Back when barber Savy Ho was working at barbershops Fellow Barber and Peoples Barber & Shop, she decided that she wanted to combine her salon experience with what she calls "the lost art" of barbering.

She also wanted to be her own boss. Now, with the March 16th opening of The Barbershop at 2030 Union St. in Cow Hollow, Ho has her own place to practice her skills.

The new shop has five barber chairs in a space anchored by a large metal sign that tells clients to "Be Dapper." It offers everything from haircuts and fades to straight razor shaves and beard trims.

Since she was a barber herself, Ho felt that she could bring something different to the table as an owner. Trained at the Aveda Institute in Minneapolis, she hopes to bring together salon skills and traditional barbershop techniques, while offering a full-service barbershop experience for customers.

"Barbering techniques are a lost art," she told us. "Salons have been rising up, and barbers fell behind on the innovation."

A post shared by Savy Ho (@thebarbershop_savyho) on Apr 5, 2017 at 5:21pm PDT

When Ho was considering spaces for The Barbershop, she settled on Cow Hollow because it already had a strong community that had survived its growing pains. She also saw a need in the area for a shop like hers.

"All the shops I worked at were in gentrified neighborhoods," she explained. "I wanted to be in an established neighborhood."

The barber hopes that the shop can be a spot where the community can come and spend time, hearkening back to a time when barbershops were also neighborhood centers.

To that end, The Barbershop serves up free beers and spirits along with cuts. There are also three televisions so customers can watch games, and Ho has more plans in store.

"I'm putting together a BYOB community bar so people can hang out while here for a cut or watch a game," she said. "This is a place for socializing and networking."

She says that the local community has been receptive to her new venture. "The neighborhood has been wonderful to me," she said. "Everyone is excited to have a full-service barbershop here, and I have a lot of walk-in traffic."

In the spirit of the shop's focus on creating a social space for the neighborhood, The Barbershop will be hosting a grand opening party 12pm-7pm, April 23rd. Food and drinks will be served.

Customers can also take advantage of The Barbershop's free neck shaves and trims throughout the month of May.

The Barbershop is open Monday–Friday, 9am to 9pm; Saturdays 9am–7pm, and Sundays 9am-6pm.