The Blind Barber opens in New York (2011)
Two film-industry friends opened a working barbershop in Manhattan's East Village, with a speakeasy-style bar tucked in back. The dual concept turned a routine haircut into a destination.
The shop drew long waits and press attention, making the barbershop-bar a visible urban format.
Barbershop-bars spread to other cities, including Texas, as a standard upscale grooming model.
El Bar'ber appears to be pursuing the same dual-format concept, now well established in major markets.
