Main Street ‘Mainstay’ Gets New Owner

Not content to let a downtown Moorestown “mainstay” shut down, Jeanette Habina intervened and realized a longtime dream.

Habina, a full-time business consultant with a background in cosmetology, said she had often thought of running her own barbershop, or salon. So when the previous owner of decided to close up shop after 15 years, Habina jumped.

“I always thought it would be a good thing to fall back on,” she said. “I said I would do it when I got old. I guess this means I’m old.”

Following a tip from a fellow member, Habina met with the prior owner of the barbershop on July 15—the day after it closed—closed a deal to buy the shop on the 16th, and reopened on the 24th.

“I had to recover as quickly as possible,” she said while hosting a grand reopening Wednesday night. “This is like a mainstay … I didn’t want to lose customers.”

During the downtime, Habina freshened up the shop with a new paint job and decor, and added a coffee machine and bottled water to the waiting room.

"I wanted this also to be comfortable for moms to bring their kids in," she said.

The shift in ownership was handled so quietly and the turnaround so quickly that many of the shop’s loyal patrons had no idea what had happened until they walked in and saw the new owner.

“People are just walking in, not knowing what’s going on,” she said. “Everyone’s been very welcoming, very supportive. They’re really pleased it’s still open.”

Habina—who organizes the —added other features too, like a eucalyptus hot towel with every haircut and a machine that does shoulder massages. Soon she’ll be offering straight razor shaves and parties for groomsmen.

Haircuts are $22, and buzz cuts are $17. A beard trim will run you $5.

At the moment, Habina has just one full-time barber, Cynthia Pettipas, who she praised profusely.

“She’s really good,” said Habina. “I was really lucky. I had a week to find somebody.”

She’s looking to hire a part-timer in the near future, and if things work out with the original Men’s Headquarters—for which Habina has coined the slogan, “It’s not your grandfather’s barbershop”—she’d liked to open a Men’s Headquarters II.

Men’s Headquarters is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, and 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Call 856-802-1442 to make an appointment.