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Overview
This article contains information about why are barber shops closed on Mondays and Sundays.
Why are barber shops closed on Mondays and Sundays?
Have you ever wondered why it’s so hard to find a barber to cut your hair on certain days of the week? Most hair barber shops closed on Mondays and Sundays. Prior to last week, I had no idea that barber shop closed on the same day across the nation. I assumed it was just a Saint Louis thing… everything closes early and usually closes on certain days out here.
I should also mention that the closure for certain days also applies to most grooming services such as beauty salons, nail shops, etc.
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Why are barbershops closed on Sundays and Mondays?
Because of the “no cutting on Monday and Sunday” set by the barber union allow barbers two days off. The days off Sundays were chosen for barbers who wanted to attend church, and Mondays were chosen because it was typically the slowest of the week.
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Is it mandatory that barber shops closed on Mondays?
I’ll be honest; I assumed there are laws that forced barber shops to close on Mondays and Sundays. However, in my research, I didn’t find any current laws that mandate barber shops to close on Mondays. It baffled me that it is near impossible to find a barber that is open every day of the week.
I did find an interesting factor that may have led to barber shops closing on certain days. In my effort to find answers, I learned that there were laws in the past that mandated barbers to close. This unprecedented move in the past may have led to the tradition of barbers today closing on Mondays and Sundays.
When the mandatory barber closure passed, the selected days were Mondays and Sundays. The chosen days for the closure went across the board for all barber shops and were enforced with fines. Once fines were handed out by the mandating board, barbers complied in order to avoid the steep penalties.
There you have it… a gem nugget in barber history!
Why were Sundays and Monday chosen for barber shop closures?
I mentioned in the intro that many barbers close their shops on Monday and Sundays. I wanted to understand why Sundays and Mondays were chosen over Mondays and Tuesdays and so on. There must be a reason for this, right?!
When the proposal was introduced, part of the voting council wanted barbers to close on Mondays and Tuesdays. The disagreement between union members almost caused the eventual mandated closure to be shelved. Eventually, cooler head prevailed, and the union agreed to pass the mandate, which led to barber shops closing on Mondays and Sundays across the country. 
Not everyone was delighted with barber shops closing on certain days… Many barbers and clients alike were upset with the barber union stepping in and making such changes. There were some barber shop owners who defied the closure mandate and remained open. Some barbers even took the opportunity to promote lower haircut rates on the day shops were supposed to close.
This act of defiance didn’t last long… Union leaders handed down massive fines and even sent gangsters to barber establishments to vandalize and rough up barber shop owners. The vandalism continued for weeks until the barber shop owner surrendered to the barber’s unions.
The mandate that forced barber shops to close on Sundays and Mondays was lifted many years later. It took numerous votes and years before barbers could choose to close or stay open on certain days. This was a huge win for hair shop owners.
Is it bad if barbers choose not to follow barber shops closed on Mondays tradition?
I explained in the previous section that barbershops closed on Sundays and Mondays because of the barber union. Prior to the barber’s union involvement, most barber shops were open every day of the week, and it worked well.
Looking back in history, most barbers didn’t want or felt the mandate of barbers closing on Mondays and Sundays was necessary. I would have to agree with the barbers during that time. In my opinion, barber shops should reserve the right to stay open every day of the week if they so choose.
Think about it… barbers lost a massive amount of income during that time. Some barbers embraced the closure, but most of them did not. The mandate restricted barbers’ ability to choose their hours and days of operation.
If the mandate barber shop closures on Monday and Sunday stood today, it would cause serious economic consequences for barbers. This is one of the main reasons the mandate that barbers close on certain days no longer exists.
COVID-19 effects on barber shops
I’ll give you a perfect example, a world health crisis caused barber shops to close all over the country, and barbers are feeling the economic effects. Because many barber shops are closed due to the Virus, many barber shops will be forced to close for good. I know there is a clear difference between closing for public health concerns and closures because of the past mandates. Forced closure is never a good thing for barber shop owners; they lose out on potential income when closed.
Between the CDC guidelines and the mandatory shutdown of non-essential businesses, barbers risked possibly being forced to close their hair shops once again. Without a clear answer to when barber shops will reopen again… For most barbershop owners, the uncertainty is unsustainable.
This is why I feel it’s a good thing that barber shops that remind open on Mondays and Sundays were a good thing.
Why are some barber shops open on Mondays?
Now that barbers have the option to remain open on Mondays and Sundays, they are many incentives to do so.
- Private ownership – Once the barber shops closed on Mondays were lifted, barbers could open and close whenever they liked. The decision to stay open rest solely on the shop owners.
- Less competitive – Because the tradition of barber shops closing on Sundays and Mondays still exists, the competition for clients is nonexistent. The lack of competition and monetize gain is a huge incentive to remain open for barbers.
- Build clientele – another key incentive to keep a barber shop open is building clientele! If a barber shop is new to an area or just starting out, why not build a barber shop brand by staying open on Mondays and Sundays?!
Let’s be honest; there’s an obvious demand for haircuts on Mondays and Sundays. If there wasn’t, you wouldn’t be here looking up information about it… I’m just saying! Like then Governor Cuomo said, “necessity is the mother of invention.”
How to find barber shops that are open on Sunday and Monday?
There are multiple ways to find barber shops that are open in your local neighborhood. I few simple resources could help you find a barber fast if you’re looking for one on Mondays or Sundays. I’ve personally used all the tips one way or another while traveling or having an event at the begging of the week.
- Use Yelp – Yelp is a great resource if you are out of town… It’s easy to use, allows filters to narrow the search, and fast.
- Check online – Google search allows users to search barbershops that are open on Sundays and Monday. Another cool feature of using barber shops open on Mondays it shows you how far they are and the direction to the shop.
- Call around – Try calling ahead and asking if the specific barber shop is open on Mondays or Sundays. I’ll admit, this tip isn’t as practical as the first two, but in combination with the other will save you time.
- Drive around – I can’t tell you how often I’ve found barbershops open seven days a week by accident. You’ll be able to tell they’re open by open signs, and you’ll see people inside the barber shop.
- Ask around – Most people will know of one or two barber shops that are open throughout the week; you just have to ask… trust me, most people are willing to share information about a good barber.
The tips above will help you find a barber when barber shops are closed on Mondays and Sundays. There are many resources out there; no need to wait until Tuesdays for a haircut if you have plans.
Does haircut cost the same on Monday as regular barber operating days?
You may be able to find barber shops that offer discounted haircuts to lure customers in. The discounted haircuts could attract enough customers and make it worst keeping the barber shops on slow days.
However, I don’t suggest making the mistake of going to a barbershop on slow days expecting a discounted haircut. It is up to the barber shop owners to set haircut prices; some shops cannot offer discounts.
Are hours shortened if barber shop is open on Monday?
Some barber shops may have shortened hours during slower days of the week. If you’re free early in the day, it’s wise to go in early and get it done. You’ll be able to avoid a rush if you’re in a populated area. It will also eliminate the risk of missing out on a haircut if the barber shop closes early.
I suggest checking online or calling the shop before heading to the barber shops in order to avoid unnecessary driving.
Conclusion:
The most annoying thing is dealing with barber shops closed on Mondays and Sundays and searching for alternative options. Multiple resources are available that are super easy and can help you find a barber shop that’s open throughout the week.
Don’t let traditional barbershop closure from past mandates affect your next haircut.
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