Imagine this: a two story grooming parlor in Oakland that is LGBTQ-affirming, drenched in sunlight and owned by a queer couple. Well, it exists. It’s called United Grooming. And it just reopened for businesses on Wednesday, Jan 28, 2021.
Aiming to offer “a unique grooming experience that welcomes and delights every customer of every background, every time,” United Grooming’s second Oakland location on 3351 Grand Ave will continue to deliver on their mission – and then some.
Founder Julie Nichols (she/her) opened the first United Grooming location in Jack London Square on June 29th, 2019 – the weekend of San Francisco Pride and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprisings.
“I personally had never felt comfortable in a barbershop – as a customer or as barber myself,” said Julie. “I remember listening to clients all across the board talking about their uncomfortable experiences and I was like, why isn’t a space that isn’t like that more of a thing yet?”
It became Julie’s mission to create it. And with that inspiration, United Grooming’s first location was born.
The birth of their newest location on Grand Ave is a different story. Julie had no intention of expanding her business during a pandemic, but took a risky leap of faith that she hopes will be well received by the LGBTQ, ally and Lakeshore communities.
The second location means a new kind of energy, but more importantly – more space. “The first floor will provide more traditional barber services,” explained Julie, “and the top floor will have stylists for folks with longer hair who are looking for extensive styling and color services, etc.”
Julie and her wife, Zulma Reyes, are taking Covid-19 precautions very seriously, and will have strict sanitation, tracing, capacity, air filtration, scheduling and distancing measures in place to keep the shop as safe as possible.
Select United Grooming stylists are offering sliding scale haircuts to make services more financially accessible to folks affected by Covid-19 – no questions asked. “A haircut can mean so much to someone,” explained Julie. “It’s not just a fresh look. It can be someone to talk to. It’s physical touch. It can be healing.”
Schedule an appointment and learn more about United Grooming on their website and Instagram.
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