WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — From the outside looking in, the Washington Park Barbershop looks to be exactly that; a barbershop. But when you walk through the main doors, there is much more than meets the eye.
"For us, it's almost like an art form," Shop owner Tim Parker said. "Every thirty minutes, we're getting to make somebody look good again, feel more confident in themselves."
But here at Washington Park, it is much more than just a thirty-minute haircut, it's an experience.
"We want this to be something you look forward to," Parker said. "We have a couple of craft beers on tap, a good crowd in here, some music playing, we have a good time. Being it's a small shop it gets loud, but we have been described as a 'dive bar' of barbershops."
Ever since a young age, Tim Parker had picked up hairstyling with no intention of making it a career, until his passion and success continued to grow over the years.
"Right after High school, it was just something to do a little bit, till I could think of something better to do, and it just kind of stuck," Parker said. "Enjoyed it, and it's been 22 years now."
And those 22 years have brought many faces and sports celebrities walking into Washington Park, looking for a fresh haircut.
"We get a lot of interesting folks from all over different professions outside of sports too," The lead barber said. "A Lot of people in the entertainment industry come by and in government. It's nice to learn about a lot of different folks."
The road to Parker's shop earning notoriety in the sports world all began by word of mouth. Starting with Austin Dillon's (two-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series) main pit crew chief who decided to come in for a quick cut.
"The pit crew coach, was the next to come in, and he really made it a mission to get all his friends and the people he works with to come here," Parker said. "So we could all have a good time together in the barbershop."
He loved his haircut so much, another member of the pit crew, Paul Swan, came into the shop and he never looked back.
"So I came in, tried it, and I was hooked," Swan said.
Eventually, Dillon caught notice and decided to give Washington Park a visit, although his hairstyle presented its own challenge.
"I'd say Austin has a little more, flare to his haircuts which makes for a more interesting cut," Parker said. "Christian McCaffrey is more a straight edge, G.I. Joe cut."
A relationship formed within the Austin Dillon racing family over the years, that eventually led Parker to the Carolina Panthers. Swan and Dillon randomly met Christian McCaffrey backstage at a Post Malone concert, when the All-Pro running back noticed their haircuts and had to know the secret to their unique style.
"When he moved into his new place in Charlotte, he was like man, I need a new barber," Swan said. "His hair was good, but it wasn't great, it was good but it wasn't great."
Parker took it upon himself to travel to Charlotte once a week, and give McCaffrey a custom haircut in the privacy of his own home.
"It's kind of a fun day," Parker said. "We go down to Christian's house, and some of the other guys will show up, and we get to cutting their hair. I'll cut one of the player's hair, the other guys might be playing video games, we all watch football and basketball, just kind of hang out watch tv, listen to music, cut up and then come on back to Winston, until next week."
Any ordinary fan would scream at the opportunity to spend an afternoon with one of, if not, the best running back in the entire NFL. Although for Parker, he treats it like any other ordinary haircut.
"Once you're around them for five minutes in a setting that's not on the field or an autograph session, they're just guys, normal people, just bros," Parker said. "We work with so many people in the shop, I think we're good at quickly forming a comfortable conversation and relationship with people."
And Parker learning to balance the fine line between friend and professionalism.
"We kind of know what subjects to stay away from, and to also give them their privacy," Parker reinforced.
In fact, Parker has had the chance to cut other Panther player's hair including Chris Hogan, Kyle Allen while meeting other big names such as Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly. While the experience is unlike anything else Parker could've dreamt of, he also is aware he is running a business and needs to uphold that standard for all of his clientele.
"Most importantly just making sure the customer is happy," Parker said.
"Giving them a good experience, not just cutting their hair, but all around."
So the next time you walk into the Washington Park Barber Shop, take an extra moment and look around. You just may meet one of the biggest names in all of North Carolina sports.
PHOTOS | Washington Park Barbershop cuts the hair of the stars!
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