Barbershops Cutting Up Dixon

If you noticed the clean-cut look has come into vogue again, you are right—men’s long hair and shaggy look has finally been cut. Yes, I admit I am a fan of nice and neat but never before have seen such ingenious ways for men to get stylish with cropped hair.

“In the last five years, the barbershop industry has experienced a complete resurgence,” said Primo’s Barbershop owner Juan Desmarais. “It had been dying with only older barbers and older men getting the cuts but the new guys generated a whole new atmosphere and its hip and cool to be clean-cut. Barbershops now are really cool places to go, too. Thank God for Instagram and Facebook to bring in the new generation,” he said.

One of the first things I noticed when I came back permanently to Dixon was the new barbershop next to First Northern Bank, appropriately named: B Street Barbershop. It’s at 170 West B Street and is owned by Carlos Preciado. Now I knew that name sounded familiar, so I called Carlos and asked him what’s the story and he told me he used to own Primetime Barber on 115 East A Street.

“I sold that to Eduardo Romo a few years ago but I never stopped cutting hair,” he said. He went to Davis and tried opening another shop there but with the recession, it was not a good time to open a shop, he said. Now is a different time. He opened in June with Eduardo’s welcome.

Eduardo of Primetime Barbershop keeps such a steady flow of customers that you won’t get through on their phone, so you just have to walk in.

I also noticed that Nino’s had moved down to the commercial spot on the corner of Jackson and A Streets so called Nino Tomelloso to find out why he moved.

“No big story here. It was the same landlord as my old shop and the space was vacant,” he said. “He knew I really wanted the corner spot. We opened for business officially [at the new location] on August 9.” He and the three other barbers helped pour wine during the Downtown Dixon Business Association and had a packed house admiring their new digs. Nino plans to open another wall or two but is very happy with the change.

His barbers include Paul Robinson, ‘Grady,’ and Allan Espinoza.

Across the street nestled between Bud’s Pub and the Barn & Pantry is Dixon Haircuts, owned by Hung Sue who has been serving Dixon with his little barbershop for 30 years. Hours are a little unpredictable but somehow, there is a steady stream of customers wanting the more traditional look whenever he’s open.

The newest place I’ve seen is Primo’s Barbershop at 124 Porter Road. It is in the spacious place formerly occupied by Dixon Glass for many years. Owner Juan is a former Marine and was in law enforcement so found his niche three years ago and when his Winters and Vacaville locations were getting Dixon overflow, decided there was enough demand to spread more.

“When we decided to open in Dixon, there were only two other shops at the time but with the demand for these styles, there is plenty of room for all of us,” he said. He already has four barbers and is soon adding two more.

He must be right. All of these shops seem to have really steady business and men and boys are coming out with some really stylish looks:

B Street Barbershop, 170 West B Street, (707) 693-3330

Nino’s Cut & Shave, now at 180 West A Street, (707) 693-5255

Dixon Haircuts, 121 West A Street, (707) 678-0332

Primetime Barbershop, 115 East A Street, (707) 693-0187

Primo’s Barbershop, 124 Porter Road, (707) 693-3005

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Debra Dingman, journalist and author, is a 27-year Dixon resident except extended vacations to Dallas and Los Angeles, which only caused her to be fonder of Dixon... Her book, Learning A+ Living--Adventures & Rewards of a Mom Entrepreneur, is published by WestBow Press and is available on Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and on TWMpublicrelations.com.