metro FOR MEN | In The News
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A Place of Their Own
Upscale salon caters to men-only clientele.
BY KIMBERLY A. PORRAZZO
If you're a man, Krista Martin is waiting for you. The 36-year-old former marketing executive quit her corporate job two years ago and fulfilled a lifelong dream, creating a salon just for men.
"My grandmother was a stylist. My mother was a stylist ... I think it was a natural progression," Martin says from a comfy, oversized leather chair in the lobby of her Irvine salon, Metro for Men.
The Laguna Niguel resident used to work as a stylist in San Francisco. "That's when I knew I wanted to focus on men, but in a very upscale and masculine environment that was just for them." She has created just that.
Her male clientele, most in their mid-40s and, according to Martin, with six-figure incomes, enjoy more than just a haircut and shave. Each station features old-style, black leather barber chairs and individual TVs with more than 500 channels to choose from. Gents can grab a Sierra Nevada or a glass of Pinot Grigio from the lobby refrigerator and flip channels to their hearts' content while getting a haircut, a straight-edge shave, or having their gray blended a bit.
Clients can also take advantage of what Martin claims is "the best shoe shine in Orange County," or, get fitted for a custom sport coat in the recently-added custom clothier area. Cigars are also available and can be enjoyed on the salon's patio.
Why men-only? "For me, it was the conversation," Martin says. "Men are very direct. They'll tell you what they want, how they want it, when, and where ... I enjoy their company."
According to Martin, the single biggest difference between male and female clients, is that men consider it a necessity. "I think men understand that it's something that they have to have, whereas for women, we think of it more as a perk."
Adding services for women in order to increase revenues isn't an option for Martin. "Financially, that's not the driver for me. It's really the environment. This is so comfortable. I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything at all ... The men that come here - they love this place. They want a place of their own."
Martin believes it actually costs more to run her men-only salon than a salon for women. Despite the array of products that a women's salon must have on hand for a female clientele, the amenities Metro for Men includes increases operating costs. But Martin believes that's what her clients expect. "Between the satellite TV and a staff member to shine shoes, we have a lot more that adds value. Our beer and wine .... We don't spare any expense."
Another touch: Two shampoos, before and after the cut, allow clients to return to work without any stray hairs. And every service is concluded with a hot towel treatment, a fluffy white towel steamed with an herbal scent.
Clearly men enjoy being pampered, too.
The average sale at Metro for Men ranges from $45 to $60. "We do a lot of gray blending and a lot of highlighting... What's so great is men are willing to try something new, especially when they're in an environment that they feel so comfortable in." OCM
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15382 Alton Pkwy.