By Randy Arrington
LURAY, March 23 — When Lisa Huffman first moved to Luray a little over a year ago, she noticed a void in the community.
“When I got here, I saw there was no barber shop,” she said.
For a short time, Huffman traveled as far as Warrenton and Winchester to put her 40 years of experience in cutting hair to use. Then she heard that The Main Attraction at 302 West Main Street was vacating the small shop. So, she stepped in to fill that void she had noticed.
On Thursday, local officials gathered for a ribbon cutting hosted by the Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce at the intersection of Main and Court streets to celebrate one year in business for Poppy’s Barber Shop.
“We are so happy that you decided to invest in downtown Luray,” Mayor Jerry Dofflemyer said. “On behalf of the [Luray] Council and the Town, we wish you best wishes and much success.”
Poppy’s offers haircuts at a flat rate of $15 for both men and women, with a reduced rate of $10 for children under 10. Huffman can do shampoos and trim beards, but she does not offer any chemical services or treatments.
Huffman admits it has been a little tough building up her clients, but she says things are trending in the right direction and “still building” because she offers a unique level of service. Not only does Poppy’s carry fairly normal business hours Tuesday through Saturday (closed Sundays and Mondays), but customers may also call for an appointment anytime after business hours.
“I’m the only person in Luray that will come in any hour to give a haircut,” Huffman said. In addition, she will pay in-home visits to those who may not be able to get out to get a haircut.
Just call for an in-home appointment.
Originally hailing from Lexington and starting out her career in Glasgow, Huffman worked for about a decade in hair salons before switching over to strictly barber shops. In fact, she was hired as the first female barber at the historic Charlottesville Barber Shop run by Ed Shifflett, who passed away just a few years ago. The classic barber shop stood for 60 years (now closed) and was everything you would picture when Lisa was hired in 1998.
“The men did not like it,” she remembers. The local paper did a story about “the female barber.”
One local official on Thursday recalled the nostalgia of the classic barber shop.
“When I was growing up, you went to the barber shop to get the local news,” District 2 supervisor Allen Louderback told the crowd gathered in front of the shop. “On behalf of the board of supervisors of Page County, I would like to welcome you. We wish you all the success in the world.”
Huffman rents the space from Walter Judd, who operates Water Plus on the Court Street side of the same building. Formerly serving as a garage, auto parts store, and American Oil Station, the interior has been renovated to service a barber shop.
While Poppy’s one-chair shop may not attract a small group of old men discussing the nation’s woes and triumphs, its owner pledges to be available anytime someone needs a trim.
“Keep America beautiful,” Huffman said, “get a haircut.”
Poppy’s Barber Shop, 302 W. Main St., is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday (open until 6 p.m. on Wednesdays) and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Call for an appointment anytime (540) 677-0730.
Visit Poppy’s Barber Shop on their Facebook page.
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