How many barber shops and salons are too many? For south suburban Calumet City, 57–in immediate proximity–is too many and city leaders are looking at ways to keep barbershops and hair salons from piling up on each other. But some business owners think the problem is not the number of hair care establishments, but the number of Black ones.
“It was suggested at a City Council meeting that we look at businesses that are rapidly expanding and those occupying a lot of commercial space,” said Calumet City Mayor Michelle Markiewicz Qualkinbush. “There was no moratorium proposed for barbershops and hair salons, merely a suggestion of how to keep shops from over saturating the area.”
She added that there are a total of 57 barbershops and hair salons in Calumet City, which she does not see as a problem. But the fact that many of them are located next door or across the street from each other is a problem. Qualkinbush said there are 31 barbershops and 26 hair salons in Calumet City but did not know how many were Black-owned.
“We do not keep a record of what color business owners are here,” she said. However, a Chicago Defender analysis identified 23 Black-owned barbershops and 12 hair salons in Calumet City. According to the City Clerk’s office, the fee for a business license to open a barbershop or hair salon in Calumet City is $150. Some Black barbers and hair stylists in Calumet City think the city needs to look at zoning issues rather than a moratorium on business licenses for them.
“The problem is not too much competition but the fact that you can find two or three barbershops located in the same strip mall,” said Avery Miller, 34, a barber at George’s Barbershop, 1551 Sibley Blvd. Just three blocks away at 1086 Sibley Blvd. is Exclusive Barbershop. Paul Sanders, 30, has worked there for three years and since that time he said five barbershops have opened on Sibley Boulevard. “It seems like Sibley Boulevard is the place to be if you are a barbershop.
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1 comment:
More barber shops just means more choices honey! We can have a 7-11 and a McDonald's on every corner, but we can't have barber shops? Pff! Anyway doll, love the blog. With your fab taste in style, I have to ask if you've heard about If Looks Could Kill yet? I’m currently working with Toyota and I’m really hyped to spread the word about these new interactive webisodes and thought you might be interested in more info about it. They follow an aspiring fashion assistant, Bianca Turner (Femi Emiola, Wicked Wicked Games), who is a prime example of a woman who’s got it going on. I’m talking the dream job, a man who’s got all the ladies drooling, and the spice to keep it all together when hell hits the fan. Think James Bond meets Sanaa Lathan in “Something New”, Bianca is the girl who isn’t afraid to run in her Louboutin heels!
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You’ll have to see what I’m talking about. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the first episode—Haute Pursuit—where Bianca’s handbag is stolen and the chase begins. Everyone knows you should never mess with a woman’s purse, haha. The 2nd episode BFF in a Box was released this week too! FYI: Don’t be surprised when you find yourself being reeled in like bait. That will make two of us!
I hope I didn’t overstep my bounds by directly contacting you. After viewing your blog and seeing how hip to the game you are when it comes to what’s hot and current, I figured this would be something that would catch your interest.
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Best,
Whitney Maiers
ILCK Ambassador
maiers.whiteney@gmail.com
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