NEWBURYPORT — From its founding in 1926 to the present day, the Inn Street Barbershop has seen countless Newburyport families leave its doors with stylish new hairdos.
“This is generational,” owner Esther Sayer said. “I’ve been cutting the hair of babies that are now fathers.”
Still going strong today, the barbershop is now preparing to celebrate 100 years of delivering quality cuts to the city.
While Sayer is the current owner of the store, the shop was originally founded by Joseph R. Thibault when Calvin Coolidge was president. Sayer shared that Thibault originally had a barber supply shop elsewhere on Inn Street with his brother, Lewis before deciding to open the barbershop at 50 Inn St in 1926.
Nicknamed “Rooster,” Joseph Thibault’s legacy remains prominent in the shop, with a rooster painting with his name on it displayed on the wall right by the register.
Sayer herself joined the shop as a barber in 1981 after cutting hair in Lawrence and Methuen for nearly a decade prior. She said the store was owned by Paul Weiner and Gary Thompson when she first arrived, with Weiner departing soon after.
“I moved to Salisbury and had a son who was going to be going to school in Salisbury, so I needed something local, rather than traveling back and forth,” Sayer said. “And a friend of mine told me about this place. I came, I made a phone call, I came and talked to Gary. He hired me, and basically the rest is history.”
In 1996, Thompson sold her the business after deciding to move to London.
In terms of the building itself, she said it has always been leased, with ownership changing hands multiple times in her tenure. The current owner of the building is Newburyport Development.
Asked how the shop has managed to stay thriving for 100 years, she said that barbershops are “a destination.”
“And you’re getting a good haircut at a fair price,” Sayer said.
Continuing, she said she believes people need two things in the barbershop business.
“You need to be able to cut hair and be able to have a personality, and that’s how you build your clientele,” Sayer said.
She said another crucial key to success has been getting involved, having served on boards such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Institution for Savings, the Firehouse Center for the Arts, and others.
“You give back to what’s been given to you,” Sayer said. “It’s a pretty simple formula, I think.”
One thing she is very grateful for over the decades has been the strong base of the shop’s regular customers.
“And that’s the fun of it,” Sayer said.
As she chatted, behind her in the shop a pair of customers sat across from each other were loudly laughing over a shared story. At the same time, a couple other customers enjoyed more quiet banter with their barbers.
Partially retired, Sayer said when she eventually puts down her scissors for good, she won’t miss the art of cutting hair, but will instead miss the people.
“It is the camaraderie,” Sayer said. “And you do develop some personal relationships with customers. Who’s gone through a death, a birth, a marriage, a divorce, all aspects of life. That’s how you become with your customers. That’s what keeps people coming back.”
Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce President Nancy Caswell called reaching 100 years in business “truly remarkable.”
“Inn Street Barbershop is one of those special places that feels woven into the fabric of downtown Newburyport,” Caswell said. “Generations of families have walked through those doors and shared stories in those chairs.”
Mayor Sean Reardon referred to Sayer as the “mayor of Inn Street” and described her as “such a force for good in the city.”
He shared a memory of getting a haircut from her at a young age when his ear got accidentally clipped because he could not get himself to sit still.
“Esther quickly patched me up, finished the haircut and probably gave me a Tootsie roll lollipop,” Reardon said. “I still remember it to this today. The Inn Street Barbershop has always been such a welcoming place for customers of all ages.”
Forty or so years later, customers can still grab Toostie roll lollipops on the way out the doors in a container visible through the window to those passing by on Inn Street.
Discussing what lies ahead for herself and the shop, Sayer said the plan is to ease herself out and hopefully sell the business to one of her employees. As to whether that will be next year or in a few years she simply said “I can’t see the future.”
Asked how she has managed to keep going for as long as she has without burning out, she offered one piece of advice to anyone regardless of career.
“You should like what you do,” Sayer said. “If you’re not happy with what you’re doing, move along.”
For those looking to join the shop in celebrating 100 years, she said they will be hosting an open house on Oct. 24, from 2 to 4 p.m.
“Come wish us well and celebrate 100 years,” Sayer said.