Suzie's Barbershop serving men's haircut needs in Springdale

Opening a male barbershop was scary for Suzie Hloznik. She questioned if seeing a female barber-owner would be comfortable for men accustomed to the guy’s world of a typical barbershop.

But she was determined to make her dream a reality. As she opened Suzie’s Barbershop in Springdale in June, all those second thoughts quickly faded.

“It came down to creating a space that was for all men and inviting to men,” said Hloznik, 28. “But being a woman creating that space, I had to take the womanly touch out of this whole space.”

Owning her own barbershop was always in the back of Hloznik’s mind. She knew she wanted to pursue a career in cutting men’s hair after working at a Great Clips franchise for seven years. The job gave her desire to learn more about the industry, leading her to the Barber School of Pittsburgh in 2017.

After graduating, she was ready to open her own shop in Russelton, but peers warned her that the location would be a challenge. Instead, she ventured between working at two barbershops in Millvale and Lawrenceville for a couple of years.

“I held off on it and waited until I found a feeling that was right,” she said.

The right feeling would come when she came to Springdale. With the help of her then-fiancé, Sean Folcik, the two found the space at 916 Pittsburgh St. in the most fairy tale way possible — on Valentine’s Day this year.

“I knew from the second we walked in that this was going to be the shop,” said Hloznik, a Creighton native who lives in Tarentum with her now-husband and daughter.

The last men’s barbershop in Springdale was Jack’s, which closed about 10 years ago and moved to Verona. Springdale resident Adam Sweetland, a former Jack’s customer, said he would make the drive out to Verona, but it became too much after a while. He’s happy to have somewhere closer to meet his hair maintenance needs.

“It’s awesome. She is awesome,” he said.

Hloznik both manages the shop and cuts clients’ hair. Two other employees help with the barbering. Dalton Diodati started early this month.

Diodati knew Hloznik from barber school. He reached out to offer a helping hand when he heard she opened her own shop.

“It’s nice to start during the holidays so I can build clientele,” he said.

Suzie’s serves complimentary beverages to customers waiting for their appointment. Seeing the customer turnout has been rewarding for Hloznik, who said there are times she gets booked two to three days in advance, limiting her ability to serve walk-ins.

“Everybody day by day has made me feel that this was the absolute best and right decision for me,” she said.

Kelie Krebs, who has two sons, would drive to Great Clips at the Pittsburgh Mills to get her sons’ hair cut. She is glad she is able to do that at a closer location.

“It’s nice to have an actual barbershop to go to, especially because it is close,” she said.

A basic haircut at Suzie’s is $25 (cash only) and a classic hot razor shave runs $30. Hloznik has been thinking of expanding the services offered — perhaps by adding waxing — but for now she is focused on keeping things simple while living her dream.

“It’s empowering to be a woman-owned business and barbershop. When my mind says it is going to do something, it does not steer off,” she said.