Longtime barber Randy Ash realizes dream of opening his own shop in Pickerington
After cutting hair in Reynoldsburg for more than a decade, Randy Ash recently realized his dream by opening his own barbershop in Pickerington.
On Nov. 9, Randy's Barbershop opened at 1176 Hill Road North.
Owned by Ash, a 33-year-old Orient resident who had cut hair the past 11 years at Reynoldsburg Center Barbershop, it's what he calls an "old-school, neighborhood barbershop" that typically caters to men and boys.
More than that, however, it was the fulfillment of Ash's longtime aspiration.
"This is the first barbershop I've owned," Ash said. "This has been a lifelong dream of mine."
Randy's Barbershop replaced Rick's Barbershop, which closed due to owner Rick Hoover's retirement.
Pickerington Mayor Lee Gray said he had reached out to Ash about taking over the shop after hearing from some of his customers that Ash wanted to go into business for himself.
"I heard he was interested in his own shop," Gray said. "I knew this would be a great opportunity for him, and a lot of his clients are from Pickerington.
"He completely redid the inside and updated it. He's like a kid in a candy store. He's very excited about it."
Ash said Hoover's retirement was perfect timing for him, as he was ready for a change and wanted to take a shot at running his own shop.
The roughly 800-square-foot space features four barber's chairs, and Ash said he would employ four barbers in addition to himself.
"It will be the four of them and me," he said. "I cut hair full time, and the others will rotate.
"We're open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. I take appointments and walk-ins."
In addition to being available to customers six days a week, Ash said, he offers affordable haircuts. Prices range from $15 for children and senior citizens to $18 for adults.
"I've always wanted to keep my prices down," Ash said. "I just want to be that old-school, neighborhood barber. All my customers are like friends."
While he expects to maintain many of his customers from his previous job, Ash said, he's hopeful he'll pick up new patrons as he becomes a part of the local community.
"This was my dream," Ash said. "Most of my clients are from Pickerington, Reynoldsburg and Pataskala."
"It's a men's barbershop, and I cut kids' hair, too. It's a really fun atmosphere."
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This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Randy Ash opens barbershop in Pickerington after 11 years in Reynoldsburg
