Family-Owned Barber Shop Offers Upscale Services For Toddlers To Senior Citizens
A family-owned barber shop that caters to families — that’s the focus of E’s Barber Shop in Woodstock, one of a family of five shops in Cherokee and Fulton counties. At E’s, there’s a chair for everyone, from 2-year-olds to senior citizens.
The family focus makes sense. The influence of an uncle is what interested co-owner Jim Maltese in the industry. As a child, he spent much of his time after school and on Saturdays in his uncle’s barber shop, sweeping and cleaning. After high school graduation, he enrolled in Edmond Roffler Barber College and went to work for an old-school Italian barber when he completed his studies.
Jim opened his first barber shop in 1980 in Florida. He moved to Woodstock and brought the business with him, opening his first location on Main Street, in the heart of Woodstock, in January 2008. In 2010, he moved the shop to its current location on Highway 92, and growth has continued since then. The E’s Barber Shop family now includes locations in Canton, Hickory Flat and Holly Springs, and a new site in Milton that recently opened.
“We wanted to bring a family-oriented barber shop to Woodstock to provide upscale services to the people in surrounding communities,” Jim said. “With four locations in Cherokee County, we can provide quality services to meet the growing demand of the area.”
True to the family focus, Jim’s son Engelbert (the E in E’s) and niece Mairin Claudio share ownership. Each owner is a graduate of the Edmond Roffler Barber College.
Engelbert moved to Georgia from south Florida in 2006 and worked several jobs before attending barber school in Marietta, the same year his father, Jim, opened the first E’s Barber Shop on
Main Street.
“We worked hand in hand until 2017. It was time for him to retire after more than 45 years in the business,” Engelbert said.
In September 2017, Engelbert decided to expand the business and opened the Holly Springs location, with the help of Mairin, who is a native of Caguas, Puerto Rico, where she mostly was educated and spent the initial years of her professional life.
After working in the service industry — in restaurants, sports bars, beauty salons and barber shops — for 10 years, she moved to the mainland U.S. in 2015. Her desire was to grow as a professional, and she joined Engelbert as a barber and business partner.
Currently, Engelbert oversees all locations, but his main focus is on the Woodstock and Hickory Flat shops. Mairin manages the Holly Springs and Canton locations. Jim remains active in the business, visiting each location regularly to help, as needed.
“What sets us apart from others is our entire staff is cross-trained in various cuts and styles, available in modern and old-school techniques,” Jim said. “And, we do haircuts for all ages, from 2-year-olds to senior citizens.”
Clients have their choice of bald fades, 0 fades, high and tights, flat tops, blowouts and regular haircuts. Barbers specialize in straight-razor shaves and offer beard care, facials and hair tinting.
A hot, steamed towel is included, at no extra charge. The shop carries a full line of men’s grooming supplies and is equipped with the most updated sanitation system available.
E’s also specializes in wedding services for the groom and his party. Unique requests often are honored. A young baseball player wanted to display his number in a stylish way, so the barber
did a fade and carved the number 9 in his hair.
Walk-ins and appointments are welcome. The shop has a new system for scheduling appointments, one that is secure and offers prepayment. Clients can be added to a waitlist and notified if their preferred barber has an opening.
The owners are working toward opening a location in Ball Ground by the end of this year. Engelbert credits the business’ success to community support and hard work: “It would not be possible without God first, family support and the community. From the owners, barbers and all of E’s Barber Shop staff, thank you, Woodstock!”
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