Today we’d like to introduce you to Yohanne Spears
Hi Yohanne, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Although, I loved my corporate job I knew I always wanted to start my own business.
So I began venturing into possibilities in the Dayton area, focusing on growth potentials within the city.
Over several years, I meet with a lot of Dayton Representatives, City Planners, Local business owners, and Research Companies. I worked with local marketing/ research companies to test out some potential wants and needs for services and/or goods. After several years, I decided on Bourbon Barbers. This was something that came up several times but it was also a hobby of mine as a teenager. Dayton didn’t have a place for locals to come indulge while getting primped.
After resigning from my job in 2020, my wife and I began working with the local City to make plans for Bourbon Barbers. There are several areas the City is trying to improve and build. East Dayton is one of those areas. It’s a wonderful place that’s seen a lot of changes over the last few decades, but it used to be a vibrant and thriving area. And by opening the business in those locations that the City wanted to improve, the city was able to support us in many ways such as low interest loans, grants, planning, zoning, etc.
We saw this as an opportunity to start a new business which was accessible to various areas such as Fairborn, Dayton, Springboro and still be near Wright Patt Air Force Base. With hope that new businesses in the area will soon follow, we began our project to open Bourbon Barbers there.
It was such an amazing opportunity to work with so many people, organizations and local government agencies that all had a hand in building Bourbon Barbers which finally opened in July 2023.
We are steadily growing with some great clients that come for the services but stay for the experiences! We are the first barbershop (Bar-Ber Shop!) in the area that has a licensed full service bar with great top shelf liquor and unique bourbons. Clients can come unwind, have a drink, get grooming services and just relax! We have some amazing skilled barbers that do phenomenal work and provide services catered to the individual clients.
Bourbon Barbers is a small business and we hope to stay that way, so we can focus on quality within our shop as well as our clients.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It was a fairly smooth ride! Of course there were some obstacles such as zoning, permits, construction, etc. But the City of Dayton amd its representatives were so contributive, diligent and swift to help us in any obstacle we faced.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Bourbon Barbers is the first grooming lounge (Bar-Ber Shop!) in the area that has a licensed full service bar with great top shelf liquor and unique bourbons. We offer more than 100 different types of liquior and bourbons and we are still collecting!
Clients can come unwind, have a drink, get grooming services and just relax!
We have some amazing skilled barbers that do phenomenal work and provide services catered to the individual clients such as facials, hot towel, facial waxing, hair color, facial steams, haircuts, shaves, etc.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
In todays chaotic world, our focus is to stay small and focus on quality not quantity. We want to be a local business that services our City. BB goal is to build a long lasting relationship with its stylists as well as clients within the next 5 years.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bourbonbarbersdayton.com/?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAApkOeCflFHVKRJgVfTAYYeUYrEY0P&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlYnF2OWihwMV9k9HAR3AKQvZEAAYASAAEgJuvPD_BwE
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bourbonbarbersdayton?igsh=MW5nOGN1ZWswMTUzOQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091796575088&mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@bourbonbarbersdayton?si=ehVa0_zs61tNA6k9
