ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Billy’s Corner Barber Shop has been a St. Petersburg staple for 17 years.
The shop’s unmistakable vibe is blanketed with its owner Billy Hume’s love of sports, especially his New England roots. The walls are usually covered in everything from jerseys to bats and exclusive memorabilia, but the store has gotten a makeover.
Gone are the dust-collected caps of old.
“It’s going to be a different experience,” Hume admits.
The store, located on 4th Street North in St. Pete, has been closed since March 12 due to COVID-19, but they’re opening back up for business on Monday, following Governor Ron DeSantis’ thumbs up to jump-start barbershops, hair salons and nail salons on Friday.
“I don’t know if this is the right time for Billy’s to be open,” Hume said, “but we’re going to do it.”
Hume said he’s re-thinking the way they traditionally do business to make sure it’s a safe experience. Barbers will wear masks and gowns, and they’ll be implementing split shifts to ensure social distancing. Masks will be worn too, even by those looking for a clean cut.
“They won’t be welcome in my shop if they don’t wear a mask,” Hume said. “That’s for starters. We’re still going to be barbers. We have to cut hair, we have to touch people. We’re going to have to put a cape on you. We’re going to wash our hands, disinfect our machines and give 5 to 6 minutes between each hair cut.
“We have a lot of different things that we have to implement into our everyday life that we’ve never done before.”
Hume said he has been playing close attention to how Georgia’s barbershops are operating amid coronavirus concerns. He also reached out to friends who run shops all across the east coast, from Maine to Florida, to get ideas.
One of which would be checking customers temperatures before they sit in the chair.
“I’m trying to get my hands on a temperature thermometer right now so we can take people’s temperature at the door,” Hume said. “They’re doing that up in Georgia and I’ve heard they’ve had great success with that.”
Hume said his barbers, made up of seven independent contractors, are eager to get back to work. None of them have received unemployment benefits, despite applying weeks ago. He said everyone has butterflies, being in close quarters to people, but they’re going to operate as safe as possible.
Even restrooms will require a door code, so they can monitor who’s going in and out, so it can be sanitized immediately after.
“Our image has been, we’re going to treat everybody as if they’re testing positive,” Hume said. “So when anybody comes through that door, we’re just going to assume they’ve got it. We’re going to clean up after each hair cut as if we’re actually cleaning up the whole shop.”
What other people are reading right now:
- Here's what's opening in Tampa Bay
- Barbershops, nail and hair salons will reopen May 11 in Florida
- Tom Brady among athletes calling on DOJ, FBI to investigate death of Ahmaud Arbery
- Florida could move into Phase 2 in a few weeks if data supports it
- Here's hot to celebrate a socially distant Mother's Day
- It's Hurricane Preparedness Week: Are you ready for this season?
- Wednesday is your last chance to submit your direct deposit info for a stimulus check
- Clearwater Aquarium reopens with restrictions May 15
- Coronavirus in context: Florida COVID-19 cases explained in 5 charts
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for the Brightside Blend Newsletter