Local barbershop offers clients affordable haircuts

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A line of men sit in chairs against the wood-paneled wall. Waiting. Of different races, and ages, they wait patiently, but not quietly, for their names to be called.

On the other wall, men sit in chairs being taken care of by the staff of Dino’s Barber Studio, 4314 S. Cedar St., in Lansing. Everyone is talking and laughing while the motion of the store moves gently to the beat.

In the controlled chaos of the store, the conversation among the clients and staff rises above the background noise. To co-owner Dino Horton, that’s precisely the reason Dino’s Barber Studio was established.

Horton and his business partner, Carlton McConnell, opened the doors of their Lansing location two and a half years ago. Horton has been doing hair for 30 years, most famously for Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Horton opened the barber shop to offer high quality, affordable haircuts for his famous $6.99 price Monday through Wednesday and $9.99 the rest of the week, he said.

“You have to look good to feel good,” Horton said. “The price is so reasonable for a nice haircut.”

The new Dino’s Barber Studio, 412 Albert Ave., opened in June and has struggled a bit in the slow economy without the rush of students that usually keeps downtown East Lansing businesses running, Horton said. The new salon offers the same prices and services as the Dino’s in Lansing.

Current hours are 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. and they hope to be open until at least 11 p.m. in the fall once students return, McConnell said. Horton is confident as soon as the students return to the city, business will pick up.

Horton said the staff and clients of Dino’s gave away 7,000 toys to children in need last Christmas and they also sponsor Lighthouse for Men home, a center for men recently released from correctional facilities looking for help to start a new life. Dino’s also helped host the Black and Minority Health Fair last year to inform men in the Lansing community of health risks.

“Men don’t usually go to the hospital,” McConnell said. “So we brought the hospital to them.”

The community atmosphere of Dino’s Barber Studio keeps Manny Patino of Lansing coming back. Patino said a lot of barber shops are segregated along race lines, but Dino’s avoids that pitfall by being open to everyone.

“Dino and Bruce (Sherrod) are the best barbers in town,” Patino said. “I’m very particular about the little hair I have left and they do what you ask them.”

Sherrod is one of the senior barbers at Dino’s Barber Studio with more than 40 years of experience cutting hair.

The East Lansing location plans to collaborate with Starbucks Coffee Company, 401 E. Grand River Ave., which is owned by Magic Johnson, a childhood neighbor of Horton’s.

McConnell said using their resources to collaborate with other local businesses in advertising is a win-win for everyone. It’s also a hallmark of what Dino’s Barber Studio means to them, he said.

“It’s not just business for us,” Horton said. “It’s personal.”

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