A Washington D.C. barber created a new experience for his clients and others in need of a haircut after leaving his stable position at a barbershop due to the pandemic.
When the pandemic hit in early 2020, Dante Brown was forced to leave his rental booth at a local barbershop, where he had been for years, reported DC News Now.
He used the break from the shop to create a new concept: a roadside barbershop that offers a safe environment for him and his customers.
“It was like almost reviving life, like they gave us life, it gave us hope, inspiration through all the pandemic,” Brown said.
In March 2021, Brown launched Platinum Barber Services. Business has been booming since.
“I can’t stop cutting. I’m on the clock constantly. I’m constantly busy,” he told DC News Now. “My book is extremely full. I’m booked up for the rest of this week, mostly all next week and people book me out throughout the rest of the year almost.”
The 46-year-old purchased a cargo trailer and transformed it into a fully functional one-seat barbershop with heat, air conditioning and plumbing. It sits on John McCormack Road in Northeast at the border of Catholic University, and it’s ready to service anyone needing a haircut.
“[It’s] just me anchoring it down. I can just catch so much more fish this way,” he said. “I can literally just set up a net catch.”
Dorante Samuels, one of Brown’s customers from his time at the barbershop, was happy to learn about the new business venture.
“That was one of my concerns. Losing him as a barber. Then when he told me he was back in business, I was like ‘I’m coming because he’ll have you looking like a king,'” Samuels said.
Brown still can’t get over the success he’s having.
“I’m still in disbelief. I still think it’s a dream. I still think I need to be woken up,” he said.
