Cory Ceville stands outside his barbershop on North Macomb Street.
Photo Submitted by Jesse Romimora.
It’s one thing to dream big, but you have to put your money where your mouth is.
That’s exactly what the Local 501 barbershop and bar owner Cory Ceville did when he set up shop at 501 N. Macomb St. adjacent to the city’s Renaissance Center in July of 2017.
He has been in business for a little over a year and this local entrepreneur is already looking forward to expanding. While business is pretty good, Ceville, like any other new business owner, is aiming to be completely solvent before diving into new endeavors a few years from now.
“I’m steady, I’ve been cutting in Tallahassee since ’05 and business has been picking up every month,” Ceville said. “But the shop as a whole needs to be steady and we’re working on it.”
This isn’t just any old barbershop. From the location to the decorations, Local 501 is a family-friendly shop that welcomes diversity across race and gender. Ceville, 43, boasts about having a shop with a wide range of male and female barbers.
“I wanted to do something where it’s for everybody,” Ceville said. “I noticed in Tallahassee it’s like segregated here … you have your white shops and black shops, but you don’t have shops for everybody.”
Ceville isn’t the only person who believes this shop has a lucrative, colorful future. Roy Holland, a former electrician and barber at Local 501, says the sky is the limit.
“I’ve been here since we opened, and I’ve been a barber since 2014,” Holland said. “With the ambience we’ve got here, the skill set and diversity … this place definitely has a future.”
Local 501 is shaping up to be a big deal. The interior design and layout of the place makes it much more than a simple bar. Ceville says he hopes that it can be a community spot.
“You don’t have to get a cut to come hang out; use the Wi-Fi, play pool and get a beer,” Ceville said. “Everything is PG13 while we’re working everything is catered to a family.”
Being a barber is about more than cutting hair. It’s a chance to get personal with customers and become a part of their lives. There is a psychology to it that Ceville’s girlfriend of eight years, Rebecca Small, thinks he has mastered.
“He’s very meticulous with the cut and takes his time,” Small said. “He really enjoys helping people.”