NYC barbershop offers 'pay what you can' option

NEW YORK - Even with Covid cases lingering and even increasing, many people are still planning to head back to work and ditch the zoom virtual office experience.

Let's be honest, some of us might be a little scruffy and rough around the edges.

The barbershop is where we can take care of that and for the budget-conscious, who still want to look good, a local franchise is offering a unique option.

Consider it an understanding of the current state of economics in this country embraced by Fellow Barber.

Company founder, Sam Buffa has 11 locations in New York and California.

Get breaking news alerts in the free FOX5NY News app!  |  Sign up for FOX 5 email newsletters

The shops all now have a new offer for clients, "pay what you can."

"It means that you can walk up to any of our shops seven days a week, and you can go to one of our junior barbers and you can decide to pay anywhere from $0 to $100," Buffa told FOX 5 News.

Haircuts here typically range from $40 to $50.

The 'pay what you can' option was temporary during the worst days of the pandemic, but  now with inflation rising the company decided to make it permanent.

Fellow Barber ensures the Junior Barbers don't take a loss financially and the company absorbs the cost of the pay-as-you-go program.

Buffa, the founder, tells us so far they're pretty much breaking even and in the long run will likely earn new loyal clients.