Oglethorpe Barbershop has become a place where relationships matter as much as the cuts themselves for owner Mandi Kirk, and barbers Lucy Misenhamer and Ron Whitehead.
“Everyone's so friendly,” Misenhamer said. “We have the sweetest clients. I don't think I've liked working anywhere as much as I like working there.”
Oglethorpe Barbershop opened in March 2022. Kirk, who has more than 20 years of hair and barbering experience, said she fell in love with a downtown Crawford storefront across from G Brand BBQ and saw the town as the perfect place for her business to grow.
“Once I saw the building, I loved the location of it,” Kirk said. “I loved the little town. I loved the country-ness of it.”
Kirk said she was first introduced to barbering by her grandfather, who let her cut his hair as well as her cousins’ hair. Growing up around the craft, she decided to attend cosmetology school and studied at the Georgia Institute of Cosmetology in Athens.
After graduating, Kirk opened her first shop in Athens and ran it for a little over a year. She later worked as a store manager at Sports Clips in Athens, where she gained experience in marketing and business strategy.
That experience, she said, helped prepare her to open Oglethorpe Barbershop.
“I got a lot more experience working with the public, advertising myself and the business, and kind of coming out of my shell,” Kirk said.
Misenhamer joined the shop in 2023.
She attended Athens Technical College, where she earned a degree in cosmetology and has eight years of experience. She said part of what makes the job enjoyable is the connection she builds with clients — and the unexpected moments.
Misenhamer recalled when a group of boys entered the shop for a haircut.
“This kid came in, and he had a lot of hair, with his friends, and they’re like, ‘Oh, we’re doing a buzz cut. He lost a bet,’” she said. “And they filmed it. It was funny.”
Whitehead joined in January.
He began his career in 1991 after graduating from Roffler Moler Barber College with a master barber license. He later owned his own shop and spent 20 years cutting men’s hair in Dunwoody.
Whitehead, who prefers traditional tools like clippers and a comb, said the customers are what make the job rewarding.
“You know, they’re really good people, good, working-class people who appreciate a good haircut,” he said.
The three barbers keep the shop running throughout the week, closing only on Sundays. Whitehead works Monday through Wednesday, and Misenhamer works Thursdays and Saturdays. Kirk works alongside Misenhamer on those days and takes over on Fridays.
A standard haircut costs $20, while a straight razor head shave is $35 and a straight razor face shave is $25.
“I mean, wow, it’s exceeded my expectation,” Kirk said. “I’m just along for the ride at this point because the clients and my barbers are really doing all the work. I’m excited to see what the next five years brings us.”