More than a haircut: Veteran barber continues legacy at JW Barber & Style

Ask Derek Reinhardt what he enjoys about barbering (he’s been at the trade for a quarter of a century) and he thinks for a moment and then replies, “The opportunity to build friendships.”

Reinhardt will certainly have that opportunity in abundance over the next few months as he just last week opened his own shop in Rutherford College — JW Barber & Style.

A reporter from The Paper visited the shop Wednesday morning — a February morning made to order with a low gray sky, temperatures hovering just above the freezing mark, and a steady rain falling.

Inside the shop, Reinhardt pushed back the gray of a late winter’s day with a barber’s form of sunshine — a friendly greeting, a warm smile, and the offer of a steaming hot and fresh cup of coffee.

First things first. Why is the shop named JW?

“That’s to honor my grandfather,” Reinhardt responded. “His name was John William. I wanted to honor his legacy and really the legacy of my entire family.”

At age 48, Reinhardt is Burke County born and bred. He grew up near Lake James, off Old Highway 105, and went to school at Glen Alpine Elementary and Junior High before being graduated from Freedom High.

As noted, he’s been a barber for some 25 years, the last 15 of which were spent at the East End Barber Shop in Valdese. He and his family make their home in Valdese.

Despite his long tenure at East End, Reinhardt said he had long nurtured the dream of having his own shop and had been actively looking for a location for the past few years.

He found what he wanted when the property at 421 U.S. 70, Connelly Springs, became available.

About that address. Yes, it says Connelly Springs, but the fact is it’s located in the town limits of Rutherford College, just down the hill from the very busy Malcolm Boulevard-U.S. 70 intersection.

In fact, Reinhardt says Rutherford College Mayor Yates Jensen was one of the first customers to grace his chair, and later Town Manager Jessica Bargsley and Town Clerk Terra Brieno delivered a welcoming gift basket to the shop.

Whatever the municipality, Reinhardt describes the location as “a high-traffic spot with good visibility. And so far the response has been very good. Some of my old customers have come and we’ve had new people coming in.”

Joining Reinhardt in the new shop is Ben Johnson, a 2013 graduate of Draughn High School who also barbered at Valdese’s East End for several years.

Johnson had actually left barbering for awhile, working in the appliance industry, but when Reinhardt approached him about joining the staff at JW, he was happy to come home to his old career.

“My grandma saw me as a barber,” Johnson recalled. “She said I had the personality and disposition for it, and I reckon she was right.”

Johnson said the JW location has “an awful lot of potential. The response so far has been good. Folks have seen us just driving by. Other folks have found us online. I think we’ll do great.”

Although Reinhardt had five barber chairs installed in his new shop, only he and Johnson are on staff so far.

“I’m talking to a couple of guys who are interested,” Reinhardt said, “so we will be growing as we move forward.”

The shop will be open Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, but Reinhardt said appointments can be made outside those hours when necessary.

Prices at the shop range from $20 for a basic haircut to $40 for a haircut with a face shave.

“Come on by,” said Reinhardt to potential new customers. “We’ll make you feel welcome, and we’ll give you the haircut you want.”