Beer and Trim Don’t Cut It
By Birdsong 3/29/30
Birdsong never visited any of Jude’s Barbershops in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area but wished that he had the opportunity before police busted the owner this past week. Thomas Martin the owner of the eleven Judes’ Barbershops will continue to offer haricus and shaves to customers but he can no longer provide his customers free beer!
The Michigan Attorney General has ruled that the shops can not hand out “brewskis” with each haircut because a liquor license is needed to do so. Martin maintains that he was just continuing an old fashined complimentary service for his customers that started many years ago.
It apears that over the years police had told Martin that handing out free beer violated local and state laws but never took action before the Attorney General’s recent ruling.
Birdsong knows that the shops must have been popular because what man would not want a free beer with his trim! Birdsong suspects that Jude’s was busted only after local tavern and liquor store owners fearing a loss of sales “dropped a dime” on Martin and got the Attorney General involved.
How sad! Beer and trim don’t cut it!
April 23rd, 2008
Well, Mr. Birdsong, you are in luck! Should you ever visit Tampa, Fl; make a stop into Ybor City (the historic cigar making capital of Fl) and you’ll find a place by the name of “King Corona.” Inside you’ll not only find an amazing cigar bar and shop, where hand-rolled cigars are made daily, but in the middle of the establishment is an old-time, classic Cuban-style, barber shop (walled off from the cigar bar), where they do trims, straight-razor shaves, hot-towel treatments, and best of all, you can enjoy a free cold beer and hand-rolled cigar (or a commercial brand of your choosing) during. When I went to college down in Tampa, getting my haircut there was one of my favorite times of the month and well worth the budgeting of my meager student funds to be treated like a gentleman of old (something not found in many newer barber shops).