The Gentlemen Behind Kennedy’s All American Barber Club®

This is the story of four guys and a barber club. While this might conjure up images of a retro TV show, this is a story about finding a business opportunity where men could be… well, gentleman.

When you walk into Kennedy’s®, it is like taking a step back to a time where gentlemen gathered for a haircut and shave to swap stories, relax and take pleasure in the finer things in life. In a 24-hour, media-crazy world where Blackberries and laptops tether us to our work even after we have “punched out” and the media tells stories of doom and gloom, these four gentlemen founded a company, a place, for men to slow down for a moment and enjoy a routine necessity. While others may see this task as mundane and have created quick, in-and-out, just-get-the-job-done “shops,” Kennedy’s® has created a club where members come to feel pampered, suave, elite and successful.

Welcome to Kennedy’s All American Barber Club®.

The customer experience at a Kennedy’s® is for “discerning gentlemen.” It is upscale. It is the polar opposite of the everyday haircut from the big chain shops. Like many successful men, the Kennedy’s® founders felt out of place at salons frequented by their wives or at local strip-center, walk-in “chop shops.” Kennedy’s® was created as a unique place where the founders would actually like to go, to get the grooming services they needed, de-stress and relax in a comfortable environment – rather than being rushed hastily in and out of a place they dreaded. While most hair-cutters cater to women and children and “mass appeal” everything, Kennedy’s All-American Barber Clubs® cater to gentlemen looking for a fine grooming experience with the old-world charm of your father’s barber shop and the quiet sanctuary of a men’s social club, now seen only in old movies.

It is a unique “place,” and the concept of “place” is an often neglected or overlooked success factor in business, in marketing and in premium-price success. Probably the best example of this is Starbucks, which has been described by its founder as a “3rd place business” providing the “place” between home and work, work and home. While not as direct an analogy, Disney’s theme parks have always been about something more significant to people than just an amusement park or just a day’s activity; they are, per Walt’s imagination, “The Happiest Place On Earth.”

So, who are the four gentlemen behind this growing franchise?

Pictured on the cover, these four gentlemen represent Kennedy’s® members with a diverse set of backgrounds that have all brought these gentlemen success and a passion for life. One thing they all have in common is the internal drive that keeps each of these “Kennedy’s® men” always on the go. From trips abroad to hobnobbing with superstars, recording music, writing books and speaking engagements, there is always something new and something interesting in their lives. Even this magazine is a testament to the ever-constant drive and creativity that keeps these businessmen successful in business and entertaining in their personal lives. Hopefully, the pages within this magazine will be an avenue for them to share their knowledge, adventures and successes with you. As you get to know these “guys,” they hope you will also use the magazine as an avenue to learn and share your stories with them too.

You might think at least one in the group had life-long aspirations of owning a barber shop, but not so with these Kennedy’s® men. In fact, I doubt the thought ever crossed their minds until one day – there it was.

“It wasn’t about a haircut, when we started. Any ‘chop shop’ can cut hair. It wasn’t even about the shave, although I have grown quite accustomed to them. It was about a place where men could go to unwind and talk ‘guy stuff.’ I wanted a place to go where, ‘everybody knows your name’ but without all of the smoke and alcohol,” chairman and CEO, Chris Hurn, explained.

And one day, that’s just what he stumbled across along with the other Kennedy’s® men: Tony Zara; JW Dicks; and Nick Nanton.

I wondered how a couple of guys in the commercial mortgage industry like Chris and Tony would become involved in a barber club, so I asked Tony. “When I lived over in the Baldwin Park area, one day I passed a barber club and thought it looked interesting. Later, I became a member for about a year, but when I moved to Longwood, I kind of forgot about it. Then one day, Chris mentioned a barber club in Heathrow and that the franchisors were looking to sell. He asked if I might be interested in meeting with them. A little over a year later, and here we are,” president and CFO, Tony Zara, said.

Ok, so that takes care of half of the team. How did a pair of lawyers get involved?

“Nick and I were already working with Chris and Tony through Mercantile Commercial Capital when Chris had the idea of expanding the barber club as a national franchise. It seemed like such a unique opportunity and concept that Nick and I decided to join the team,” corporate counsel, JW Dicks, said.

“The existing barber club already had some great ‘bones,’ but by adding our own personal touches to the existing club – all of the things we realized we had been ‘looking for,’ we created in Kennedy’s®,” chief marketing officer Nick Nanton added.

It almost sounds like the start of a bad joke – what do you get when you combine two bankers and two lawyers? But this crew is more than just bankers and lawyers, and it’s no joke. Among them, they are national speakers, record producers, best-selling authors and above all, successful businessmen. When they put their combined business and marketing talents together with a unique twist on an old idea, Kennedy’s® was born.

And while they are serious about business, they aren’t all business. They also enjoy “the good life.” Travel, sports, fashion, family, gadgets, wine – businessmen who are also connoisseurs of life. Kennedy’s® men.

When he isn’t hard at work, Chris enjoys traveling (including regular trips to Las Vegas, see his article on page 23) and spending time with his wife Shannon and his two children, Julianna and Reilly. And in his “downtime,” you can often find him in his favorite barber chair at Kennedy’s® All American Barber Club in Heathrow, Florida.

“I tend to keep my plate pretty full, so taking a moment to unwind during a relaxing shave and a haircut serves double duty… allowing me to gather my thoughts in a comfortable atmosphere, while taking care of a task that otherwise becomes a chore,” Chris said.

A Kennedy’s® man through and through, Tony is known among friends as “Mr. Etiquette” for his always professional manner and demeanor. Look for him to share some of his favorite etiquette tips with you in future issues. When not working, Tony enjoys playing golf and spending time with his wife Catherine and their son Zachary.

“To me, Kennedy’s® gives men a place to be gentlemen while indulging in a little luxury,” Tony said.

JW jokes that while his business address is Orlando, his play address is at his beach house in St. Petersburg, Florida where he spends as much time as he can with his wife Linda, two daughters, two son-in-laws, granddaughter and two Yorkies. His major hobby is fishing, although the fish are rumored to be safe.

“I see Kennedy’s® as a recession-proof business, since hair won’t stop growing even if the economy is suffering, and a place to get away from the stress of daily life, if only for a moment, to enjoy a shave and a haircut,” JW said.

Nick is known as a “taste-maker” and as a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (also known as NARAS, home to The GRAMMYs); Nick has the honor of casting a vote on the annual GRAMMY® Awards. Look for Nick to share his trip to the 2009 GRAMMY awards with you in a future issue. On Saturdays in the fall, you can find Nick cheering on the Florida Gators football team with his wife Kristina and their sons Brock and Bowen.

“Kennedy’s® is more than just a ‘shop,’ it really is a ‘club’ where members can network with other like-minded, successful members,” Nick said. “And that’s why I love it. It’s the best of both worlds, business…and pleasure.”

So, what’s next for Kennedy’s®?

The launch of this magazine is just another step in the marketing plan to attract both future franchisees and future members for those franchises across the country. Currently, there are six Kennedy’s® franchises in operation throughout Florida with plans to expand throughout the United States. But throughout the phases of expansion, you can be sure when you enter a Kennedy’s® you will always be greeted with the same sense of arriving somewhere you belong.

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