Madison Barbershop will open its new Keizer location Saturday, marking a major expansion for a three-partner business that started on Madison Street and is now growing into an eight-chair shop.
Madison Barbershop is moving into a larger space at 5420 River Rd N in Keizer, near Waremart by WinCo, The UPS Store and Oregon Community Credit Union.
The shop’s grand opening is planned for 10 a.m. Saturday, May 16, the same day as the Bloomin’ Iris KeizerFEST Parade. Co-owner Enrique Martinez described the event as an open-house-style gathering, with a ribbon-cutting feel and a chance for clients, friends, family and community members to tour the new space.
The shop will not be cutting hair during the grand opening. Instead, the owners plan to welcome visitors and introduce the new location to a community already expected to be busy because of the parade.
Madison Barbershop is co-owned by Martinez, Cody Hargis and Julius Scott. Martinez and Scott previously worked at Primo Barber Shop in Keizer before branching out and opening on Madison Street in Salem. Hargis joined the business a few months later.
For Martinez, the Madison Street shop was always a starting point.
The partners initially chose the name because of the shop’s location, Martinez explained, but decided to keep it after customers began to recognize the business through its work, local relationships and community sponsorships.
“We always knew it was temporary,” Martinez said of the first shop. “This was always our goal.”
The move takes Madison Barbershop from a three-person operation to an eight-chair barbershop, giving the owners more room to grow. Martinez has been licensed for more than 10 years, while Scott has been licensed for about five years and Hargis is approaching three.
Martinez entered the trade after working at Wells Fargo shortly after high school. Becoming a father pushed him to take his career seriously, he recalled, and barbering eventually became the path that allowed him to support his family and build a business with his partners.
The shop has also built visibility through its sponsorship of the Salem Capitals Basketball Club. Martinez said the relationship began last season after a longtime connection with someone affiliated with the team helped open the door to a sponsorship opportunity.
That partnership helped introduce the business to more people, Martinez said, and the owners plan to continue building those kinds of local relationships.
At the new Keizer shop, Martinez said the owners want the business to feel professional, clean and family-friendly.
Mothers, children and longtime clients should feel comfortable walking in, he said. The goal is to create a welcoming shop that serves the community while giving the business room to keep growing.
