Smoothing Out Ruffled Feathers at Roosters Grooming Center

Smoothing out a few ruffled feathers isn’t the only thing the new men’s grooming shop offers at 926 Hopmeadow Street.

Roosters, located in the Simsbury Town Shops plaza, specializes in cuts and close shaves for its patrons.

The new barbershop officially opened its doors Saturday morning with a ribbon cutting ceremony. According to Aaron Grondin, president of the Roosters franchise organization, the new Simsbury location is the first of its kind in the state. He says more will come soon.

“I’m very proud to be bringing Roosters to Simsbury,” Grondin said before the ribbon cutting. He then  introduced “the newest addition to the Roosters family”: Aaron and Donna Cramer, the local franchise owners, whom he called “wonderful, wonderful folks.”

Aaron Cramer said he and his wife “fell in love with the concept of Roosters,” adding he was happy to see the barbershop open its doors in Simsbury.

“It’s really what Simsbury and the surrounding communities are demanding,” Cramer, of East Windsor, said.

As part of its grand opening, Roosters is offering its “club cut” at a discounted price for the next eight to 10 weeks. The club cut isn’t simply a haircut. It comes with head massaging shampoo, a hot towel treatment and splash of aftershave to finish.

Saturday morning, the new shop was already bustling with customers.

Jay Wanamaker said he visited the barbershop several days ago, before Roosters had officially opened, and was sold after receiving a traditional shave. Wanamaker said the best part was the hot towel treatment that leaves faces silky smooth.

Cramer agreed. “It’s almost like a massage process,” he said.

Roosters offers its Signature 7 Step Facial Shave that includes a hot steam towel, a facial massage, lotions and a very close shave. So close in fact, Cramer said “by the time you’re done you don’t have to shave for two or three days.”

Cramer said he almost can’t wait to get back in the hot seat for another shave.

“My hair can’t grow fast enough,” he added laughing.

Cramer explained he and his wife were looking to invest in a franchise and settled on Roosters because of corporate professionalism and its “vested interest in our success.”

The new location has four full-time employees, including a manager who doubles as a stylist. Aaron Cramer, who works full-time in insurance, said his wife will be spending time at Roosters, greeting customers and helping out.

“We’re looking to build a really good team,” Cramer said.

He went on to say Roosters reaches that “sensible middle” when it comes to haircuts for men. It’s not a fancy salon, but it's also not a discount hair cuttery. So what exactly is Roosters?

“It's a place guys can go and feel comfortable,” Cramer said, pointing out the big screen TV and classic rock radio station playing in the background.

“We want men to see that they’re a priority here,” Grondin added.

Grondin explained Roosters attempts to “bring back that tradition that was lost in the 60s and 70s,” and hopefully restore the relationship between barber and patron. As the hair industry took off, Grondin continued, “men were really stuck going to salons,” so Roosters now offers a solution.

But, if a woman does venture into Roosters for a quick cut, Cramer said the staff would work to accommodate her as well as possible, with what’s available.

Roosters had its soft opening earlier this week, and, Cramer said, about 20 people stopped by.

“Just about everybody left happy,” he said.

Roosters Grooming Center is located at 926 Hopmeadow Street, next to Metro Bis. For more information visit roostersmgc.com or call 860-217-1621.