Carrillo Street Barbers Opens in Downtown Santa Barbara
Release Date: November 14,2019
Israel Rodenas gives a haircut on Thursday to pianist Matt Fettbrandt. Rodenas recently opened Carrillo Street Barbers at 9 West Carrillo St. in downtown Santa Barbara. ( Joshua Molina / Noozhawk Photos)
By Joshua Molina, Noozhawk Staff Writer | @JECMolina | November 14, 2019 | 9:55 p.m.
Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" plays on the speakers as Israel Rodenas gently glides hair clippers up and down the head of Matt Fetbrandt.
It's a high cut, bald on the sides, with short hair on top. Fetbrandt, with a fresh haircut, is looking handsome as he prepares for his evening. He's the piano man and performs every night for the next month at The Red Piano.
Barber Rodenas applies a healthy coat of shaving cream to the back of Fetbrandt's neck, shaves his hair, and gives a quick shoulder rub with his hand and a motorized massager.
The experience was his first at Carrillo Street Barbers—but not his last.
"I will be back," Fetbrandt says, as he exits the barber's chair.
Fetbrandt is just one of the many customers who has landed in one of the barber chairs at Carrillo Street Barbers, which opened Oct. 16 at 9 West Carrillo St. Rodenas, a longtime local barber, decided to open his own shop and so far, so good.
"I enjoy doing what I do," Rodenas said. "It's the one-on-one conversations. People are kind of closed off. You don't let too many people in your circle, your physical bubble, and I am allowed to get right up in here.
"I don't even know this guy. I met him 20 minutes ago. It's sort of a very intimate, professional relationship. I get to learn from him. He gets to learn from me."
For now it's him and and another barber, Erika Rodriguez, but soon he hopes to fill the eight chairs with barbers.
"It's great being able to talk with people I never met before and hearing about what they do," she said.
The shop is located in a prime location. It's near Roy Restaurant & Cocktail, Gold’s Gym, The Canary Hotel and the Amazon building.
The shop is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Haircuts are $30; shaves, $30. They also do beard trims, neck clean ups, shampoos and color blends.
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
