Print Article
On a sunny spring day, I left the commercialized Southside and visited Pomade and Tonic located in Jacksonville’s Lakeshore neighborhood. Lakeshore boasts history, charm, and character. As soon as I entered Pomade and Tonic I immediately felt a “timeless” vibe within the air.
Master Barber and founder Farell Stephens recently opened the shop, and features a clientele of all ages and demographics. Mr. Stephens stresses quality at affordable prices. Barbers have a minimum 15-minute haircut requirement in which they get to know their client on a more individualized level.
Stephens grew up in the Midwest from a family of barbers and cosmetologists. He attended barber college in Louisville, KY, which has the highest certificate requirement in the nation. When Stephens arrived in Jacksonville he was surprised with the “get the client in-and-out” attitude of commercial shops. Eventually, this lead to Stephens’ envisioning Pomade and Tonic.
With vintage chairs, a pool table, and sound speakers for local artists Pomade and Tonic creates a unique yet vintage aesthetic. Stephens has a staff of four – three barbers, and one color artist. The shop perfects cuts for men and women, and uses a main line of hair products for men “Woody’s.” The history behind the name (Pomade & Tonic), comes from two elements: pomade, which was the first styling product before gel based products creates thicker, greasy looks, and tonic is used for a grooming aid for dandruff, and according to Stephens barbers thought it cured balding.
You can visit Pomade and Tonic at:
2415 Blanding Boulevard Jacksonvile, FL 32210
(904) 384-2400
http://www.pomadeandtonic.com/file/Welcome.html
or you can check out their Facebook page at:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pomade-Tonic-Traditional-Barbershop-and-Social-Club/164604040302513
Article by Gerald Joseph
Stephens visions future growth of small independent shops across the east coast. Not more than four chairs within the shop. Stephens finds it pertinent to pay staff fairly, and to build community.
Pomade and Tonic operates Tuesday through Fridays from 10-8 p.m. and Saturdays from 12-6 p.m. Stephens specializes in straight razor shaves, and will not leave you displeased. Being personable and timeless, it makes me want to visit again for my next haircut.
Share this article
RSS
TPC
June 07, 2012, 01:37:56 PMA friend of mine has been going there since they opened and he tends to get an Ivy League cut. I've been wanting to get a more traditional/classic style cut so I decided to go there and get a pompadour. They really know what they are doing there and the vibe is awesome, plus they we were a lot cheaper then the place I had been going to.
I highly recommend it.
John P
June 07, 2012, 01:39:36 PMThe concept sounds good but in a strip mall on blanding blvd?
ben says
June 07, 2012, 01:46:22 PM^ My thoughts as well. My guess is the location/price made business sense at the time of opening.
stephendare
June 07, 2012, 01:52:22 PMHe repeatedly tried to open a space in Springfield, John P, but none of the landlords would work with him at the time, and they have very very unrealistic expectations for rent.
Purplebike
June 07, 2012, 02:03:10 PMThat looks so cool!
finehoe
June 07, 2012, 02:24:57 PMAt first I thought the B&W photo was Pomade and Tonic. Now that would be cool!
JaxDiablo
June 07, 2012, 03:33:43 PMI've had a cut there, planning a shave this weekend. Farrell is a great barber, very personable, and knowledgeable. From the bit I've talked to him about he seems very much about bettering the community and wants to be more involved, which I think is a great mentality for a service such as this.
I definitely recommend this shop for both cuts and shaves!
barberofdeville
June 07, 2012, 07:28:55 PMTo answer a few questions about my shop "Pomade & Tonic". As to "why not springfield" I looked at Springfield from the moment i got into Jacksonville just over three years ago. Unfortunately i met with extremely high prices, inflexible property owners or worse shady ones. I love springfield and have not given up on her. Future plans are on the agenda for a barber school after we have been established for at least one year. This will not be the only "community center barbershop" we will open.Just the first and we will need well trained barbers in the future. I feel Springfield would benefit from a small town type school offering affordable haircuts by well trained students they can walk to. Why did i choose Lakeshore? Because i found it to be a great community often overlooked where i could set up and was welcomed with a very nice and accommodating landlord as well as property management company to work with. Jeff Middlekauf and his business partner who own (Tide Enterprises) are extremely nice as well as a Sid Jones (Killashee investments) so much so i would invite anyone looking for an affordable location with high traffic to contact them. As far as a strip center on Blanding its a very small one located in the heart of Lakeshore just across from where the lakeshore theatre use to exist. It is no differant from places in springfield and is a very small community close to the Fccj campus and just outside of riverside, Ortega, and avondale. It is just after blanding meets park street. 46,000 cars per day pass by and is a direct hub to the interstate as its on the corner of cassett, blanding and lakeshore where it forms a triangle. It is ripe for small business's to come and extremely motivated property owners. If only we could get a coffee shop here where the commuters from Orange park drive daily to grab a cup on the way to work. The lakeshore historic society meets here 2 times a month and we are active participants to any group pursuing neighborhood togetherness. We welcome patrons to come hang out even if they don't need a cut. Bring a beer or two and shoot some pool or proverbial breeze. My clients are my friends all of them.
