“Jacob Meltzer and Josh Thorsvick were tired of unkempt hairlines and unruly beards. They wanted a place where they could get regular touch ups without paying an exorbitant price.
As a result, the duo opened Keep It Cut on April 25 at Desert Ridge Marketplace.
“Our niche is that we do a membership model,” Meltzer said. “Guys can come in and pay for a single haircut, or they can sign up for the monthly membership and then get unlimited haircuts for that monthly subscription.”
That membership is unlimited. A single haircut is $21, and a monthly membership is $32. The membership can be used at any of Keep It Cut’s nine locations throughout the Valley. According to Meltzer, the membership pays off if customers come in more than once every three weeks.
“We wanted to provide Valley residents a men’s hair salon that offers the flexibility that men want,” he said.
“Our shop provides the perfect opportunity to maintain the clean-cut look at all times for an affordable price.”
The salon does haircuts, hair washes and beard and mustache trimming.
“Our mantra is, ‘Do a few things well rather than many things poorly.’ We really wanted to focus on doing a core set of services really well,” Meltzer said.
The Desert Ridge location is Keep It Cut’s largest, with 12 salon chairs. That may not seem like many by salon standards, but Meltzer said Keep It Cut leaves more space in between chairs so each client has a more personalized experience. There are eight chairs on the first floor and four in the mezzanine.
The signature of Keep It Cut is the roll-up garage door front entrance. Meltzer said it allows customers to create a nice flow and eliminate the barrier between inside and outside.
The Desert Ridge location also has a mural outside facing Tatum Boulevard, painted by local artist Timothy Brennan.
“You walk in and it’s comfortable,” Meltzer said.
“It doesn’t feel pretentious, but it feels kind of modern, contemporary and very approachable at the same time. Clients have enjoyed it as they have come in and gotten a feel for the space.”
Keep it Cut debuted in Arcadia in 2013. Opening nine locations in nine years, Meltzer said he thinks Keep It Cut’s success comes from focusing on customer experience and employee satisfaction.
He said if you focus on these things first then profits follow.
The importance of customer experience doesn’t stop with payment.
Meltzer said he believes businesses have a responsibility to give back to the communities that support them. Keep It Cut strives to give back and be part of the community.
This year, it chose to support the Human Services Campus. In addition to a fundraising campaign in February, Keep It Cut donated 100% of revenue from opening week, April 25 to May 1, to the organization.
The Human Services Campus provides support and services for people experiencing homelessness.
The services include dental care, legal consultation, employment coaching and free meals.
“We are truly grateful for the financial support from Keep It Cut and for their generous donation of time and talents for the people experiencing homelessness that we serve,” said Amy Schwabenlender, Human Services Campus executive director.
“Addressing the challenges of homelessness requires a collective effort and Keep It Cut is an important partner in that effort.””
