Shave and a Cocktail? Get Them Both at The Blind Barber

What’s the coolest new place in Center City? Is it another hipster ax-flinging joint? A super-chic Rittenhouse Square bar? Nope. It’s a barbershop. The Blind Barber just opened its fifth expansion location in the City of Brotherly Love. You can stop in to get your beard trimmed, a luxurious shave, or the kind of haircut that will make you feel like more of a man and less of a dudebro. That’s pretty neat, but there’s more – behind the third of the three chairs in the shop.

The secret is an obscured speakeasy, with two bars between two floors, with craft cocktails, light eats, and plenty of cozy lounging areas. The hair-by-day, lounge-by-night concept is one that seems ingenious, both in terms of putting your space to work, but also in terms of building a faithful clientele. There are other Blind Barber locations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami. NYC and LA have multiple outposts.

Jeff Laub, who grew up in Williamstown, N.J., is one of the four cofounders of The Blind Barber. Two of his partners are based out of Philly.  Laub, in a previous life, was a well-regarded lawyer whose life took a full 180-turn when he decided to go to cosmetology school. However, that didn’t ultimately tickle his fancy either. He had a conversation with his grandfather, who mentioned that there was nothing he loved like going to the barber shop for a cut, chat with the barbers and other guests, a cool beer, and “talking about babes.” It was the place he felt most like himself, he explained. This was partial inspiration for The Blind Barber – speakeasies that were often called “blind pigs.”

Blind Barner nationwide currently has Phillies star Bryce Harper collaborating with them, both as a model and brand spokesperson. He was present for the launch of Blind Barber Philly, just before the turn of the New Year, and can be seen in series of debonair photos on the BB website.