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Alameda County Barber Finds Creative Way Around COVID Closure

EMERYVILLE (KPIX 5) -- One Alameda County barber has found a creative way to get around the rules that forced him to close up shop during the pandemic: he took his business on the road.

Shavin Singletary has cut hair professionally for ten years. His barber shop has been closed for months. Now he's doing a booming business in an Emeryville parking lot,

"My phone started ringing and it as other clients all looking for haircuts. So I was like, 'OK, the shop is closed, but I can do mobile services for the time being.'"

Shavin says doing outdoor mobile cuts has drawn the attention of folks passing by, including one woman waving a big thumbs up.

He charges $30 plus whatever tip you want to leave. Shavin said yes, the cops have been by and talked to him.

"One officer came by the first day I was here," said Shavin. "And he stopped and asked, 'How much?' I said, '30 bucks.' He said, 'I'll be back in 30 minutes!'"

Robbie Sharma said it had been a while since he'd had a proper haircut.

"About four and a half months ago, I tried myself about two months ago but I stopped half way through," said Sharma. "I came here because I got tired of having hair as long as my wife's."

To advertise where he is setting up on any given day, Shavin uses social media.

So far, Shavin says he hasn't had an unhappy customer yet.

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