New Saugus barber shop more than meets the eye

SAUGUS – A new barbershop in Saugus is offering more than just haircuts. With a 55-inch flat screen in the back, a black leather couch and a red pool table, Razors Edge on Lincoln Avenue gives its customers a little something to do while they wait.Anthony Lavacca, 22, just opened the shop earlier this month, and so far he said more customers have been stopping in for a trim.?We?re getting more and more walk-ins every day,” said Lavacca. “Most of us in here all have our own clients so we stay busy with our own clients that we brought from Peabody. Most of us are from Saugus so we know a lot of people in Saugus that are bringing their friends down.”Razors Edge is located in Cogliano Plaza, in the store vacated by Rock Reunion clothing. The new barbershop features eight stations, with six small flat screens embedded in the wall in between the mirrors along with Playstation 3 and Xbox hookups for the 55-inch Sony flat screen.When it comes to the pool table, however, Lavacca said only waiting customers are allowed to play.?We don?t let people just come in and play pool if they?re not getting their hair cut,” said Lavacca. “It doesn?t look good. And if people see 10 people in here playing pool, they?ll think there?s 10 people waiting to get their hair cut.”The wide open space of the barbershop along with the new hardwood floors gives Razors Edge a laid back atmosphere, said 28-year-old Justin Petkewich, who just started working there.?It?s just a good atmosphere,” said Petkewich. “We all get along with each other. We try to push clients onto other people so everyone?s getting cuts. This is the best barbershop I?ve worked in by far. It?s just a good bunch of guys. I learned how to cut hair from how they cut hair, then we all went our different ways. They went to Peabody and I went to Malden, but we came back and now our haircuts are all pretty much close. It all gets done the right way.”Lavacca got his start in hair cutting three years ago after graduating from the New England Hair Academy. From there he went to work at a friend?s barbershop in Peabody. It was last year that Lavacca said he first got the idea to open his own business.But while he?s now the proud owner of his own barbershop, Lavacca said it hasn?t been an easy transition so far.?It?s tough opening a new shop,” said Lavacca. “You go from consistent pay every week and a consistent flow of walk-ins and clientele, to starting from scratch. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays we?re usually packed. Everyone still has their clients so that?s when everyone likes to get their haircuts.”And with just a handful of other barbershops in Saugus, Lavacca said it?s tough to pull customers away from long-established businesses.?You have a small town like Saugus and you have what, five barbershops? No one?s going to just switch up barbershops,” said Lavacca. “It?s nothing special if you?re not good at cutting hair.”Despite this, Lavacca said there?s a friendly competition with the other barbershops in town.?I?m friendly with most of them,” said Lavacca. “It?s mostly, ?Good luck.?”Lavacca said he has five employees working for him so far and has one more coming on board soon.Petkewich noted that he and the rest of the barbers at Razors Edge are focusing now on service instead of making money.?People are always trying to make a buck,” said Petkewich. “We?re just trying to make people happy. The money is going to come eventually. Right now we?re focusing on making the service exactly what it needs to be.”As he opened up his shop Tuesday morning, Lavacca was confident about the prospects for his new business.?We?re all good at cutting hair,” said Lavacca. “I think everyone in here has their own unique personality too. Every barbershop has a good barber, but not every barbershop has it where every chair has a good barber.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].