Business spotlight - The Man Cave Hair Lounge

On September 5th things finally fell into place for Dennis and Sheri Bragg of Windham. They opened the doors of their new business, The Man Cave Hair Lounge. 

“We wanted to own our own business. We thought about what’s going to make us different, our niche,” said Sheri. What she found was that men needed a place where they could go to enjoy getting a haircut. At The Man Cave, located inside the Windham Mall, near Smitty’s, men can spend time on themselves. It’s a place where getting a haircut becomes a positive experience rather than just something to check off the to-do list. 

“Men need a place of their own. A lot of men get haircuts because they have to, not because they want to,” said Sheri. “This is enjoyable. A place they want to go. It’s their place.”

The Man Cave is full of masculine touches from the authentic sports memorabilia, hardwood floors and black leather chairs to the styling products geared toward men. 

 

“Men like sports, comfy seats, recliners and leather. The Man Cave is not girly in any way. It’s pleasant, but masculine” said Sheri. Each client is offered a complementary beverage. Choices include a beer, coffee, soda or 100 percent juice juice box (for the smaller men). Another highlight is that they can catch the game on their flatscreen TV’s while waiting. The atmosphere is very relaxing with dim lights and aromatherapy. The service includes hot towels and a shampoo, something most other barber shops do not do.  “We want them to feel man’pered,” said Sheri. “We are full service.”

Cuts are offered as a drop-in service or by appointment for now.  Services may take 35 to 40 minutes for a typical cut.

They offer “man’pering” services, which include scalp treatments, hand and foot grooming, along with beard/mustache trim or shave. Their “man’scaping” menu consists waxing services from a simple brow wax to a full body “man’zilian”. With the full body hair removal, it is done with a product that is much less painful then traditional waxing, she added. 

The Man Cave partnered with Saint Joseph’s College recently for student cuts, which is the signature cut at discounted rates. “We recognize students have a strict budget and we’re very appreciative of the partnership,” Sheri said.

The locals from Windham, Raymond, Portland, Westbrook and other towns are happy to have a place just for men that they don’t have to travel too far to get to.  

The six employees, who are cosmetologists, have a combined 40 plus years of experience. Sheri and Dennis both work behind the scenes, Sheri, who once worked for a disability insurance company, is in charge of all the behind the scenes day to day details. Dennis who still works as a plant manager does the financials.

“You’ll leave happy no matter who you see,” Sheri said. “I want guys to know it’s a place for them and know that they can leave here with a great haircut, have a unique experience and want to come back,” she added. They won’t come back just because they need a haircut. They’re going to want to come back.

Cutting the clientele by 50 percent is risky in any business, but it was a risk the Braggs were willing to take to offer something new to the area. The Man Cave carries products from Woody’s, American Crew and Paul Mitchell. They also carry LayRite Pomade products. In the future, The Man Cave hopes to have a massage therapist available. They also have a refund policy for their products. If it doesn’t work, they will exchange it for something that will work better. 

The Man Cave is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Fridays and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For more, visit Facebook or to book an appointment call 893-CAVE.