The Old Mission Barbershop at the corner of 21st and Mission streets is shutting down at the end of the month.
Its owner, Omar Nazzal, said he needs to take better care of his asthma and can no longer manage the shop.
Nazzal, 41, grew up in the Sunset District but knows the Mission well: His father’s first store was right next to his current barbershop at 2485 Mission St.
It “opened in 1979 or 1980. I don’t remember, but it was a linen store,” Nazzal said. His father is Palestinian and his mother is Mexican. Together they operated a store that primarily served the Latinx community of the Mission.
“There were so many people migrating from all different parts of the world,” Nazzal said of the Mission at the time. “But mostly Mexico, Central America and South America.” Nazzal said his mother was instrumental in the business’ success; she spoke Spanish.
“My baby pictures were taken right there. I grew up playing in the back alleyway. We spent a lot of time in the neighborhood,” said Nazzal.
Nazzal worked in the automotive industry for a decade, inspired by the lowriders and classic cars that cruised up 24th Street every May during Carnaval. His father suggested a career change, and he enrolled in barber college at age 29.
“The plan was always, I wanted to open up a shop in the neighborhood,” said Nazzal. His first job as a barber was at Fellow Barber, where he worked his way up to manager and built up a clientele.
In 2018, Nazzal opened up his own barbershop at Mission and 21st streets, the same block where his dad ran the linen store.
Nazzal said he wanted to create a space where everyone was welcome, and that he wanted a price point where the working class could afford to get a haircut. A traditional haircut runs $55, and adding a beard trim gets you to $75.
“The neighborhood at that time was changing,” he said, “and I didn’t want that side of the Mission to turn into another Valencia, where it doesn’t have any of the culture or feel.”
Nazzal said he’s referring all of his customers to The Mission’s Barbershop, at 3160 24th St., because of what the owner, Joseph Guerra, means to the neighborhood.
“He’s the only barbershop owner that I know who’s from the neighborhood, who cares about the neighborhood, and he’s actively doing stuff to make the neighborhood better,” said Nazzal.
He added that three of his current barbers will be moving to The Mission’s Barbershop once his store closes at the end of the month.
Nazzal said he’ll be selling almost everything at his store, including barber chairs, lights and furniture. He said anyone interested should contact him via social media.
“I’m really sad to shut down the barbershop, but I’m so grateful for the memories,” he continued, “every single person that walked through those doors and made that place what it is. I’m forever grateful for those memories.”
Haircut for $55 ????????
True that, about Valencia. It’s a soulless strip of consumerism.