E's Barber Shop is plotting its next stop along the I-575 growth corridor: Ball Ground. The Cherokee County barbershop chain is planning a location at 8113 Ball Ground Highway, part of a development near Exit 27 that's aiming for a fall 2027 completion, with the shop itself likely opening its doors that December.
Owner Engelbert “E” Maltese told WhatNow Atlanta that the Ball Ground expansion will join a development near Howell Bridge Road and Ball Ground Highway, close to Exit 27.
Before it reaches Ball Ground, though, E's Barber Shop has a closer stop to make. The company is set to open its seventh location in December at the Woodstock Mill District, an 11-acre, 118,000-square-foot development on Towne Lake Parkway anchored by a Publix that was 79% leased as of the developer's September announcement, according to Metro Atlanta CEO.
A Chain Built on Suburban Growth
E's Barber Shop currently runs six locations spread across Cherokee and North Fulton counties, with shops in Canton, Hickory Flat, Holly Springs, Milton, and Woodstock. The brand offers classic men's haircutting along with hot towel service, neck shaves, and straight razor shaves on the face, per WhatNow Atlanta. Beyond Ball Ground, the owner is also considering further expansion north to Ellijay, the outlet reports.
The push into smaller towns tracks with where the people are moving. Ball Ground's population jumped more than 51%, from 2,436 residents in the 2020 Census to an estimated 3,684 this year, a 6.17% annual growth rate according to World Population Review. That growth is happening inside a county that's expanding fast in its own right — Cherokee County's population reached roughly 299,300 residents in 2025, with Ball Ground ranking as the county's fourth-largest municipality behind Woodstock, Canton, and Holly Springs, according to USAFacts.
Infrastructure Catching Up With Retail
The Woodstock Mill District project isn't just adding storefronts — it's also bringing public infrastructure upgrades, including an extension of Lyndee Lane to create a third site access point and a right-of-way dedication for widening Towne Lake Parkway, according to Cherokee Intel.
Opening a new shop in Georgia isn't just a matter of signing a lease. State rules require a $75 shop license application through the Georgia Board of Cosmetology and Barbers, along with a facility inspection, while individual master barbers must log 1,500 training hours and pass state licensing exams, according to StartBusinessByState.com.
For now, the Ball Ground shop remains in the planning stages, with construction on the surrounding development still working toward its fall 2027 target. Whether the December 2027 opening timeline holds will depend on how that broader build-out progresses — but for a chain already eyeing Ellijay as its next frontier, Ball Ground looks like another checkpoint in a steady march up the I-575 corridor.
