61 Years Later Bridgewater Barber Is Still The 'Talk Of The Town'

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — The morning of Sal Longo's senior prom he found himself outside of a barbershop in Plainfield waiting for a haircut. That's when it hit him that this was a good profession and something he wanted to pursue. 61 years later and even in the middle of a pandemic in Bridgewater, Longo says he loves his work and has no plans to retire.

"People always ask me when I am going to retire and I tell them, 'When I get a good job.' This isn't a job for me, I love what I do. How many people can say that?" said Longo, owner of Sal's Talk of the Town in Martinsville.

Longo began his career after graduating high school and got his first job at Frank's Barber Shop in Plainfield. He saved for four years before opening his own business called Canuck's Baber Shop in North Plainfield.

He later expanded into the property next door. In 1971, Longo says he purchased a home at 1987 Washington Valley Road in Bridgewater as an investment.

"The home was built in the 1840s and needed a lot of work. It had no running water so I put in a potbelly stove and plumbing for water," said Longo.

He began renting out the property and added an addition to the property. In 1987 he then turned the property into his new barbershop, Sal's Talk of the Town. And in 1971 he moved to Bridgewater with his wife Carole and raised their three sons Sal, Scott, and Danny.

"It's an old-fashioned barbershop," said Longo.

Longo primarily gets his clientele from the local church members in and around town and the Knights of Columbus.

Over the many years, Longo's customers have remained loyal.

"I have been cutting five generations of hair," said Longo." I still get people coming in who I cut their first haircut. We get the whole family."

Even throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Longo has adapted to taking safety precautions, wearing masks, limiting the number of customers at a time, and is Barbicide COVID-19 certified.

Pandemic or not, nothing is stopping Longo.

"I am 81 years old and I don't want to retire," said Longo. "I love my customers. I am a good listener and being a barber is like being a psychologist. This is what I love to do."

For more information on Sal's Talk of the Town visit salstalkofthetown.com or 732-271-1987.

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