Name: White Oak Barber Shop
Owner: Merritt Potter
Locations: 2244 Dayton Boulevard and 7510 Lee Highway
Opened: Lee Highway held a grand opening Jan. 30
Service: This old-time barber shop offers shaves and haircuts for men
Prices: Shave and haircut: $45; shave alone: $30; haircut alone: $18
Staff: 8
How it got started: After owning the Dayton Boulevard location since 2006, Potter realized there was a need for an upscale barber shop on the other side of town. Because one of his barbers lives in Ooltewah and there was a strong market in the area, he decided it would be a good location for his business to expand.
Initial investment: $55,000
Sales goal: To beat the previous month's sales
Five-year goal: To increase the number of barbers at the Lee Highway location from three to five
History: The first White Oak Barber Shop opened on Dayton Boulevard in 1932 and Potter bought it in 2006. Potter worked as a ship's barber in the Navy during the early 1960s, then worked in a salon during the 1970s and '80s. Now he serves as the master barber at White Oak Barber Shop.
"It just feels great to be back in a barber shop again," he said. "I feel like I've come back to my roots."
Why he stays at the chair: "I love the instant gratification," he said. "The customer is happy and it makes you feel good. The franchises have a cookie cutter fast food approach, but the methods we use have been passed down for hundreds of years."
Website: www.whiteoakbarbershop.com
Phone number: 423-875-4224, Dayton; 423-521-8263, Lee Highway