Bay Meadows

That old saw “a shave and a hair-cut” doesn’t begin to explain the pampering that gents are in store for at the new-ish barber shop at 405 South B Street in downtown San Mateo. Roosters Mens Grooming Center opened in January 2014 to fill a need that more professional men seemed to be craving, according to Lisa Byrd, the store’s district manager.

Customers are invited to relax in oversized leather barber chairs in six semi-private barber stations and select from a variety of custom services including precision haircuts and shaves with hot steam towels, deep cleansing facial massages and moisturizing lotions. Ahh, the luxury.

Lisa took a few minutes out of her hyper-busy schedule to give us the low-down on downtown’s latest business.

What about the downtown San Mateo location appeals to your business?
There are several small businesses in the downtown area – quite appealing. Not to mention, we like being next to the Draeger’s at 4^th and B Street, a great cornerstone. It’s a very community-based feel in the downtown area.

Who are your customers?
Our demographic is typically business professionals, but we also serve young men and we also have a couple of special services for men in the military, fire department, etc. It’s called the professional hero service and we offer them a discount.

What are some of Roosters’ most popular services?
Our most popular is the Roosters Club Cut, which includes a personal consultation along with a precision haircut, shampoo massage and hot-towel treatment. Each service also includes styling, brush of powder at the neck and splash of aftershave.

Seeing more beards or smooth-faces?
Right now, we’re seeing a good number of beards. We also do a lot of beard-trims, not necessarily full-grown beards – goatees, moustaches. Between Movember & now, men have grown their beards out quite a bit.

In the beauty industry, history repeats itself, so we’re at a stage where we’re coming back around to this particular look. You’ll see 60s mop-tops again before you know it.

And we understand your barbers offer advice on golf, as well?
Roosters is definitely a men’s grooming center that’s designed for the professional man. We have that old nostalgic feeling, very masculine barber center. Wood-grain. We do draw quite a bit of young men and have special pricing for 12-13 and younger.

Back by popular demand: Movies in the Meadow is happening again this summer at Bay Meadows! Save the date for our beloved summer movie in the park series – we’ll be featuring three movies on two nights – July 13, and August 18. Join us to enjoy a night market with talented local artisans and vendors, food trucks dishing out delicious fare, and a great movie under the stars. Also keep an eye out for our Garden to Fork event in mid-April and check out our Facebook page for more events