Creating an experience: Barbering grads carve their own niches with unique shops
Imagine entering a barbershop and feeling like you have been transported to another world. You could experience this at Kevin Krauss’ 3 Dog Barber in Lancaster and Oral Roberts’ Cove & Mill Barbering Co. in Buffalo.
Both Krauss, 48, and Roberts, 46, graduated from Erie 1 BOCES’ adult Barbering program through the Workforce Development division at the Potter Career & Technical Center in West Seneca. Krauss graduated in 2015, and Roberts finished in 2016.
“I was able to learn the business aspect and flow of the barbering community, and how you can make it into a career,” Roberts noted. “It pushed me to keep learning, especially during my internship. In turn, I realized I could not only become a master barber, but also an entrepreneur.”
“It opened up a lot of opportunities for me, and I enjoyed the structured education since it let me tailor to my own style rather than learning someone else’s habits,” Krauss said. “It gave me a solid foundation to springboard off of.”
Roberts grew in his craft and built up his clientele after finishing the program. With guidance from the Small Business Administration, he opened Cove & Mill Barbering last year in a renovated historic grain elevator at the Silos at Elk Street.
“Being originally from the island of Trinidad, I pictured a rustic, Caribbean pirate vibe for the shop,” Roberts said.
Aesthetically, his wife Jeanine, lead interior designer with Young + Wright Architectural, began designing the space around his vision.
“We wanted to create an experience for our clients, from the wood and metal workstations to the classic red captain’s barber chairs,” Roberts said. “The ship rope, wooden spool table, barrels and treasure chest give it that ship deck feeling.”
Like Roberts, Krauss continued cutting hair after the Barbering program. He came up with his own concept for a barbershop by drawing from his experience traveling the world as a flight attendant. He eventually bought a London-style building and started The 3 Dog Barber in 2018.
“Right from the first smell, you feel like time stops,” Krauss explained. “The products are from London, and the barbers are in shirts and ties. We have a concierge that takes care of customers, so it’s really all about the experience. We consider them guests in our home, and this becomes a place where they can be pampered and recharge.”
Krauss will be opening his second location in Buffalo soon, and a third location in Chicago is in the works.
Both Krauss and Roberts maintain their ties with Erie 1 BOCES. Krauss is as an instructor, and three of his employees are graduates themselves. Roberts is on a board that assists with further developing the Barbering program, and he also provides internships.
To learn more about Erie 1 BOCES’ Barbering program and the other adult career training programs, visit www.e1b.org/wfd. For more on Cove & Mill Barbering Co., visit www. coveandmillbarbering.com. For The 3 Dog Barber, visit www.3dogbarber.com.