Lucky Gaspard’s Hair Design – 1 Stoneybatter, Dublin 7
Describe the clientele that come in here.
We have a lot of people here from different places, different countries. Some from France, Romania, Poland, lots of countries…it’s a mixed barbers. We cut a lot of people from African Americans, we have a lot of people like students, we have students from America, Canada… so when they come here to study and we barb them.
What service do you offer here?
They like the way we take care of them. How we barb the hair, they really enjoy it. Sometimes they went to a different barber shop and they don’t cut it the way they like it. So that’s why the most of the time they like to come here. They meet with people here, they chat. They meet with different people from different nations and talk, that’s why they like to come here.
How long is this shop here?
This shop is here almost twelve years.
Where are you from originally?
I am Burundian.
Were you a barber in Burundi?
Yeah I did yeah. I didn’t have more experience than here. When I came here I learned more and became professional.
What was involved in that training?
I am an artist, so it’s like something I like when I was ten years, almost eleven years. And I came to Ireland and continued to learn and learn until I became professional.
Is it just hair cutting here or shaving as well?
We do both. You can come for a shave, designs, whatever you want…
Your clientele, are they younger or older?
Actually we have lots. We have kids, we have a lot. It’s a mix.
What is the atmosphere like in here on a Saturday?
It’s busy. Some people they meet here, they talk, they look at others as we cut people. Sometimes people come just to meet here. They don’t even come to get a cut.
So it’s quite a social experience?
Yeah, so maybe they come to see the soccer. Some people don’t want to watch the soccer at home, you know. They just come to the barbershop. They will have a shave and watch the match as well.
You don’t mind if people come in just to sit?
I don’t mind. It’s good for the business. Because if you tell the person “I don’t want you to sit here”, the next time if he wants a cut he is not going to come to your shop. But if you welcome the person, he wants to sit down and watch the match, he wants to meet somebody here…you tell him to sit and he can wait for the person. It is very welcoming for everybody. That is why you see sometimes it is very busy, you may come here and see more than ten people here.
