Meet Melanie and Justin Albrecht | Barbers/ Owners of Good Barbers

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melanie and Justin Albrecht and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melanie and Justin, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
One thing people don’t realize about the barber industry is you have to obtain a license which requires going to school for about a year and passing final exams. We also have to maintain continuing education and spend a lot of time behind the chair to become a Good Barber. It’s something that takes years of practice and patience.

What should our readers know about your business?
Good Barbers is a small family-owned barber shop in Boulder Colorado established in 2019. With a modern, classic aesthetic and an eclectic mix of music, Good Barbers pride comes from the quality service provided. Every client that comes in and sits down on our 70, year-old porcelain barber chairs gets a detailed haircut by an experienced barber. We have very high standards when it comes to hiring barbers. I think that’s the one thing that sets us apart from the rest. We will only hire people with the proper experience we require. Currently having only 4 barbers, two being us, we are servicing about 40-50 people a day which is something to be very proud of considering we are coming out of covid. Two years ago when we started this business we would have never guessed the majority of it would be spent surviving a pandemic. Just a little back story- we both grew up in North West Indiana, right outside Chicago. We met in 2010 at the beginning of our careers. Both being in the same trade and wanting more out of our careers we decided to move to Chicago together. With hard work and constantly saving every penny that came in, we finally decided to make the move to Boulder and start our own barbershop. Visiting the area a few times we truly just fell in love with Colorado. Starting this business was not easy. We put our entire savings into it which was a huge risk but we knew we could create something Boulder doesn’t have. We have worked at a lot of different shops in the past 10 years which influenced us on the dos and dont’s of how we want our shop. We cut hair for about 9 hours a day so it’s important to have a comfortable space to work at for us and our barbers so we can provide that quality service for our customers. We also want all the barbers that work for us to feel like it’s a safe space to have creative freedom. One lesson learned through all of this is to be patient with the process. There’s a few things we tried to rush in the beginning but in the end we learned to take our time, especially when it comes to hiring barbers. The one thing I want people to know about our brand is it’s more than just a haircut.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One of the first places I would take anyone is crosscut in Nederland. The drive up the canyon is a treat in itself. We typically get the special cheese pizza and find a creek spot close by but dining in is always nice too. They have a wonderful patio space with mountain views where you can get a few beers and a cheese plate while you wait for your pizza. Heading back down to town we love taking peak to peak highway and going through Estes park. Its a much longer drive but with absolutely gorgeous views. When we’re out of Estes and go through Lyons we always have to stop at the Colorado cherry company for some cherry pies. Everything they sell is so delicious and the staff is very friendly. Another great area is Idaho Springs. First place to check out is St Marys glacier. It’s about a 1.5 mile hike to a glacial lake with the most stunning views that you’d typically have to hike miles for. Afterwards we would go to the frothy cup for coffee and pastries and walk through the cute town of Idaho springs.
Colorado has so many little towns to check out so its hard to pick our favorite spots but an absolute must is downtown Louisville. Basically every restaurant in this small town is a go to but our favorite place is Moxie bread for some breakfast, bobs diner for lunch, and Waterloo for dinner.
A great thing to do on a Saturday morning is check out all the farmers markets and grabbing some produce from local farmers and other goodies from local venders. One more great place that we love taking people is Rayback in Boulder. They not only have an incredible drink selection but they always have the best food trucks! The outdoor space is a lot of fun to just hang with some friends and your pups.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We want to dedicate our shoutout to each other. Without one another our barbershop wouldn’t exist. Good Barbers was created by the hard work, support, and encouragement of both us.

Website: Goodbarberscolorado.com

Instagram: @goodbarberscolorado

Image Credits
Javier Jimenez Rick Nogers