WmNussbaum
June 07, 2012, 08:07:59 PMPlease give Don Redman a well paying job and maybe he'll resign from the City Council. In addition to cutting hair, he would definitely attract many of the nut jobs around town to your chairs.
barberofdeville
June 07, 2012, 08:45:34 PMI'm not quite sure exactly what this advertisement for a barbershop has to do with Don Redman (nice attempt to reach though) but i will humor the question/statement.
My reply: I do love some nutjobs. Makes for great entertainment! Of course that's why I'm so entertaining. Some of my closest friends are in fact nutjobs. As Far as Don Redman i would like to blame him and everyone else in government. However it is only ourselves we have to blame as we have given up walking out our doors, greeting our neighbors, getting to know whats going on around us, banding together and taking the reigns ourselves. Politicians would not have the power they possess unless we the populace did not grant it to them. It is not the scorpions fault if we put it on our hand and then while looking away it stings us. It is within its nature. It is our fault for allowing it to happen by lack of knowledge and effort, selfishness, unwillingness to accept fault, and carelessness. We are now in the dire straights era we want our proverbial money for nothing and chicks for free.
One of the main reasons i created a 1400 sq ft shop and only put 4 chairs in it was in order to foster community usage of the premises.i have a 15 minute minimum hair cutting time in order to get the barbers to know each client and make sure they have a good cut. Most of my clients hang out and talk even after the haircut is done engaged in conversation with other patrons they just met. This is not a barbershop for those in a rush. It is a destination. In the past the "Barbershop" was a place where all men walking through the door were considered equal regardless of how much money they made to have a forum in which to discuss the community, weather, etc. All the way back to ancient Egypt. It is only one part of americas current problem that i call the a fast food nation mentality. Get em in get em out has destroyed the very foundations of our free society. I myself have been hit by recession, poor city planning, etc. However its not others fault and I'm stepping up to do my part as should everyone. Help your local preservation society, go to meetings, get out there and change it.
In Closing:
No one talks at walmart, McDonald's, dunkin doughnuts, etc. who does not already know each other prior. Bills Barbershop, Joes hardware, Nate's coffee shop, and Nell's Bakery on the other hand do. I truly believe that i am not the only one that feels this way. So i have opened a barbershop and social club smack dab in the middle of an area others would deem a bad choice due to the fact it is outside the huge chain store centers. It is in the small business districts where mom and pops reside in which "to big to fail" and "I'm alone and my voice means nothing" does not exist. If you want control and things to get better don't occupy wall street, occupy your neighborhood mom and pop. I would love to share more with you on my opinions and also hear yours but that gentlemanly conversation should be in my chair not on this page. I welcome your thoughts and look forward to discussing them with you.
Thank you for listening,
"Pomade & Tonic" President and Founder
Farrell Stephens
Ninjack
June 11, 2012, 12:10:19 PMFarell,
That was an incredibly well articulated, and reasoned, posting, Sir! Your observation regarding the Social/Political "fast food" dynamic is, in brief, spot on. The idea that we sacrifice quality and eschew our liberties in an attempt to remove any thing that smacks of "inconvenience" is a sad commentary on the general state of apathy that has reached epidemic proportions in our communities. We have forgotten our own individual, and collective, power. " Divide and Conquer " Huh? In any event, thank you for providing an atmosphere of genuine kinship to everyone who comes to your establishment, and expert for the service in your chosen field. I sincerely look forward to my next visit to your Shop, as my last resulted in the best "tonsorial adjustment" I,ve had in a decade, with excellent conversation and community, to boot!
Jack
ricker
July 05, 2012, 01:15:18 AMcarshows, concerts, live shows, clips, shaves, billiards, cards, sclap and neck massages - THIS IS how revitalization rekindles! with your flare and style, Farell> Thanks for hosting our gardening groups!!!
We _ with all whose doors we continue to knock on in the grids between JSO Zone 4 substation/Confederate Pt/Cedar hills shopping center/ RAHD, MHPA, Jax Marina Mile, to FSCJ Kent, and Downtown campus, to Springfield _ we are all glad to welcome you with open arms, regular visits, frequent appointments, and heartfelt congrats!!
Kudos to you sir for taking a chance and exercising some faith, patience, and gratitude!
By the time I return from dairyland, I will definitely be due for another razoring!
[TO ALL WHO HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED AN APPOINTMENT OR WALK-IN_THIS GUY KNOWS HIS BUSINESS, AND HOW TO PAMPER]
See you soon! THANKYOU
Bella
July 08, 2012, 12:33:04 PMOne of my favorite places and the only place my son will get his hair cut! I <3 this joint!!!!
MissMinda
July 08, 2012, 12:47:49 PMDon't let them fool you with the writing here. They also do AWESOME cuts and color for women and young ladies.
Make sure you visit their Facebook page and watch the video that was just created for the shop. Great place to go.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pomade-Tonic-Traditional-Barbershop-and-Social-Club/164604040302513
DDC
July 08, 2012, 08:56:33 PMHaven't been to a barbershop in years. Fell into the unisex thing many years ago and since around '06 I have been shaving my head though I have a full beard. I have wondered many times what that straight razor felt like on my scalp LOL.
I think I will come and see you for a shave and trim on this old scraggly beard.
MissMinda
July 08, 2012, 09:14:24 PMMy husband just had the full treatment this past week, shave face and full head shave with hot towels. He tells me it was awesome and relaxing. "It feels crisper than when you do it yourself, and the motions are very small." Highly recommended.