrogant lead barber will say, we will TRY to fit you in. You will ask if this is by appointment only, and the lead barber will say no, but let me check the schedule. Okay, there is no sign saying appointments only or any sign of an indication of how long your going to have to wait. Then, your going to have to negotiate and beg for the one of the 3 barbers to cut your hair. When you show dissatisfaction, the lead barber will argue with you and make you feel you did something wrong. In my case, I told him I can simply take my money some place else, which he then said maybe I should do that. I felt a lot of racial resistance here in the exchange, and frankly, when I walked back out and take a picture of the place, the lead barber came out again to challenge me.
Elizabeth zavala says
I want to say , how much I am proud of my son Orlando on succeeding his greatest inspirations in life and how he did it. “Well done”, In this short period of time and accomplished it by yourself … And just have to say ….since he was a little boy he has always showed interestmaking a name for himself …congratulation my son …. Love your mom.